Why is ‘The White Lotus’ So White?

Near the end of The White Lotus Season 3 Episode 1, in an almost missable moment, Belinda — the masseuse who has arrived all the way from the White Lotus Maui to learn from her Thai colleagues — waves at a Black couple who are staying at the Koh Samui chapter of the famed luxury resort chain. After an attendant seats the couple for dinner, the woman in the couple smiles back at Belinda (Natasha Rothwell). No words are exchanged. It’s almost a tacit understanding. “Oh, and I saw two Black people tonight — and they weren’t staff!” Belinda later exclaims to her son Zion over the phone.

Mike White — who has created, written, and directed the hit series The White Lotus, now in its third season — has created magic from a simple pandemic-era constraint. How do you shoot a show where everyone is trapped at the same hotel for months? While the first season was about power dynamics, “[Season 2 is] more men and women and sexual politics,” White said. This season is about death and Buddhist philosophy. “The third season would be a satirical and funny look at death and Eastern religion and spirituality,” he said in another interview.

Ahead of Season 3, fans eagerly dream-cast a very international ensemble. But that’s not exactly what happened. When Thailand’s top sources of visitors are Malaysia, China, Singapore, and India, it begs the question: where are all the rich Asian tourists in The White Lotus?