The second season of The White Lotus was so rapturously obtained that the third was at all times going to be an enormous deal. The brand new forged might be the most effective but, HBO has been rigorously stoking the flames of anticipation since August and early evaluations have been positively vibrating with reward. For a second there, it felt like The White Lotus might do no incorrect.
Then it really started and all hell broke free. The issue? The theme tune. In seasons one and two, The White Lotus had the most effective theme tune on tv. Aloha!, Cristobal Tapia de Veer’s season one title music, was a beguiling mixture of tribal drums and a type of vocalisation that lived someplace between throat singing and gargling. Season two’s theme tune miraculously managed to enhance on the formulation, remixing the vocal melody right into a observe that was concurrently extra operatic and clubby than the primary. The theme tune gained an Emmy. It was such a banger that Peloton instructors began taking part in it at school; you possibly can by no means say that of one thing like Homeland.
And but the wheels have now apparently come off. As Sunday’s season three premiere aired, viewers realised that there was a brand new theme tune, and it wasn’t pretty much as good because the final two. Inevitably, Redditors took to their keyboards to precise their timeless outrage. “To not be dramatic, however the brand new theme tune has fairly actually ruined my complete weekend,” whined one consumer. “My disappointment is immeasurable,” yelped one other. X, in the meantime, reacted to the brand new theme tune with gifs of (in no explicit order) a toddler throwing a tantrum, Kate Hudson being held again throughout an argument, Mr Blobby flapping his arms dejectedly on a staircase and Jennifer Coolidge wanting surprised. Which, you need to admit, is a hilarious technique to react to a present about dangerously entitled westerners who wrestle to adapt when offered with a brand new expertise.
Which isn’t to say that it’s a foul theme tune. As soon as once more composed by Tapia de Veer, the observe might solely have been scored for The White Lotus. It’s percussive and peculiar, this time led by what seems like an accordion, stuffed with handclaps that construct to a vaguely ravey climax. Nonetheless, it’s noticeably darker in tone to the earlier scores, underlaid with an ominous hum. After which there’s the most important crime of all: it’s pretty tough to sing alongside to.
As properly written and acted as seasons one and two had been, the primary thrill of The White Lotus was becoming a member of in with the vocal line of the theme tune, which you possibly can do by protruding your tongue and waggling it back and forth as you sang. If you happen to bought it proper, which took time, you ended up sounding a bit just like the goat from the Taylor Swift meme affected by a terminal bout of hiccups. Which is cool, proper? It’s not possible to dislike a present that simply made you involuntarily warble along with your tongue out.
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There’s a tiny little bit of this within the new theme tune, but it surely’s fairly far down within the combine and is mostly much less “wobble your tongue about” and extra “hyperventilate uncontrollably”, which is far much less enjoyable. So for those who’re a detractor, I get your level.
Nonetheless, I need to disagree. First, altering the theme tune might be good for the present’s longevity. The White Lotus is a drama with a schematic so well-worn – vacationers go on vacation, vacationers are terrible, one finally ends up lifeless – that diminishing returns will undoubtedly creep in until one thing is completed to combine it up a bit. A brand new theme tune is an indication that the present is ready to create unpopular opinions to safe its personal future, which is encouraging. Additionally, Mike White has lengthy mentioned that the overarching theme of this season is demise, so it is smart for the theme tune to drag again on the whimsy somewhat. Maybe, had he stored the tongue waggling, it will have been too jarring for the meat of the present itself.
Final, and this varieties a part of my grand unified principle of the present, The White Lotus is and at all times has been a cumulative expertise. Each season begins slowly, and builds to a degree of abject lunacy. In season one it was a person pooping in a suitcase, in season two it was the destiny of Jennifer Coolidge, and season three’s stays to be seen – however, if we all know the present, it’s sure to be ridiculous and explosive.
Both means, early on in every run, folks complain that The White Lotus has misplaced its edge. It hasn’t. It simply trusts viewers to be affected person sufficient to attend for the good things. The identical goes for the theme tune. It is perhaps unusual and jarring to listen to one thing new at first, however give it time. Two months from now, I assure that you just gained’t have the ability to get the factor out of your head.
The White Lotus season three is on Sky Atlantic within the UK and HBO within the US, and is on Foxtel and Binge in Australia.
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