The White Lotus: A Beautiful Nightmare

The McGill Daily

It begins in paradise and ends in death, but the mystery isn't really about who dies–it's how everything falls apart along the way.

"The White Lotus" is a show about privilege, power and how everything can fall apart in the most beautiful places. The series follows a new group of vacationers each season who seem to have everything in life but still manage to find ways to be miserable. 

Each season is set at a different luxury resort, and while the scenery changes, the formula stays the same: a group of entitled guests show up, and over the course of a week, their facades begin to crack. It’s not a whodunit—it’s a slow unraveling of secrets and lies that quietly push everything over the edge.

Across three seasons, "The White Lotus" proves that money can’t buy self-awareness or a peaceful vacation.

Season One:

Rotten Tomatoes

Set in Hawaii, this season follows newlyweds, dysfunctional families, and solo guests with intense emotional baggage. Meanwhile, the hotel staff is barely holding it together, especially the manager, who starts spiraling. 

Shane and Rachel are honeymooning but already fighting. He’s obsessed with status, and she’s questioning her whole life, especially her decision to marry him. Tanya, a wealthy guest dealing with grief, latches onto spa worker Belinda for emotional support but ends up treating her poorly, despite the many promises to fund her wellness business. The Mossbacher family tries to act progressive, but under the surface, they’re just as dysfunctional and disconnected as everyone else.

Everyone’s pretending to relax, but the tension starts showing fast. And once it does, the whole trip spirals.

Season Two:

Wikipedia

Season two shifts to Italy, where the drama revolves around power and desire.

This time, the focus is on two couples: Harper and Ethan, who are newly rich and slightly miserable, and Daphne and Cameron, who seem perfect but are clearly playing their own games. There’s suspicion, jealousy and a lot of mind games, especially between Harper and Daphne, who both know more than they let on.

Tanya returns, caught up in a new romance that quickly becomes complicated and dangerous. Meanwhile, two local sex workers hustle their way through the chaos, adding another layer to the show’s obsession with sex and control.

This season is all about performance–everyone’s faking something, whether it’s happiness, loyalty or love. 

Season Three:

Now in Thailand, season three revolves around two flawed relationships, college girlfriends, and a wealthy American family that masks deep dysfunction behind luxury and good manners.

The Ratliffs bring money and baggage, pretending to be picture-perfect as their family dynamic crumbles under the weight of damaging secrets and bad decisions. The three college friends arrive looking for fun but end up caught in competition, jealousy and betrayal. The last two couples try to hold it together, though it’s obvious that one person in each is way more invested than the other.

As always, the resort is beautiful, the drama is ugly, and by the end, only some make it out alive. 

Final Thoughts:

If you like shows that mix dark humor with social commentary, this one’s worth the watch. It’s bingeable, well-shot, and mysterious. It'll always leave you guessing. 

Available for streaming on Hulu and Max.