What’s in ‘The White Lotus’ season 3 script that shook Natasha Rothwell?

The White Lotus gave us some unforgettable moments on television. But what’s in the season three, script that shook season one actress Natasha Rothwell? 

Rothwell, who played massage therapist Belinda in season one, recently gave fans a few breadcrumbs on the upcoming season and alluded that she was basically gagged throughout reading the season 3 scripts.

“I gasped out loud a minimum of five times and this was just me reading them,” Rothwell said. “The scripts are a testament to Mike’s skill and ability to tell the most smart and entertaining stories.

The White Lotus premiered on HBO in 2021 and left fans in stitches and gagged from stellar performances from a star-studded cast each season. From the satirical lens on rich people’s problems to Jennifer Coolidge’s effortless humor, The White Lotus’ fictional hotel franchise became a household name.

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The show is full of beautiful scenery (season one took place in Hawaii and season two in Italy), intricate relationships, sex, betrayal, and murder, oscillating between a quirky drama to a whodunnit. Did we mention the electric homoeroticism between Theo James and Will Sharpe in season two, Tom Hollander and Leo Woodall’s “uncle-nephew” sex scene also in season two, and season one’s infamous rimming scene that basically secured Murray Bartlett’s Emmy Award?

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Needless to say, season one and two of the HBO series kept fans’ jaws on the floor and season three, which takes place in Thailand, is gearing up to be no different. All of this comes from the mind of writer and director Mike White, who Rothwell was quick to praise. 

“I mean, everything that he does is like a lesson to me as an actor and a performer,” Rothwell said. “And as a writer myself, he takes folks on a journey. Everyone needs to buckle up, because it’s going to get real!”

The actress and writer, also known for her role as Kelli in Insecure, is the only actor confirmed for the third season, launching in 2025.

We last saw Belinda at The White Lotus in Hawaii, where she had an infamous connection with Coolidge’s character Tanya. In season three, she returns as the same character with a new story, one that’ll be workshopped between her and White. 

“Mike is so collaborative. When we did the first season, we sat down and talked a lot about Belinda and he was so receptive to feedback,” Rothwell expressed. “So we plan to approach it the same way. But all credit to him, what I love working with him is that he understands that Belinda’s POV is something that he doesn’t possess — so he’s really interested in my feedback, and really wants to make it authentic.”

White also plans to widen his scope of what The White Lotus can be for the next season. Honestly, we’re not sure where else you can go from that seasons one and two gave us, but we’re intrigued.

“It’s going to be longer, bigger, crazier,” White said. “I don’t know what people will think, but I am super excited, so at least for my own barometer, that’s a good thing … I’m super excited about the content of the season.”

Consider us excited too and ready to travel back to The White Lotus in 2025.