All 3 Seasons of The White Lotus, Ranked

Piiiippper, nooooo.

Over the past few weeks, I've been binging one of HBO's latest sensations: The White Lotus. I started watching it really as season three was ending, so I was not able to catch the show while it was still airing, but I only missed it by about a month. This has been one of the most talked-about shows post-COVID due to its smart writing, clever concept, and thought-provoking social commentary. To be honest, this show is not my typical cup of tea, but you cannot deny that it is incredibly well made and addictive in the way the story unfolds. That said, here is how I would rank all three seasons.

3. Season 3

Season three was a strange mixture of some of the best characters and sequences that The White Lotus has given us...and some of the worst and most boring stuff from the entire show. Because its an anthology, each season relies heavily on its finale to land the ship, and season three's finale is probably the weakest episode of the entire series. While it does have good ideas, the execution was just baffling to me. It feels like this season was a series of hills and valleys: the extended eight-episode runtime allowed some more fleshing out of our characters, but it also killed the pacing. The themes and compelling arcs are still as prevalent as ever, but I think The White Lotus tried to go too big and too ambitious for its own good here.

2. Season 1

The show's first season is probably the toughest one to watch, simply because it has some of the worst human beings to appear on TV. Shane? That guy has the most punchable face I have ever seen. Real talk though, this season is a great introduction to what The White Lotus is: this satirical, uncomfortable dramedy that allows social commentary to flow naturally through its beautiful narrative. This season gets better as it goes along, with great tension building and intense character dynamics...all culminating in a good, but not great finale. I think season one really served as a good prototype for what they would nail in their next season, and I feel like the finale is the best example of that: it got the job done, but there's was a little something left to be desired...and there's a season that fills those desires.

1. Season 2

Season two is, far and away, the best of the show. This is everything that The White Lotus feels like it should be: great, compelling characters that aren't completely unbearable (looking at you again, Shane) as well as really deep, interesting themes about power dynamics in relationships and how sexual desires fuel those dynamics. This season had the best combination of thematic resonance, social commentary, and actual fantastic storytelling. Each character feels like they follow this natural progression that fits into the themes and messaging of the season, and it just makes for a really compelling, exciting seven episodes. And, of course, the finale absolutely sticks the landing. I knew who died this season, and, even with that information, it still managed to surprise me how exactly it happened. This was The White Lotus at its peak, and I will be curious to see if future seasons can measure up to the greatness of this one.