The White Lotus on Business: Is Spirituality a Refuge or a Mirage for the Elite?
The White Lotus returns to the screen for another iconic season, transporting us all to Thailand. The first two seasons took place in Maui and Sicily, and this season sees the return of familiar faces, including Belinda and Greg (now going by Gary) from season one played by Natasha Rothwell and Jon Gries. If we know anything about Mike White, it is that he likes his characters messy, complicated, delusional, and even diabolical. The mess that you're about to witness this season will probably have you taking Lorazepam.
The mise-en-scène captures yet another chaotic event at the White Lotus, offering viewers a glimpse of the turmoil ahead. Zion (Nicholas Duvernay) finds himself caught in the opening scene's gunfire, disrupting his meditation session. Amid the chaos, Zion instinctively runs toward a statue of the Buddha, establishing spirituality as a central theme for the season. In the face of calamity and death, human nature compels us to turn to a higher power for refuge.
The guests at the White Lotus include the Ratliffs – an affluent family from the Southern United States. The arrival scene introduces the Ratliff siblings – Piper, the sister (Sarah Catherine Hook), along with her brothers Lochlan, the youngest (Sam Nivola), and Saxon, the oldest (Patrick Schwarzenegger) – as they make their onward journey to the renowned hotel. Piper is seen listening to music with her ears covered, Lochlan drinking with his mouth full, and Saxon wearing sunglasses. A fan theory points out that this is a significant depiction of the Buddha's teachings on refraining from all things evil: "see no evil, speak no evil, and hear no evil".
The White Lotus revolves around wealthy elites, each carrying personal baggage and agendas. Alongside the Ratliffs, the season follows a couple – Rick and Chelsea (Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood) –, a trio of besties – Jaclyn, Laurie, and Kate (Michelle Monaghan, Carrie Coon, and Leslie Bibb) –, and several important characters, including the hotel staff and locals who shape the storyline from different angles.
For the Ratliffs, Piper is the main reason why they end up travelling to Thailand. She claims that she wants to study Buddhism "under a guru" and possibly write a thesis. However, episode six reveals that there was no thesis – her true motive was to visit Thailand and potentially stay there for a year of spiritual immersive experience.
During the dinner table conversation in episode five, Piper's mother, Victoria (Parker Posey), questions her faith in the guru that she admires. In response, Piper declares that she is a practising Buddhist, emphasising that her values are different from her family's. To Victoria, a wealthy American mother who has led a sheltered life, this all seems absurd. Yet, her concern for her daughter isn't entirely misplaced, given how Piper's aspirations contradict her privileged upbringing and social status. Moreover, fully embracing the Buddhist life would pose significant challenges for Piper, as her experience with the philosophy has so far been more exploratory than deeply immersive. Taking the next step would mean confronting the cultural norms and societal privileges she has always known. This storyline effectively highlights how wealth and luxury can distort one's sense of purpose, creating a mirage of freedom and self-discovery that remains inaccessible to most.
The Ratliffs visit the monastery and Piper persuades her parents that she is destined to head down the path less travelled. This is where Piper's commitment to Buddhism faces its first real test. Victoria being Victoria, challenges her daughter, insisting that she can only stay if she manages to endure a night at the monastery. On the other hand, Timothy (Papa Ratliff) played by Jason Isaacs experiences a pivotal moment during a conversation with the head monk. He questions the monk about the afterlife, as he battles with continued thoughts of murder-suicide involving his family.
As the money laundering investigation looms over him, Timothy chooses to isolate himself and steadily disconnects from the resort's material comforts. The monk's reflections on the relentless cycle of desire, suffering, and death offered him a sense of closure, prompting him to support his daughter's pursuit of enlightenment.
In Episode 7: Killer Instincts, Piper and Lochlan spend a night at the monastery. What should be a pleasant retreat turns into a night of endurance, as Piper vents in the season finale titled Amor Fati, about her agony of surviving without organic food and air conditioner. So, Victoria was not entirely mistaken in assuming her children wouldn't last a night at the monastery without a frown. At that moment, Timothy realised that he must include Piper in the murder-suicide list that he's planned for him and his family.
Meanwhile, Saxon tries meditation for the first time. Of course, he gets distracted mid-way and his friend, Chelsea, whose company evidently had a positive impact on him, cuts the session short. On the bright side, he receives a bunch of self-help books from her. By this point in the series, we've seen every Ratliff try out some form of spiritual practice – except Victoria. She stays true to her form, unmoved by Eastern culture and spirituality.
Ultimately, Timothy moves forward with his plan—serving poisonous seeds-blended smoothies – fortunately, he stops mid-way, managing to prevent his family from going through with it. The next morning, Lochlan unknowingly drinks a protein shake laced with remnants of poisonous seeds left in the blender from the previous night. Upon waking up, Timothy noticed that someone had used the blender and rushed outside in panic to find Lochlan lying motionless on the ground by the pool. He then realises that his scheme had backfired on the very child he wished to protect. Thankfully, Lochlan comes back to life miraculously, giving him and his father a second chance at life.
The finale portrays Piper embracing her privileged life – she's seen wearing vibrant, and undeniably stylish, outfits for the first time in the season. Until this point, she's mostly dressed in a plain white dress with minimal colour, reflecting her attempt to embrace minimalism. But in the end, her return to extravagance highlights a deeper truth: wealth often stands as a silent barrier to spiritual growth, no matter how earnestly one seeks it. The Buddha's fundamental teaching – to detach from desire – proves especially challenging for the affluent, like the Ratliffs, who have been cocooned in luxury their entire lives. It's a sad irony, considering that Prince Siddhartha himself came from a similarly privileged background. The reality is – it took him several years of practice and meditation to achieve Parinirvana – the highest state of enlightenment.
The departure scene depicts a liberated Piper – she appears without her headphones, sunglasses, and books, simply enjoying the ocean breeze. This signifies her newfound courage to embrace her true self and accept things as they are. Mike White perfectly highlights Piper's belief in her moral superiority over the rest of her family which is shattered the minute she tries to abide by those values. She tells her mother that there is immense suffering in the world and that it's unfair that they have it easier than most people. To this, her mother reminds her that it's okay to enjoy their privileges, "otherwise it's an offence to the billions of people who can only dream to live as they do".
Piper deserves applause for venturing into Eastern spirituality even as a self-declared "spoiled princess". Regardless of the outcome, her trip to Thailand broadened her perspectives much like it did for the rest of her family. She doesn't shy away from acknowledging her privileged background, yet she remains mindful of the suffering of others.
On a hopeful note, Timothy reassures his family like a true father, reminding them that they can withstand whatever lies ahead. While it might not be a perfect ending, it's clear that he's taken his first steps toward redemption – starting with honesty – the very thing he lacked that led to his downfall. Perhaps, the monk's advice had stirred something deeper within him: the courage to embrace his fate, to say Amor Fati, and to live not in resistance but in acceptance of life's unfolding. While spirituality can often appear as an illusion to the elite—admired from afar yet rarely embodied—it remains, at its core, a sanctuary accessible to all who seek meaning beyond materialism.
Written by Mikkatchi Shira
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