The White Lotus won’t waste any time revealing some shocking moments when the third season premieres tonight, Sunday, February 16, on HBO and Max. In fact, there is a moment so surprising that Natasha Rothwell, who plays returns to The White Lotus as visiting spa manager Belinda, is dying for you to see it.
“I gasped,” the Emmy-nominated actor tells Glamour. ”I don’t know how else to explain Mike White’s ability to set up those shocking moments, but that moment in the premiere episode, I was like, ‘Holy shit, oh my God!’ It’s so good! I can’t wait for people to see it.”
In early reviews, critics of the Emmy-winning series have lamented that the new season gets off to a slow start, but here’s the thing: Even if you want more action early on, the success of HBO’s critically-acclaimed franchise has always depended on the brilliance of the cast. This season has that in spades. Watching a new group of privileged folks enter paradise—and paradise it is; you know you’re going to be Googling ‘Where was The White Lotus season 3 filmed?’—is half the fun, especially in such a stunningly gorgeous setting. Even if a lot of the main action doesn’t get going until half-way through the eight-episode season, just listening to Mike White’s deliciously scathing and witty dialogue is worth the time. With such a stellar cast and a bucket list destination, the only thing that matters is that The White Lotus is back after a 26-month wait.
As for the standout storyline, all of them will intrigue—but the trio of Laurie (Carrie Coon), Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan), and Kate (Leslie Bibb) on a girl’s trip is far and away the most fascinating. It’s a dynamic we surprisingly haven’t seen on the show before, and what unfolds is one of the most accurate portrayals of “friendship” among women I’ve seen in some time. (More on that next week.)
Also, as was the case in seasons one and two, The White Lotus will be a weekly Sunday night drop on HBO and Max, as it should be. For something this deliciously fun, it’s worth savoring. My only recommendation is to watch the finales for season one and two first; it’ll make tonight’s episode that much more rewarding.
On that note, see below for everything else worth your time this week (special shoutout to the SNL 50th anniversary special, also airing tonight), and I’ll see you back here next week for the SAG Awards on Netflix, Suits L.A. on NBC, and Mindy Kaling’s new comedy series, Running Point, starring Kate Hudson.
Sunday, February 16
The White Lotus (HBO/Max): The third season is set in Thailand, and the cast includes Leslie Bibb, Carrie Coon, Walton Goggins, Sarah Catherine Hook, Jason Isaacs, Lalisa Manobal, Michelle Monaghan, Sam Nivola, Lek Patravadi, Parker Posey, Natasha Rothwell, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Tayme Thapthimthong, Aimee Lou Wood, and more. Here’s a rundown of who’s who:
- Leslie Bibb as Kate, Carrie Coon as Laurie, and Michelle Monaghan as Jaclyn, three long-time friends on a girls’ trip after not having seen each other for a while.
- Walton Goggins as Rick Hatchett, a rugged man with a chip on his shoulder who is traveling with his free-spirited girlfriend Chelsea, played by Sex Education alum, Aimee Lou Wood.
- Parker Posey and Jason Isaacs as Victoria and Timothy Ratliff, a wealthy married couple from North Carolina who are vacationing with their three kids, Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook), Lochlan (Sam Nivola), and Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger).
- Natasha Rothwell as Belinda, the spa manager we first met in season one who almost went into business with Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya. Based in Maui, she visits the White Lotus property in Thailand for a work trip.
- Lalisa Manobal as Mook, one of the health mentors for guests staying at The White Lotus.
- Lek Patravadi as Sritala, one of the owners of The White Lotus and the visionary behind its wellness program.
- Tayme Thapthimthong as Gaitok, a security guard at The White Lotus.
SNL: The Anniversary Show (NBC/Peacock): The live three-hour telecast from Studio 8H in Rockefeller Center is the other must-see event of the night. The special will feature appearances by Adam Driver, Bad Bunny, John Mulaney, Martin Short, Miley Cyrus, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Pedro Pascal, Peyton Manning, Quinta Brunson, Robert De Niro, Sabrina Carpenter, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Martin, Tom Hanks, and many more. 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m.CT/5 p.m. PT and streaming on Peacock
Tracker (CBS/Paramount+): It’s the mid-season premiere that focuses on the disappearance of Gina Picket, a case that we first learned about in the season two premiere. As a result, it brings him and retired cop Keaton (guest star Brent Sexton) back together to track down a serial killer. 8 p.m. ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT and streaming on Paramount+
Family Guy/Grimsburg/TheGreatNorth/Krapopolis (Fox): It’s Animation Domination night as Fox’s all-star comedies return. The Season 23 premiere of Family Guy will parody Top Gun, which will chronicle Peter/Maverick getting together with Lois/Charlie, the tragic death of Joe/Goose, and Peter/Maverick’s blooming relationship with Chris/Rooster. Meanwhile, on the season two premiere of Grimsburg, Harmony (Erinn Hayes) pushes Flute (Jon Hamm) to move out, resulting in him moving into a house haunted by a doting housewife. Also, Martin Short joins the cast in the recurring role of Otis Volcanowitz, Grimsburg’s newest detective and also its youngest. Then, on the fifth season premiere of The Great North, Wolf finally gets cast on the local Alaskan survival show Dropped Off To Die, but when he’s out early, his shame leads him to sneak home and hide on the Tobin property instead. Meanwhile, on Krapopolis, Deliria’s (Emmy-nominee Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso) clairvoyant ex comes to town and gives the family some bad news in the “John Fate Comes a-Knockin” episode. 8 p.m. ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT and streaming the next day on Hulu
