If You Don’t Like The White Lotus, You Just Don’t Get It
It’s eerie, it’s hypnotic — it’s The White Lotus theme song. When the show first aired in July of 2021, the tune became the anthem of the summer. Although it’s been remixed to suit seasons two and three, it never lost its substance. A complex piece that’s beautiful on its surface, yet beneath it lurks something dark.
This iconic melody is simply the introduction to each episode, yet it is one of the many flawlessly crafted symbols within the series. It parallels what The White Lotus is truly about — a longing for perfection, a superficial paradise consumed by the flaws of human nature.
However, following the dramatic and highly anticipated season three finale, I’ve realized that some viewers are a bit blind to the artistic value of the show. If you have found yourself thinking the show is boring, hard to follow, or simply don’t like it, that’s okay — but it just means The White Lotus is too complex for you.
There is not a second in any episode that goes to waste; every moment is deliberate.
The music heard both in the beginning and throughout each episode is deeply symbolic. The animalistic vocalization, chants, and drums are representative of humanity stripped to raw instinct. Although each character is immersed in luxury, they still repetitively succumb to their basic instincts: jealousy, greed, lust, and power.
The exotic, alluring melodies embody bliss and pleasure. However, the distortion of these tunes rears its head as a sense of lurking doom.
The repetitiveness of the music is almost ritualistic, imitating the dangerous cycles the characters lose themselves in — overindulgence, hedonism, wealth, escapism, abuse, ignorance, and superficiality.
The serene, calming tunes are disrupted, symbolizing a false sense of peace that hides tension and inevitable collapse.
Quite frankly, the music is a character all in itself. It’s seductive, it’s mysterious, it’s calming yet simultaneously unsettling. It plays an uneasy role, constantly reminding viewers that something is off.
Image Courtesy: Fabio Lovino/HBO
The symbolism in the imagery is phenomenal. The luxury resort setting, ocean views, white sands, and lush greenery are all a mask for the emptiness beneath it. It’s representative of the hollowness and moral rot of the guests.
The statues, masks, and other cultural imagery speak for the characters hiding their true selves and playing roles, echoing ancient themes of drama, tragedy, and power struggles.
The way nature and civilization cross paths at The White Lotus Resorts touches on the theme of primal instinct and unpredictability. The man-made resort resting among the wildness of the natural setting expresses an illusion of control. It’s instinct under order, a chaos fighting to be tamed.
The imagery whispers throughout the series, flashing in and out, indicating an ending that will not be so happy.
Each character is a nod to themes of privilege, power, morality, identity, class, and gender dynamics. The hotel staff and locals exhibit the underappreciated and exploited laborers who create this image of “paradise” for others on a daily basis to sustain the luxury.
Image Courtesy: Fabio Lovino/HBO
The wealthy guests are characters placed in a setting of extreme comfort, testing their values and instincts.
They are representatives of almost an “American Dream” — wealth, beauty, extravagant trips to exotic locations, the “perfect” life — yet each one of them is so f*cked up in their own strikingly specific and unique way. A life we have deemed the “dream,” a world we crave to be a part of; yet in this series, a curtain is lifted. It’s like a painting rotting from the inside.
Specifically, in season three, there is such a strong theme of the tug and pull between instinct and learned behavior, good and evil, optimism and pain. While this theme is amplified and overdramatized in the show, it’s a battle we, as humans, fight every single day.
Basically, The White Lotus illustrates a contrast of human nature completely stripped down in some of the most extravagant settings known to man. In the series, there are no happy endings. It exemplifies how total collapse is inevitable once we reach the point of internal rot.
The series is a true form of cinematic art. I will fantasize about season four castings and plotlines as I count down the days until its release.
Strike out,
Morgan Harms
Boca Raton
Morgan Harms is the Senior Editor for Strike Magazine Boca. She’s a student journalist and creative writer who enjoys taking an artistic approach to her pieces. Her work ranges widely, from the hottest news stories, to college relationship drama, and even some sappy poetry. You can reach her by email at morganjharms@gmail.com or on Instagram @morganjharms and @morganjharmswrites.
