Spoilers forward for The White Lotus season 2.
The White Lotus will need to have the most effective PR workforce within the hospitality enterprise: Regardless of an ongoing string of murders on the resort assortment’s luxurious inns, friends are nonetheless reserving further stays. Earlier than The White Lotus season 2 even reached its conclusion, HBO greenlit a 3rd season—and there’s no less than some likelihood Jennifer Coolidge’s character might make an look from past the grave. The season 2 finale noticed the top of Tanya McQuoid-Hunt due to a twisted mixture of failed assassination try, concussion and drowning, however showrunner Mike White stays as connected as ever to Coolidge’s character.
Past that tempting nugget, there’s little else we find out about season 3, leaving loads of room for hypothesis. Let’s break down the breadcrumbs we’ve got up to now.
Has manufacturing on The White Lotus began?
Season 1 debuted in July 2021, with season 2 hitting HBO in October 2022. Manufacturing has but to start on The White Lotus season 3, nevertheless it appears potential that the following chapter will observe an identical year-long timeline—that means we may very well be watching one other season by the top of 2023.
The place will season 3 of The White Lotus happen?
Demise is prone to path The White Lotus friends throughout worldwide borders, however don’t count on that to cease them from stamping their passports. Season 3 will reportedly be set in Thailand, a number of sources informed Selection, although HBO has not but confirmed the information.
Showrunner Mike White had already hinted that season 3 would department out from earlier locales—Hawaii and Sicily, respectively—for a wholly new spot.
“We simply turned in our final episode to the community yesterday, so it’s exhausting to consider the following race,” White informed Deadline in October. “But when we did, I believe it’d be enjoyable to possibly go to a complete totally different continent. , we did Europe, and possibly Asia, one thing loopy like that, that will be enjoyable.”
Johnny Knoxville might have by chance revealed the season 3 filming location. He informed Vulture in an interview printed February 16: “Mike White is a really shut pal of mine. He and I had been in Tokyo collectively. I believe that’s the place the following … oh, I’m not giving something away.” With White planning to discover “jap faith and spirituality” within the subsequent season, filming in Tokyo makes good sense. However after all, HBO has but to verify.
What is going to season 3 of The White Lotus be about?
The third season will observe a brand new group of friends, simply because the season 1 forged handed the baton for season 2. In a post-finale interview on HBO, White teased that the third season will deal with, properly, demise.
“The primary season form of highlighted cash, after which the second season is intercourse, and I believe the third season, it will be a satirical and humorous have a look at demise and jap faith and spirituality. And it feels prefer it may very well be a wealthy tapestry to do one other spherical of White Lotus,” he stated.
Francesca Orsi, government vp of HBO Programming and head of HBO drama collection and movies, didn’t give any particular particulars in regards to the potential storyline as she introduced the season 3 inexperienced gentle, however she did appear enthusiastic about creator Mike White’s imaginative and prescient.
“He’s solely continued to succeed in new heights in season 2, which is the final word testomony to Mike’s uncooked, unparalleled imaginative and prescient,” Orsi stated earlier. “His braveness to discover the uncharted waters of the human psyche, paired along with his signature irreverent humor and buoyant directing type, have us all dreaming of extra trip days on the resort we’ve come to adore. We couldn’t be extra thrilled to get the prospect to collaborate on a 3rd season collectively.”
Who will seem in season 3 of White Lotus?
Season 2’s forged was completely totally different than season 1’s, with one notable exception: the incomparable Coolidge. Given White’s attachment to Tanya—and his private adoration for the actress enjoying her—it appeared potential the showrunner would deliver her again for yet one more spherical. However that not seems to be the case given how the season 2 finale ended. “Jennifer is my pal and everyone liked her within the first season, and I used to be like, ‘I can’t go to Italy with out Jennifer,’” White beforehand informed Deadline. “And possibly that’s nonetheless the case. Like, possibly you may’t go to Japan with out Jennifer, both. There are such a lot of enjoyable actors we’ve labored with up to now, so it’s simply form of like who’s accessible?”
In fact, it’s at all times potential White dropped this tease as a pink herring, as a way to throw audiences off the scent of Tanya’s demise within the finale. Nonetheless, it’s simply as seemingly he’s being real, and Tanya might seem subsequent season—maybe in flashbacks.
One other potential acquainted face? Season 1’s Connie Britton. In July, she informed Deadline, “[White] wished me to be within the second season, and there was an concept that I liked for the character. Our intention is to do it within the third season. A chunk of casting didn’t work within the second season and we’re hoping to [do] that within the third season. I’d like to see a by-product on each character in that present.”
What else has White revealed about future seasons?
For now, the busy showrunner has remained targeted on rolling out season 2, however he teased that audiences can count on one factor from The White Lotus, regardless of the season: Homicide. In an interview with NPR, he stated that the thriller of who dies has pushed quite a lot of curiosity to the present week after week, so he plans on utilizing the identical components for season 3.
“It clearly is one thing that drives curiosity within the present. Individuals will determine on the conclusion whether or not it’s satisfying or it feels simply device-y, however at this level, I’m excited in regards to the finale,” White says. “As anyone who’s been working within the margins, it’s form of good to have viewers.”
How do the actors see the present, now that the season is over?
Very similar to followers of the present, actors have their very own opinions about a few of this season’s mysteries. Within the remaining episode of the season, Meghann Fahy’s character Daphne accompanies Ethan, performed by Will Sharpe, into the forest of a quiet island and it is strongly implied they hook up. However not confirmed! Till now.
Fahy stated in a Q&A with Selection that she believes one thing positively went down between Daphne and Ethan on that island. The pair had been attempting to get again at their respective companions, Cameron and Harper (Theo James and Aubrey Plaza).
“I positively suppose one thing occurred. I do not know what precisely occurred, however I do know that it was one thing,” she stated. “Actually, in that second, I believe Daphne simply noticed this damaged man and wished to do one thing to make him really feel extra empowered in her personal unusual means. I actually don’t suppose that she led him there to get again at Cameron or Harper.”
She continued, “Somebody stated one thing actually fascinating the opposite day, which was like, do you suppose that a part of Daphne’s unhappiness comes from her betrayal from Harper? I used to be like, completely. I believe she’s been by way of this with Cameron who is aware of what number of occasions, however I believe she actually thought that Harper was possibly her pal, or wished her to be. She has that susceptible second in Episode 3 the place they’re in Noto, and he or she talks about how she has a tough time protecting feminine buddies and stuff. So, I do suppose that was a part of the expertise of it however yeah, I don’t know that I can say precisely what occurred, however I believe positively one thing sexual for positive.”
Sharpe additionally spoke with Selection and stated the second was “open to interpretation.”
He added that “no matter occurred, in a literal sense, that second between them is certainly a second of connection” and “a second of intimacy.”
This story might be up to date.

Aimée Lutkin is the weekend editor at ELLE.com. Her writing has appeared in Jezebel, Glamour, Marie Claire and extra. Her first ebook, The Lonely Hunter, might be launched by Dial Press in February 2022.
Tradition Author
Lauren Puckett-Pope is a workers tradition author at ELLE, the place she primarily covers movie, tv and books. She was beforehand an affiliate editor at ELLE.
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