If anything good came from the global pandemic in 2020, it would have to be The White Lotus. Its creator Mike White has spoken of being tasked by HBO to concoct an idea that would involve one location and be COVID-friendly; the product of this brief was The White Lotus. Initially billed as a limited series, it has become a multi-award-winning black comedy anthology.

The titular ‘White Lotus’ refers to the opulent holiday resort where the events unfold. The first season’s location is Hawaii and opens with a body, or, more accurately, ‘human remains’ being loaded onto a plane as sullen Shane (Jake Lacy) looks on from the airport lounge. We soon learn he is returning from his honeymoon but any new wife is notably MIA. Ominous. Flashing back to the beginning of the holiday, we meet the other guests, including emotionally fragile Tanya (the incredible Jennifer Coolidge), Shane and his wife Rachel (Alexandra Daddario) and the deeply dysfunctional Mossbacher family and the hotel staff led by the Head of Front of House. Armond (a show-stealing Murray Bartlett).

His desire to make this trip the best possible for his over-privileged guests soon falls apart when he meets them. Shane is obsessing over not being given the right suite, a fact that doesn’t bother his new wife but one that Shane can’t get over. Tanya is struggling with the death of the mother she secretly hated and finds an unlikely friendship with hotel masseuse Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) whilst the wealthy Mossbacher’s are trying their best to enjoy their time away whilst also worrying about possible testicular cancer and bonding with their disinterested teens. The White Lotus acts as both a biting satire, laying bare just how awful these people are but also as a look at how they are treated by society. The fact that there’s a murder mystery built in almost feels secondary but it is no less intriguing to find out who is the unfortunate soul who spent their flight home in the cargo part of the plane. White’s scripts are bold and surprising. Yes, these people are awful, but they are compelling to watch. Watching Armond’s facade fall away when he’s not trying to placate his demanding guests is fascinating and shows he’s no better than the people he’s serving. The rivalry that slowly develops between him and Shane is so much fun. It’s also a show that has a lot to say about what these kinds of people want from their trip. In a key scene, they watch a performance from a native tribe, who are forced to dress in their traditional dress and dance for the wealthy onlookers; something that makes Paula (Brittany O’Grady), a guest of the Mossbacher family and also a woman of colour, immediately uncomfortable. It’s a show that has a lot to say about modern society and how people behave whilst also being completely unpredictable, often cringe-inducing and refusing to fit into a specific genre.

Without realising it, White had created a show with unlimited possibilities and it’s perhaps the one limited series that deserved to become a returning series. Any scepticism was quickly put to bed when Season 2, which saw a new set of guests, and Tanya, checking into an Italian branch of The White Lotus began. Beginning with the discovery of another dead body – this time floating face down in the sea, the series flashes back to introduce the new guests.

. Tanya’s back, now married to Greg (Jon Gries) the man she found love with in Hawaii, but she has also dragged along her young assistant Portia, (Haley Lu Richardson) who is there to assist her in any way possible whilst also attempting to keep a low profile as Greg isn’t aware she’s been brought on the trip. There’s also the great addition of two local girls who get entangled in the mess of The White Lotus after they set their sights on the Di Marco family. The second season felt bigger in scope, the setting was stunning and meant that the American guests feel more fish out of water than they did in Hawaii.

What might first appear to be another high-budget HBO whodunnit (and whose-body-is-it) transpires to be something so much more. Rather, Mike White has taken an irresistible plot and used it to interrogate complex issues that may otherwise be unpalatable. Season One’s main focus is the power provided by money and class, primarily playing out through the dynamics between the guests and staff. As the so-called VIPs are assisted off the boat at the resort and haughtily judge their surroundings, they are greeted by rehearsed welcome smiles and waves. Hotel manager Armand’s perfunctory pep-talk to his staff (“smile… wave like you mean it”) and his last minute jitters about the mayonnaise on trainee Lani’s ‘left tit’ are comical, but instantly establish the power divide. This is quickly affirmed when self-absorbed Tanya McQuoid develops a fondness for the dutiful masseuse Belinda, proffering financial support for Belinda’s own massage business, that could see her escape the mediocrity of hotel employment. But Belinda quickly becomes a victim of Tanya’s consumerist nature, thus disposable to the oblivious heiress. The discomfort of their relationship is exacerbated by Tanya being white and Belinda black, confronting white privilege which plays out in more subtle ways across both seasons.

Power is central to the second season as well but the focus shifts to its role in sex and relationships. Money is no longer the only currency. Local girls Mia and Lucia manipulate their respective romantic interests and Cameron seeks to regain status over Ethan through Harper. Daphne subtly describes the unspoken games she plays with her husband, shattering the superficial happy-couple facade seen thus far; she even suggests their son is not actually Cameron’s, a rebellious secret that maintains the intricate balance of power.

White makes use of everyone within his impressive ensemble cast. Everyone here feels fully rounded, there’s never any dead weight and you do find yourself empathising with these essentially difficult people.  Though the mystery is vital to the show, it sits quietly in the background, and as the inevitable tension grows it seems entirely possible anyone here could be the floating body in the sea. The characters’ fraught relationships are only truly revealed by us having access to perspectives not available to other characters. Take Olivia (Sydney Sweeney)  and Paula, cliquey teenage girlfriends whose friendship appears impenetrable, initially. But small details reveal the growing rivalry between them that neither seems willing to confront. And the newlyweds, Rachel and Shane, perform as they should together and in front of others, but we’re privy to Rachel’s growing realisation that they are incompatible, whilst Shane remains completely oblivious to his arrogant behaviour and alienation of his wife. With power may not always come self awareness.

Despite the portrayal of lifestyles one could only dream of, The White Lotus still feels relatable. The show explores the primal instincts we all feel: rage, jealousy and desire are exaggerated, as are all elements of the show, and juxtaposed with the outward class and sophistication of the guests.  Mark Mossbacher (Steve Zahn) is a wealthy white middle-aged guy, happily married to a successful businesswoman. All it takes is a cancer scare to humble him and our own assumptions are usurped. He becomes sentimental about spending time with his family, particularly his son, though these feelings are not necessarily reciprocated.

The hotel staff, meanwhile, have stories we can empathise with: Lani’s desperation to finish her first shift despite being in labour; Valentina’s suppressed sexuality; Belinda’s flickering hope being quashed by Tanya; and Armand’s ludicrous juggling act as he tries to cater for incongruous demands from guests.

The show is rich in other ways than simply the moneyed guests. Not a word in the script is wasted, with every line spoken revealing another layer to the characters and plot. Perhaps most revealing are the unspoken interactions between characters, such as their expressions and body language. Even the wallpaper-themed opening credits are rich with symbolic imagery and allusions that will make you rethink your attitude towards the ‘skip intro’ button. What results is an exquisite show that has undoubtedly earned its label as ‘prestige TV’.

So what can we expect from the third season? It has been filmed in Thailand, a popular holiday destination that we can now all vicariously visit through our TVs.  As ever the ensemble cast is shining with big names such as Jason Isaacs, Parker Posey, Carrie Coon and Aimee Lou Wood to name just a few. and Natasha Rothwell from the first season who played the masseuse Belinda.

Mike White hasn’t revealed much about the content but has offered death, spirituality and Eastern religion as themes explored. And the biggest question is… will there be a body again? Whenever a successful series returns, I have a sense of nervous anticipation; of course, I can’t wait to see what’s in store, but will it live up to the expectations the previous seasons have established for it? Well, we are just going to have to trust Mike White to reproduce a masterpiece and I personally have high hopes!

The White Lotus returns on February 17th on Sky Atlantic and HBO/Max.