Mike White's Original The White Lotus Season 2 Plans Were Completely Different

This post contains spoilers for "The White Lotus."

HBO's Emmy Award-winning series "The White Lotus" is back in the pop culture zeitgeist. The acclaimed, so-called anthology series written and directed by Mike White serves as one of the most entertaining and insightful social satires in modern media, tackling power dynamics and class inequality amidst the backdrops of the luxurious vacation destinations the wealthy seek to enjoy in contrast to the working class employees' experiences at the titular hotel chain.

Originally greenlit by HBO as a six-episode miniseries, the success of the Hawaii-set first season led to "The White Lotus" being repurposed into an ongoing anthology series, with season 2 being set in Sicily, Italy. For series creator Mike White, the bigger, bolder, and stranger season 2 was not just a change of luxurious scenery but also an opportunity to explore the sexual power dynamics of its new ensemble, with Tanya McQuoid-Hunt (Jennifer Coolidge) and Greg Hunt (Jon Gries) being the only returning cast members from season 1. However, White originally had different plans for season 2.

After exploring themes of capitalism and colonialism in "The White Lotus" season 1, Mike White was originally looking to expand upon those themes with his initial approach for season 2. "Originally, it was more of like a Bilderberg conference, more about getting into some of the bigger power dynamics there," White told EW. "But Sicily was a totally different vibe than the idea I pitched. That didn't seem right."

Established in 1954, the Bilderberg conference is an annual off-the-record forum between Europe and North America. Originally assembled to prevent another world war, the forum now serves as an opportunity to bolster a consensus regarding free market capitalism in the Western world. Comprised of roughly 120-150 invitees, those that take part in the forum include political leaders and experts within finance and academia. Based on White's original plans, it's clear that he maintains a strong interest in exploring power dynamics, which is evident in all three seasons of "The White Lotus" so far. Given his reference to the Bilderberg conference, it appears he was looking to bring in characters that reflect the most powerful elite in our society for a dialogue on current global issues.

Viewers have seen more than half of "The White Lotus" season 3 as of this writing, and although this new season is focused on a new group of vacationers and workers coping with their issues in the Thailand wellness resort, Mike White continues his unique world-building with the return of "Gary" AKA Greg Hunt (Jon Gries) and Belinda Lindsey (Natasha Rothwell). So far, Jon Gries is the only cast member to appear in all three seasons of the series, while Natasha Rothwell makes her triumphant return with a lot more agency this time around now that Belinda is aware of what happened to her would-be business investor, Tanya.

Although "The White Lotus" season 3 does not center on an event like a Bilderberg conference, Mike White may look to season 4 as an opportunity to bring such a story to life. Given the serialized elements that carry through all three seasons, perhaps he can bring back characters from all three seasons for the next story. Characters such as the search engine CFO Nicole Mossbacher (Connie Britton), finance bro Cameron Sullivan (Theo James), tech entrepreneur Ethan Spiller (Will Sharpe), and, pending he survives season 3, down-on-his-luck financier Timothy Ratliff (Jason Isaacs) all would theoretically fit the demographics for such an elite conference. Perhaps Academy Award-winner Ke Huy Quan can reprise his voice-only role in an onscreen appearance this time around. In the meantime, viewers can still enjoy (and/or endure) their stay alongside their potentially ill-fated fellow guests at the White Lotus Thailand Wellness Resort for the next few weeks.

"The White Lotus" drops new episodes on Sunday nights at 9 P.M. EST on HBO and its streaming service Max.