When Does a Critique of White Women Become Misogyny?

Working through Season 3 of The White Lotus

Warning: All the spoilers ahead, except for last night’s finale—which I remain vague about in case you haven’t seen it yet.

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The White Lotus has long been one of my favorite shows on television. The perfect blend of atmospheric and trashy—with stunning cinematography—it has often served as a vehicle for unsubtle but valid social critique of anyone rich enough to drop thousands, or even tens of thousands, of dollars a night on vacation accommodations. The wardrobe is impeccable and the social drama juicy. The casting is delightful, sometimes positively iconic.

The first two seasons of The White Lotus were compulsively watchable. The third season, set in Thailand, has been slower to unfold, but had all of the ingredients to make for compelling television. But I can no longer look past the show’s glaring and mounting misogyny. And billing it as a critique of white women is—as it sadly often is—deeply unconvincing.