Is there a link between The White Lotus Season 1 and Season 3? Details revealed 

There is no secret that The White Lotus turned out to be one of the most discussed anthology series on HBO. Every season puts the viewer in a different luxury resort to meet a different cast of eccentric, troubled, or even, occasionally corrupt, affluent visitors. However, though the appeal of the show frequently comes in the form of its biting critiquing of privilege and its sense of intertwining drama and dark comedy, perhaps one of the most interesting is the way writer-director Mike White ties together across seasons, even in the most small and incidental of manners.

With Season 3 now officially released, one of the big questions was answered, and yes, there is indeed a very real connection between The White Lotus Season 1 and Season 3. Following months of speculation, teasers, and inscrutable interviews with the show creator, Mike White, viewers are able to finally see how the two seasons are connected with the history of the show, and the result thereof is as rewarding as it is disturbing.

The possible connection between The White Lotus Season 1 and Season 3

At one of HBO Max's recent nominee celebrations, Mike White had something interesting to say about his process of creating his ensembles, something that has been at the heart of The White Lotus since the very first season. According to White, a clarification of making the members of the family seem plausibly related was motivated both in Season 1 and Season 3.

ScreenRant quoted White as saying:

“The first season, we did this family with Sydney Sweeney and Fred Hechinger and then Steve Zahn and we put them all together for the camera test and I was like, ‘Oh, these people look exactly alike. This looks like a family.’ And then I was like, ‘We’ve got to do this with this Ratliff family.’ I was like, ‘We’ve got to make them look alike, maybe the brunette version of that family.’ I don’t know if they’re as perfectly dwarfy cute blondes like that season, but they’re amazing, I think they do [look related]. You want to buy it.”

One of the apparent twists in Season 3 is that it is not just a standalone. Instead, it specifically avoids this by circling back to Hawaii and the action of Season 1, which creates a sense of continuity in a series that otherwise has largely been defined by the practice of anthologizing.

The most direct one would be Olivia Mossbacher (Sydney Sweeney), the snarky college girl in season one. In The White Lotus Season 3, Olivia is back, and this time she is older, more cynical, and is trekking through Asia in the name of looking for herself. She comes to visit the White Lotus estate in Thailand, and the fan recognition is instant, but what is important about her coming back is that her plot line is directly tied to the disappointment she struggled with in Hawaii.

Through conversation, viewers get to understand that Olivia is still angry with her family– the Mossbachers, and occasionally makes reference to the aftermath of that Hawaiian vacation. Her brother Quinn running away from the family and the marital problems of her parents color the Season 3 story with subtle references, reminding the viewers that the rich seldom get away with things, even when the camera changes the viewpoint.

There is another structural echo that the show makes: the Ratliffs are an altogether new family and a new story point that is integral to the Season 3 plot. Mike White himself has acknowledged during production that he wanted the Ratliffs to resemble a “brunette version” of the Season 1 family, and on-screen resemblance is played with nearly intentionally eerie.

This is not only aesthetic mirroring. Ratliffs have the same thematic clashes: privilege over morality, failed parental contact, and intergenerational conflicts that vexed the Mossbachers. That is how White demonstrates that money generates the same dysfunctional patterns no matter where they are.

The other prominent reference is to Patton's newlyweds (Shane and Rachel) of Season 1. Although they are not seen in Season 3, Olivia makes brief references to them when she talks about the murder that had occurred during that initial Hawaiian excursion.

It is not a blatant reference, but enough to ensure that Season 3 takes place somewhere in the same continuity with the characters informed of the salavory events that took place years ago.

What do we know about The White Lotus season 4?

The White Lotus has been officially renewed for Season 4, but creator Mike White is still in the early stages of plotting and scouting. HBO reaffirmed the renewal prior to Season 3 airing.

Trending

Season 4 is likely to follow the same trend as the show has followed so far, with each season set at a different luxury resort, featuring an almost entirely new cast with only a few returning characters, such as Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) and Greg (Jon Gries), who have been seen in numerous seasons.

It is expected that filming will start in 2026, which means it might start releasing at the end of 2026 or, quite possibly, in 2027.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback