Who is The White Lotus’ true star? The cast of the sitcom alternates between seasons with the exception of Jennifer Coolidge, who is back as neurotic wealthy Tanya McQuoid. Theo James’s (possibly artificial) penis, Laura Dern’s screaming voice on the phone, and Will Sharpe’s abs that are so ripped they seem photo-shopped have all made appearances thus far. The White Lotus hotel itself, however, is the most significant of all of them. Regardless of the locale, it is a world where abundance, beauty, and sorrow coexist, where there is a persistent sense that nothing is quite as it seems and that a dreadful event is just around the corner—possibly even in the next room.

On the small screen, hotels are now trendy. A luxurious resort on the Mayan Riviera serves as the setting for the dark comedic mystery series The Resort, which premiered in July. Nine Perfect Strangers on Hulu, starring drug dealer Nicole Kidman and a highly dubious Russian accent, earned mixed reviews in 2021. As “The Countess” (not Countess Luann de Lesseps), Lady Gaga previously made her television debut in American Horror Story: Hotel. Her accent was once again difficult to discern. Who could forget Schitt’s Creek, too? The sitcom won viewers’ hearts and imaginations by depicting a once wealthy family residing in a dilapidated hotel in a forgotten town.
The White Lotus highlights the hotel’s clear narrative advantages. The hotel may be visually appealing, but it serves as a “pressure cooker” where various personalities are pushed together and their personal problems collide and intertwine. They may be making an effort to leave their drama at home, but they refer to it as “emotional baggage” anyway.

Dramatic events and life-changing revelations frequently take place at hotels. In the series finale of Sex and the City, Carrie discovers that Aleksandr Petrovsky is not the right man for her when she is in a luxurious hotel room. “I am a person who seeks love. true love She describes their love as “ridiculous, inconvenient, devouring, and can’t-live-without-each-other love. And I don’t believe that love is there in this opulent suite in this gorgeous Parisian hotel.

While witnessing Ross’s tragic wedding to Emily, Monica and Chandler first had sex in a hotel room in London. And in a hotel room in Barbados, Rachel and Joey’s short flirtation—one of the most despised TV stories ever—began. It is obvious that screenwriters may be more daring when they remove people from their normal environments and place them in a setting with a free drink, room service, and time to reflect on their life choices.

The White Lotus is the most recent in a long series of TV programmes that have made fun of the rich. American television is now more critical of wealth than ever, with shows like Succession, Billions, The Undoing, and the HBO Gossip Girl revival following upper East side affluent teenagers who are familiar with the phrase “checking their privilege.” (While continuing to celebrate it; after all, this is America.)