The White Lotus creator Mike White is so over critics’ “complaining” about his show’s plot—or occasional lack thereof.
“The pacing and the vibe… it definitely gets under their skin,” White said on the official White Lotus podcast following Sunday’s Season 3 finale. “There was complaining about how there’s no plot,” he continued, “That part I find weird. It never did.”
The popular HBO series is a at times a slow burn, and White insisted that critics should just get over it. “Part of me is just like bro, this is the vibe,” he said on the podcast. “I’m world-building. If you don’t want to go to bed with me then get out of my bed.
“I’m edging you!” he continued, referring to the sexual act intended to prolong pleasure. “Enjoy the edging. If you don’t want to be edged, then get out of my bed. Do you know what I mean? Don’t be a bossy bottom. Get the f--- out of my bed.”
Online criticism of the show throughout the season included grumbling about a plot some viewers felt wasn’t moving fast enough. White was unapologetic about the opinion Monday, as he told those viewers, “Don’t come home with me. Don’t get naked in my bed,” he said, adding, “Obviously something is going to happen” eventually.
The show often foreshadows the season’s eventual crescendo in the premiere episode. In the third season, despite several episodes spent on “world-building,” viewers were made aware that a murder would take place by the end, when Zion (Nicholas Duvernay’s character) sees a body floating in the water after dodging gunshots.
Still, some viewers wondered what the “point” of some scenes were that weren’t obviously connected to said shootings by the end.
According to Variety, the series started out lower in viewership than its previous two seasons until viewership increased to overcome its predecessor with 6.2 million viewers for its finale, breaking its own previous record by 30 percent.
That said, White admits there are some changes on the horizon for season four, which was given the greenlight by HBO in January. “For the fourth season, I want to get a little bit out of the ‘crashing waves against rocks’ vernacular” for the scene transitions, he said in a video released by Max Sunday. Another certain change will be the show’s composer, as Cristóbal Tapia de Veer quit in spectacular fashion this season after several alleged “hysterical” fights with White.
One thing that won’t change though, White said in the Max video despite fans wondering how many murders it takes to shutter the luxury resort chain, is that “There’s always room for more murders in the White Lotus hotels.”
