Believe it or not, I'm actually thinking of giving The White Lotus Season 3 a shot. It takes place in Thailand. I've visited: beautiful temples and monasteries, the Grand Palace. I took a class in Theravada Buddhism at the Institute of Buddhist Studies. I'm into Asian guys.
Sure, it's produced by major homophobe Mike White, and the earlier seasons had some of the most offensive gay predator stereotypes, but...it's Thailand.
But before investing, let's see how homophobic it is with the "Season 3" anad the "Coming Up in Season 3" trailers.
Trailer:
1. An Anglo husband, wife, and three young adult children, and a middle aged woman come ashore, followed by a plus-sized African-American woman, while the voiceover tells us, "At the end of the week, you'll be a different person."
I think they are Timothy Ratliff (Jason Isaacs, left), wife, daughter, and sons; and Belinda.
2. Montage of female Thai dancers, Rick (Walton Goggins) kissing his girlfriend, and Three Women crying, screaming, and jumping out of a window. The voiceover: "What happens in Thailand, stays in Thailand."
3. Establishing shots of the resort, with the manager, maybe Fabian (Christian Feidrel), saying "Our hotel is the best in the world."
4. The Three Women toast each other. "To Thailand, and a week of memories." Some couples on a boat.
Then back to the Ratliff family from Scene 1. Mom is happy that her children are all together, but they are miserable.
5. Belinda from Scene 1 getting and giving massages, so she can bring her skills back to Maui. I guess she's going to become a masseuse.
6. Rick and his girlfriend going to dinner. She tells him that this is a wellness resort, so he should get a facial, because everyone thinks that he's her father. She will help him find his joy again.
7. The Three Women hugging and laughing. One lies down in a bikini.
8. Tax Evader Timothy Ratliff gets a phone call. He won't tell his family what it's about, because "We're poor now and Daddy's going to prison."
9. A masked robber invades a jewelry store. Maybe he's Timothy, trying to make some money? A cop, maybe Gaitok (Tayme Thapthimthong) runs out to apprehend him, and gets clobbered. A new security guard is told, "Your job is to protect the hotel."10. Cop Gaitok says "I don't want to hurt anyone," and fires his gun, while his girlfriend tells him "You've got to be stronger than this."
11. Tax Evader Timothy Ratliff asks his wife, "What if we lost everything?" She would "not want to live." Uh-oh, she's going to be murdered.
12. The Three Women laughing and hugging some more. One cries.
13. One of the Ratliff sons, I think Lochlan (Sam Nivola), asks his brother Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger, left), "What if this life is just a test, to see if we can be better people?" over a montage of a shirtless guy approaching Massseuse Belinda, Rick holding a snake, and Cop Gaitok and his girlfriend watching a show and laughing.
Saxon finds the "Life is a test" theory ridiculous.
14. A shirtless Saxon twirls a woman, Timothy pulls out a gun, fireworks, a woman in a bikini, Rick kissing his girlfriend, partying, Buddha, partying, a woman's legs, a corpse, screaming.
15. A man tells Belinda the Masseuse, "Go big or go home."
The only male character not shown with a girlfriend is Lochlan Ratliff. Let's try the "Upcoming Trailer:" After the break