What does Tantric mean in The White Lotus season 3? Explained

The White Lotus season 3 premiered on HBO on Sunday, February 16, 2025. The anthology series follows the lives of the guests and staff at Thailand's White Lotus Hotel while trying to solve a murder mystery.

Showrunner and creator Mike White has written and directed all eight episodes of the latest season. Additionally, he serves as an executive producer alongside Nick Hall, David Bernad, and Mark Kamine.

In the premiere episode, the mysterious Rick and cheerful Chelsea are among the guests who arrive for a weeklong trip at the White Lotus resort and spa. At one point, Chelsea's use of the word 'tantric,' seemingly hints at her desire to engage in tantric s*x with Rick to help him de-stress.

As per Max, the synopsis for The White Lotus season 3 reads:

"This social satire is set at an exclusive Thai resort and follows the exploits of various guests and employees over the span of a week."

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Unpacking Rick and Chelsea's dynamic in The White Lotus season 3

In The White Lotus season 3, Walton Goggins plays a middle-aged man named Rick Hatchett, who plans a romantic getaway with his significantly younger girlfriend, Chelsea, played by Aimee Lou Wood. Chelsea is a free-spirited yoga instructor whose talks about spirituality and the cosmos annoy Rick to no end.

In the first episode, Rick tells Chelsea that he is not interested in enjoying the vacation, but when she presses him about his true agenda, he goes silent. His secret mission is later revealed to be connected to the hotel owner's husband, Jim Hollinger. Hence, he is not present with Chelsea the way she wants him to be.

At dinner, Chelsea and Rick get into an argument about his sour mood. She offers to do tantric with him, alluding to tantric s*x, to cheer him up, but he storms off in anger. Chelsea brings up tantric s*x to build spiritual intimacy and connection with him so that he can relax and enjoy their vacation. However, Rick is in no mood to humor her, as he is preoccupied with finding Jim.

The word 'Tantric' from The White Lotus season 3 refers to the ancient yogic tradition called 'Tantra,' which dates back 2000 years. It is a crucial part of Dharmic religions like Hinduism and Buddhism and involves yoga, meditation, sacred chanting, and tantric s*x among its practices.

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Who else stars in The White Lotus season 3?

The satirical drama series also introduces the Ratliff family as guests at Thailand's White Lotus Resort and Spa. Timothy (Jacob Isaacs) and Victoria Ratliff (Parker Posey) are parents to three kids - Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger), Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook), and Lochlan (Sam Nivola). As the series progresses, the family's dark secrets begin to unravel.

Also, three lifelong friends - Jaclyn Lemon (Michelle Monaghan), Kate (Leslie Bibb), and Laurie (Carrie Coon) - reunite for a fun girls' trip that doesn't go as planned.

The series also features security guard Gaitok (Tayme Thapthimthong), his crush and health mentor Mook (BLACKPINK's Lisa), and the hotel's owner, Sritala Hollinger (Petravadi Mejudhon).

The murder mystery series includes recurring characters from season 1 like Belinda Lindsey (Natasha Rothwell) and Greg Hunt (Jon Gries). They both share the fan-favorite character of Tanya McQuoid (Jennifer Coolidge) in common. Greg was married to Tanya and planned to kill her for money before her accidental death, while Belinda became friends with Tanya during her stay at Maui's White Lotus in season 1.

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Viewers can catch The White Lotus season 3 on HBO and Max.