Mike White’s series heads to Thailand in The White Lotus Season 3, in an installment that feels quieter, slower, and deeper than its predecessors. There’s still plenty of “rich people aren’t like us” safari, of course. However, this third turn feels more anthropological in its lens, unfolding less comedically and energized than Seasons 1 and 2. The audience is more distant from the characters. The scripting feels more observing than judgmental. While not amoral, this season seems content to present evidence for viewers’ evaluation rather than overtly declare its perspective.

Those who might’ve identified Tanya McQuoid (Jennifer Coolidge) as their favorite or vibe with her energy should expect no substitute. Nonetheless, this writer would still urge such people to check out The White Lotus Season 3. While a very different viewing experience, there are still plenty of laughs to be had. Even though it is more serious, it remains a show at the height of talent and skill. More importantly, one that grows more impressive over the course of the six episodes given to critics.

Quickly running down the players, White offers a smart cross-section of “types,” several of whom grow to challenge initial perceptions as the season rolls on.

The Ratliffs hew closest to characters one would find in prior seasons, the wealthy and entitled family. Dad Timothy (Jason Isaacs), is a hard-charging finance type. He’s actively hostile towards being disconnected from the office or indulging in any of the Lotus’ services outside of the gym. Mom Victoria (Parker Posey) is image-conscious and emotionally, if not physically, addicted to her Lexapro PRN. Oldest brother Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger), a would-be master of the universe, views everything through the lens of acquisitions and dominance. That’s especially the case when it comes to money, sex, or masculinity. New Age-y middle sibling Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook) wants nothing to do with what she grew up around and in. Finally, the youngest, Lochlan (Sam Nivola), is anxious, unsure of which family members’ influence he wants to accept.

However, the scripting affords them more depth—and empathy—than similar previous families. Isaacs finds the panic and emptiness at Timothy’s center as he unexpectedly finds himself wrestling with existentialism and his past sins. Posey makes it clear Victoria’s anxiety is very real while revealing that its authenticity doesn’t reduce the ugliness of how she expresses it. The two older siblings’ seeming confidence is shown as performative, while Nivola discovers he might have a clearer idea of himself.

A trio of women, friends since childhood, who have come to reconnect arrive at the Lotus simultaneously. Actor Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan) is recently married and the clear Queen B of the group. Kate (Leslie Bibb) is a happy wife and mom living that country club life in Texas. Finally, the divorced, single career-minded mom Laurie (Carrie Coon) is the group’s third wheel. As her friends trade compliments about their successful attempts to resist showing their age or robust romantic lives, they repeatedly remember to include Laurie in the circle of praise as an afterthought. The dynamic shifts as The White Lotus Season 3 progresses with politics, grudges, and hunger for validation, altering which two align and who’s left on the outside looking in.

Rick Hatchett (Walton Goggins) and Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood) are a December-May couple (the two actors are 23 years apart, their characters perhaps more) who arrive seemingly already falling apart. They’re mirrored by island “resident” Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon) and her older boyfriend Greg. The insta-friendship between the “in it for love” Chelsea and the more mercenary Chloe reveals how similar and different these two older-younger relationships are. And, as is this season’s theme, the more we get to know each couple, the more complicated these easy-to-judge “romances” become. Additionally, it provides a portal into what is apparently a very present dynamic in Thailand with aging rich men coupling with younger women, each seeking a kind of comfort not entirely based on love.

On the resort side of the story, Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) returns. She’s come to Thailand to work with their Wellness expert, Pornchai (Dom Hetrakul), on a kind of exchange program. What she expects to be a rejuvenating experience gets complicated by romance, another guest she has a tangential connection to, and the arrival of her son Zion (Nicholas Duvernay). Romance, of the possibly one-sided variety, is also a complicating factor for security guard Gaitok (Tayme Thapthimthong) and health mentor Mook (Lalisa Manobal). It’s a lot, but then, that is The White Lotus. A tremendous strength of the series, and indeed White’s writing and pacing, is how many storylines Lotus can juggle without becoming a mess or creating one-dimensional characters.

There are, of course, standouts. Isaacs and Goggins add tremendous depth to two characters that feel so obvious as to be archetypes upon their initial introductions. Isaacs has splashier stuff to do, but Goggins is the more satisfying turn. His exploration of Rick is a subtle, slow burn that completely upends the audience’s understanding of the usually unpleasant and shady middle-aged man.

Coon is excellent, as one would expect. Regardless of how the three friends’ interactions play out, it is impossible not to cheer for Laurie. She’s the only friend who seems willing to acknowledge that pain and time have touched her life. Coming as more of a surprise is Wood, who takes Chelsea’s framework of magic pixie dream girl and invests it with so much earnestness and stubbornness to blow it up. How she repeatedly cuts Schwarzenegger’s Saxon down to size reveals a talent for reading people that the show doesn’t belabor. I’ve not found Thapthimthong and Manobak especially compelling individually, but their dynamic is terrific. Gaitok is clearly smitten, but Manobak gives Mook a more ambiguous expression. Certainly, she values him as a friend, but beyond that? That appears unsettled.

The quality performances don’t stop with the ones cited, but they’re the ones that grabbed this writer the most.

As it has for two seasons before, The White Lotus Season 3 photographs the setting wonderfully. Cinematographers Ben Kutchins and Xavier Grobet capture the beauty of the place, natural and manufactured. That they do so without tipping over into travel porn is all the more impressive. It’s quite the juggling act, but after three seasons, Lotus remains one of the few “rich people are bad” shows that show the world these people move in without fetishizing it. That’s no easy feat. Ask the likes of The Perfect Couple.

The one thing that ultimately dogs this review is the screeners end at pivotal points for all the characters. How White and Co. bring each subplot in for a landing—plus the first episode’s dramatic flash forward—will determine a lot about The White Lotus Season 3’s success. With only what I’ve seen to guide my review, though, this may well be my favorite installment of the three.

The White Lotus Season 3 airs new episodes on Sundays on HBO starting February 16. They are available to stream on MAX following the first airing.

Watch The White Lotus Season 3 Trailer here.