Summary
HBO’sThe White Lotusis rare for an anthology. Despite the cast, settings, and storylines changing with every new reincarnation, the series has consistently scored big with critics and fans alike, with much of the praise going to its nuanced, dimensionalizedcharacters and their arcs.
Its ever-growing cast ranges from hitmen to the holy, with every moral shade in between, yet all of them defy easy labels and stereotypical roles. That is one of the strongest assets ofThe White Lotus— that it can make you root for an assassin or against a cancer patient. Whether it’s thanks to their heart, humor, or dramatic flair, these are the characters that drive the plot the most.
10Gaitok
A Moral Stalwart Against The Resort’s Underworld.
Set in Thailand amidst the verdant jungle and dazzling Buddhist temples,season 3 ofThe White Lotushas a lot to take in with seemingly every shot. Acting as a counterpoint to all the visual and dramatic energy is Gaitok, the unflappable, constant moral rock of the White Lotus Resort.
Though he’s underestimated and always underfoot, Gaitok has become a fast favorite due to being one of the purest human beings in the series’s history. However, in a series like The White Lotus, it’s always possible that Gaitok may eventually succumb to wrongdoing, especially if Sritala’s goons get their claws into him.
9Harper Spiller
An Audience Stand-in Who Sees Through The Wealthy.
When Aubrey Plaza was announced as a member of the season 2 cast, it seemed only natural. Like the series itself, Plaza is known for herdark humorand irreverent, off-kilter approach to storytelling. Unsurprisingly, her character Harper Spiller fits in perfectly, acting as a stand-in for the audience to question and even call out the eccentricities of the wealthy. In particular, it’s thanks to Harper’s down-to-earth nature and critical eye that Theo James’s character Cameron is kept from bringing the relatively innocentEthanto the dark side of tech finance.
8Gary/Greg Hunt
An Overarching Villain Through Three Seasons
Only one character has appeared in all of the first three seasons ofThe White Lotus, and that is Greg Hunt, who as of season 3 also goes by Gary. Introduced in season 1 as mainly a grumpy foil for Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya, Greg gradually reveals himself to be a joyless, conniving career criminal whose main interest is removing Tanya from the picture altogether. Unfortunately, he succeeds and eliminates Tanya at the close of season 2, which, combined with his reemergence in season 3, sets Gary up as the series’s overarching villain.
7Mark Mossbacher
The Eye Of The Storm For Much Of Season 1’s Drama
Few characters are as complicated as Mark, the patriarch of season 1’s Mossbachers. On the one hand, he’s far from the best father or husband, having cheated on his wife Nicole and arguably used the admission of that affair to score points with his son.
On the other hand, Mark entered the season facing a cancer scare only to then find out that his father had lived a double life and died from AIDS. Between his attempts at honesty and change, especially in light of multiple personal tragedies, it’s hard to dislike Mark, even if he may have earned it.
6Mia
Builds A New Life Through Subtle Puppeteering
Undoubtedly, Mia is a bright light in season 2, charming her way through the resort and writing her own rags-to-riches story. Beginning the season jobless and directionless, merely following her more adventurous friend Lucia around from party to party, Mia ends the season as the official lounge singer ofThe White LotusSicily.
Like many other locals inThe White Lotus, Mia has a tense relationship with the ultra-wealthy resort-goers, but by breaking down their barriers, proving her exceptional talent, and utilizing a smidgen of exploitation, Mia ends her journey having made her dreams into reality.
5Armond
A Relatable Season Villain
Armond is a perfect example of the way in whichThe White Lotuspaints its characters with many shades of gray. While it’s more than fair to label him the overall villain of season 1, no one could do so without admitting to understanding his motivation or regretting his sudden, undignified death.
The extreme lengths he goes to, including propositioning guests, engaging in an affair with a subordinate, taking drugs at work, and even breaking into a guest’s suite to defecate in their shoes, are all a lot more understandable when reflecting on the guests he has been forced to deal with for years.
4Portia
The Underdog Hero Of Season 2
In season 2, the ditsy but lovable Tanya and her rudderless assistant Portia arrive as a duo and likewise, their respective struggles and character arcs work in tandem as well. Like Tanya, Portia finds herself swept up in a whirlwind adventure through the Italian underworld, but unlike Tanya, Portia manages to claw her way back to freedom.
The stakes to Portia’s journey are arguably higher than anyone’s, given the imminent threat of kidnapping or worse, but by maintaining the levellest of heads and endearing herself to would-be abductor Jack, Portia emerges asthe heroin her story.
3Chelsea
Bringing Out The Best Traits In The Worst People
As the long-suffering partner to Walton Goggins’s emotionally constipated character Rick, Chelsea commands respect almost immediately. Despite hitching herself to a man whose occupation is likely as a hitman and whose morality seems nonexistent at times, Chelsea still greets her every adventure with a smile and a kind word.
Not many characters could survive an armed robbery and being bitten by a venomous cobra in two days and still maintain absolute optimism, but Chelsea does. Her biggest contribution to the series may end up being the redemption of Rick, a feat he himself believes impossible.
2Tanya McQuoid-Hunt
Comic Relief That Still Controls The Plot
Jennifer Coolidge sinks her teeth deeply into the role of Tanya in seasons 1 and 2, endowing the character with her trademark airhead comedy and acting as a source of much-needed levity amid all the scheming and crime.
Though her fate is ultimately atragic deathat the hands of husband Greg’s “associates,” Tanya shines brightly while she’s still around, bumbling her way through one hilarious mishap after another. Like allThe White Lotuscharacters, though, she has her faults, most notably when she reneges on her promise to fund Belinda’s spa, yanking her dreams out from under her feet.
1Belinda Lindsey
The Savior Out To Defeat The Series’s Villain
In many ways, Belinda was the heart of season 1 and luckily, that heart gets to beat again inseason 3. As one of the few characters who work at The White Lotus Resorts, and the only one to appear in multiple seasons, her perspective is one of the show’s most valuable. In season 1, she’s Tanya’s main link to the working class, helping nudge the wealthy socialite toward actual awareness and empathy. Though her dreams of opening her own spa are ultimately squashed, she rebounds by making the pilgrimage to Thailand in season 3, luckily for viewers.