Monday, February 17
On TV: A Black History Month Special (CBS/Paramount+): The one-hour news special is hosted by Kevin Frazier and Nischelle Turner, the first Black co-hosting team for Entertainment Tonight. They’ll shine a spotlight on Black actors who are forging a path in daytime and primetime television and features new interviews with Cedric The Entertainer and Tichina Arnold, Rocky Carroll, Shemar Moore, Wayne Brady, Damon Wayans, Damon Wayans Jr., Essence Atkins and Tetona Jackson, Morris Chestnut, Wendell Pierce, and the cast of CBS’ new daytime drama, Beyond the Gates. 8 p.m. ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT and streaming on Paramount+
Best Interests (Acorn TV): The drama series stars Sharon Horgan and Michael Sheen, the BAFTA-nominated four-episode limited series follows loving parents Nicci (Horgan) and Andrew (Sheen) as they find themselves undertaking a gut-wrenching journey to make choices no parent would ever want to make: whether to withdraw medical care for their child with a rare, life-limiting condition as her health rapidly deteriorates. All episodes streaming
Tuesday, February 18
The Mother Lode (Netflix): In this new standup special from comedian, actor and SNL writer, Rosebud Baker, she unpacks navigating parenthood, the indignities of childbirth, pros and cons of losing your identity in motherhood and more. Her grandfather, James Baker, was Chief of Staff to George H.W. Bush and Treasury Secretary to Ronald Reagan. Streaming
Wednesday, February 19
Good Cop/Bad Cop (CW): Starring Leighton Meester, Luke Cook, and Clancy Brown, here’s what we know about the new series: An odd couple sister-and-brother detective team investigate crimes in the small picturesque Pacific Northwest town of Eden Vale, while contending with the oddball residents, the Chief of their force (who happens to be their father) and their own complicated relationship. Meester plays Detective Lou Hickman, while Cook stars as Detective Henry Hickman, and Clancy Brown plays Big Hank Hickman. 9 p.m. ET/PT, 8 p.m. CT
Thursday, February 20
Zero Day (Netflix): Robert De Niro, Lizzy Caplan, Jesse Plemons, Angela Bassett, and Connie Britton star in this chilling political thriller directed by acclaimed Emmy-nominated director, Lesli Linka Glatter (Love & Death, which also starred Plemons). Zero Day follows a beloved and highly respected former United States president (De Niro) as he is yanked out of retirement to investigate a nationwide cyberattack while battling his own personal demons. All episodes streaming
Reacher (Prime Video): The third season premieres today with three episodes, followed by one a week (by the way, Reacher has already been renewed for a fourth season). In the new season, Reacher (Alan Ritchson) hurtles into the dark heart of a vast criminal enterprise when trying to rescue an undercover DEA informant whose time is running out. There he finds a world of secrecy and violence—and confronts some unfinished business from his own past. Joining the cast this season are Anthony Michael Hall, Sonya Cassidy, Brian Tee, Johnny Berchtold, Robert Montesinos, Daniel David Stewart, and Olivier Richters. Three episodes streaming at launched, followed by one a week
Elsbeth (CBS/Paramount+): Sarah Jessica Parker’s son, James Wilkie Broderick, will star in tonight’s episode alongside his dad—and Parker’s husband, Matthew Broderick. Titled “Foiled Again, Elsbeth investigates the mysterious death of a college admissions officer and finds herself fencing with Lawrence Grey (Broderick), an independent educational consultant who promises an Ivy League future to high-paying clients and their kids. Meanwhile, Carl (Wilkie Broderick) is a top “success trainer” at Lawrence’s company. The case also causes Elsbeth and Teddy to question how well she prepared him for the real world. 10 p.m. ET/PT, 9 p.m. CT and streaming on Paramount+
Friday, February 21
Cleaner (Quiver Distribution): Daisy Ridley, Tax Skylar, and Clive Owen star in this drama, set in present-day London. It centers on a group of radical activists who take over an energy company’s annual gala, seizing 300 hostages in order to expose the corruption of the hosts. In theaters
Millers in Marriage (Paramount):Morena Baccarin, Benjamin Bratt, Edward Burns, Brian d’Arcy James, Minnie Driver, Julianna Margulies, Gretchen Mol, Campbell Scott, and Patrick Wilson star in this film written and directed by Burns. It’s a tale of three middle-aged married couples coming to grips with universal questions about marriage and fidelity, professional success and failure, and the challenge of finding a second act. On digital and in theaters
Old Guy (The Avenue): Starring Christoph Waltz, Lucy Liu, Cooper Hoffman, and more, Old Guy is about an aging hitman (Waltz) who is forced to train a young prodigy (Hoffman) when his employer moves to replace the old guard. But when they learn they are being betrayed, the unlikely pair turns into a lethal team—with their double-crossing bosses in their sights. In theaters
Onside: Major League Soccer (Apple TV+): The eight-part panoramic documentary event explores the moments and stories that power MLS. Streaming
The post What to Watch the Week of February 16: The White Lotus Season 3 Premiere Has a Truly Shocking Moment appeared first on Glamour.
