The White Lotusseason 4 needs to bring the show back to its core premise after a divisive death choice.Creator Mike White is currently developingThe White Lotusseason 4 for HBO, and as of now, all we know is that it won’t be set by an ocean.Despite the shift in locale, it could return to the basics.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyedThe White Lotusseason 3 for the most part, and I believe it’s deserving of its Emmy acclaim. That said,I understand those who saw it as a decline in quality, and there are a few critical reasons for it. Redundancy is one, but the shift in tone is likely another.
The White Lotus Season 3 Took The Show’s Tone & Deaths Too Far
Season 3 Was Too Dark For What The White Lotus Is
At its inception,The White Lotuswas a dark comedy series with rapidly heightening stakes caused by the ignorance of wealthy vacationers.The White Lotusseason 3’s ending, however, isthought to have taken the tone and brutality of the series a step too far. Chelsea’s death, in particular, received a mixed response.
The White Lotusseason 3 maintained comedic elements, but it was undoubtedly the darkest of the series so far, which likely caused some of the divisive reactions. Seasons 1 and 2 had their darker moments, but even a sequence like Armond’s death had some comedic elements to balance out the tragedy.
The same could be said for Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya, whose death is arguably one of the show’s funniest moments.Greg put her in a dark situation, but the absurd elements and lines like “Please, these gays, they’re trying to murder me,” kept a lighter tonethat provided a more widespread appeal for the series.
Not every show needs to embrace a lighter tone just for its viewers, butThe White Lotushad a winning formula.Chelsea’s death, on the other hand, felt a step too cruel, as if to make a point about violence that everyone could see coming, even if they dreaded the idea too much to realize it fully.
The White Lotus Season 4 Should Put This Right, Rather Than Raising The Stakes
Season 4 Needs To Tone It Down While Pushing Boundaries In Other Directions
The White Lotusseason 3 is the grandest, darkest installment of the series, and that’s a good thing. Having that piece in an anthology collection feels important. However,going bigger and darker isn’t the way to move forward. The show can’t simply go backwards, either, though.
Boundaries can be pushed in alternate directions without just increasing violence and tragedy.
The change in scenery will doThe White Lotussome good in establishing a new premise, while also hopefully returning to the show’s roots. After all, there are still countless ways to explore forms of toxicity in different types of characters. Boundaries can be pushed in alternate directions without just increasing violence and tragedy.
