Walton Goggins’s Greatest Series in 16 Years Is an HBO Thriller Masterpiece

Hawaii, Italy, and Thailand are all beautiful places to go on vacation, and they’re also the settings for one amazing HBO thriller series. Each season features a mostly new cast, a crime that must be solved, and witty dialogue. Every episode is funny, smart, and explores themes of wealth, dreams, mental health, family, and death. It’s always one of the most discussed shows, and when a new season comes out, it feels like a big event.

I’m talking about The White Lotus, one of the most exciting modern HBO shows I’ve watched in recent years. The second season might be the most compelling (and it was definitely the one that was talked about the most, thanks to that memorable theme song). However, Season 3 has one special element: an unforgettable performance from Walton Goggins.

Walton Goggins’s Best TV Series Is ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3

Timothy Olyphant’s Western series Justified is beloved for many reasons, including co-star Walton Goggins, who played Boyd Crowder for six seasons from 2010 to 2015. When most people think about the actor, this is the role they recall. I also loved him as a compassionate and worried dad back in the dating world on the short-lived sitcom The Unicorn. But when it comes to Goggins’s best work in over a decade, I think it has to be Rick Hatchett, the character he played on Season 3 of The White Lotus.

From the moment he is introduced, Rick is a dynamic character who you can’t stand. He and his partner, Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood), are staying at the resort in Thailand, and while she’s excited about a week of relaxation and wellness, he’s in a bad mood. Rick makes his motivation somewhat clear: he wants to find Jim Hollinger, the husband of Sritala (Patravadi Mejudhon), who owns the resort. Of course, we don’t know exactly why Rick is searching for him, and that will be revealed in an epic twist.

If played by someone else, Rick could be irritating or dull. Instead, he’s fascinating. Goggins impresses whether he’s playing Cooper Howard/The Ghoul on Prime Video’s Fallout or, in this case, a mysterious and angry person hiding what we assume is a terrible secret. Even though several interesting hotel guests are introduced in Episode 1, “Same Spirit, New Forms,” Rick still stands out. Jaclyn Lemon (Michelle Monaghan) and her two friends are endlessly entertaining thanks to their competitive dynamic disguised as kindness and compliments. Parker Posey also shines as rich Victoria Ratliff, a character whose place in the family is familiar (a bored housewife whose husband and kids don’t appreciate her), but who makes the character feel fresh anyway. Even when Rick is just sitting and staring, he’s unnerving.

The first episode sets up Chelsea and Rick’s tricky relationship right away, suggesting that she’s hiding pain behind her big smile and supposedly carefree personality. Whether Chelsea is asking Rick to have more fun or bonding with another young woman at the hotel bar, she’s not in the right relationship, and we know something bad is coming. The White Lotus is a perfect HBO show because of the strong character development, including Chelsea and Rick. Goggins has played many likable characters, including the main character on The Unicorn, but Rick is one of his best portrayals of a cruel character. Although seeing him at the resort alone would still be creepy, I think it was a smart choice to introduce his girlfriend. Their relationship brings up more questions than answers and makes you wonder why they became part of each other’s lives.

The HBO series has no shortage of talented cast members, including Natasha Rothwell, who returns in Season 3 as Belinda Lindsey. It will also be great to see Laura Dern in The White Lotus Season 4. Even when we’re all staying at the resort again and investigating another mystery, I think Rick will still be unforgettable.

Release Date

2021 – 2024

Network

HBO