REVIEW: ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3 Episode 3 — “The Meaning Of Dreams”

The White Lotus’ Season 3 Episode 3, “The Meaning of Dreams,” is filled with interpretations, metaphors, and breadcrumbs hinting at the fates of some characters on the island of Koh Samui. As the title suggests, there are many meanings behind people’s dreams. Victora Ratliff’s (Parker Posey) dream appears at the start of the episode, involving tsunamis that Lochlan Ratliff (Sam Nivola) brings up the night before. Series creator/director Mike White uses The White Lotus Season 3 Episode 3 to support how nature in this series can be seen as peaceful and dangerous.

There are other important aspects of The White Lotus Season 3 Episode 3. Timothy Ratliff (Jason Isaacs) loses his sanity and his company back in the United States. Chelsea’s (Aimee Lou Wood) fate is tested with every run-in with snakes and symbols of snakes. And Belinda Lindsey (Natasha Rothwell) is beginning to trust her inner instincts about Greg “Gary” Hunt (Jon Gries) by asking if they’ve met before at The White Lotus in Maui.

The opening dreamscape in Victoria’s mind is like a bad omen. If someone talks about how they got hit by a tsunami in their dreams, that’s typically not a great sign of their subconscious. It’s strange for Victoria to sense that her family is in danger, not knowing how Tim may face jail time and lose his company when they return to the States.

Even when Saxon tells the family how they’re all invited on Greg and Chloe’s (Charlotte Le Bon) yacht, Victoria is on the defensive. She questions whether the people who invited Saxon and them are “good people” with good morals and then goes on to her typical tirades—this time talking about how rich people can be “trashy.” As much as Victoria spouts nonsense or makes sly comments about other people half the time, the pills or the massages somehow allow her to sense danger around her. It’ll be exciting if she picks up on Tim’s recent strange behaviours.

Tim hits a breaking point in The White Lotus Season 3 Episode 3.

The White Lotus Season 3 Episode 3 is a major tipping point for Tim as his psyche and character descend into the depths of his lies. When he arrives at the Koh Samui island resort, he is portrayed as an arrogant and confident father and man. Tim’s company is being investigated by the FBI back home, and his world is crashing.

He’s willing to do what it takes to delay the inevitable, going as far as letting the resort staff take the family’s tech devices for the rest of their stay and lying to his family about why he’s willing to give up all of their devices now. Fear is beginning to set in for Tim as he tries to drown out the noise of his family squabbles and issues back home.

Tim’s fear in The White Lotus Season 3 Episode 3 closely reflects the image of the scared monkey hiding in the tree of daggers, shown in the show’s opening theme artwork. He goes as far as taking one of Victoria’s pills, even though he keeps telling everyone he doesn’t do drugs. While Tim’s pride is not showing any immediate repercussions, he’s going to have to face the truth at some point. It doesn’t help when he hears about his wife, who continues preaching and telling everyone about how holy their family is and that they’re “good people.”

The White Lotus Season 3 Episode 3 reiterates Thailand‘s many natural beauties, from its greenery to its protected wildlife. So far this season, two toxic things have been mentioned: the pong-pong fruit, which could kill someone once ingested, and the venomous snakes.

Chelsea’s run-in at the snake show is the second time a snake has put Chelsea in danger—the first being the gold bracelet she observes before the jewelry robbery. There’s a possibility that Rick is her metaphorical snake and that he’s not destined to be her soulmate as much as she thinks he is. The White Lotus Season 3 keeps building up the concept of toxicity and animal symbolism.

There’s a lot to theorize about in The White Lotus Season 3 Episode 3.

The main issue of The White Lotus Season 3 Episode 3 is the pacing of Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan), Kate (Leslie Bibb), and Laurie’s (Carrie Coon) storyline. So far, they’re the least intriguing bunch, with clear depictions of how longtime friends can drift so far apart. The writing and acting are clear so that the audience can sense the messiness coming up or how their relationships are about to implode.

Almost every night, one of the women is left out and judged behind the singled-out person’s back. Essentially, there isn’t anything compelling about them other than how they will most likely break apart by the end of this trip. This trope is beginning to wear thin, especially if it doesn’t go anywhere more riveting.

The score by Cristobal Tapia de Veer drives tension and invokes emotions in the scenes, making The White Lotus Season 3 Episode 3 a gripping episode. However, every other storytelling element of this episode doesn’t amplify the tension. It sets up the interconnectedness of all the main characters and shows off all the dangers each one faces.

There’s a lot to theorize from what these characters say and don’t say, but there isn’t a major cliffhanger to leave audiences starving for the next episode. The stakes aren’t clear yet, but it implies they’re higher than in any other season. This first act is coming to a close with some good use of deeper meanings and imagery, but it still has plenty of room to flesh out its characters and their motivations.

The White Lotus Season 3 Episode 3 is streaming now, exclusively on MAX, formerly HBO Max.