The White Lotus Season 3: The Ratliffs remind us of this iconic fictional family and we can't deny it anymore

Disclaimer: This article contains the author's opinion on The White Lotus.

HBO’s popular show, The White Lotus Season 3, introduces the Ratliff family, a group that’s rich, complicated, and a little bit like the Rose family from Schitt’s Creek. They have some humor, and a sense of entitlement, and are on a journey of finding themselves, much like the Roses.

The White Lotus looks at the same kind of theme as Schitt’s Creek. Schitt’s Creek showed the Rose family going from being very rich to being almost broke and learning important life lessons. The White Lotus will do something similar with the Ratliffs, headed by Victoria and Timothy. It will explore their relationships and the troubles they face, even when they’re staying at a fancy hotel.

So, get ready as the Ratliffs deal with their messy lives on vacation mode.

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The White Lotus Season 3's Ratliff family are our new dysfunctional royals

Season 3 of The White Lotus adds to the show's satirical flair with the Ratliff family's arrival. They have a sense of entitlement, absurdity, and emotional troubles, fitting right into the lineup of rich characters with issues. The season focuses on their challenges and hints at the tension driving the story.

The head of the Ratliff family, Timothy, faces financial ruin. His office gets raided by the FBI, and he realizes he's about to lose his house and most of his possessions. This unfolds when he checks his phone after submitting it at an upscale Thai resort, where his seemingly boring yet mysterious daughter brought them under the guise of interviewing a monk for her thesis.

Mike White, The White Lotus' creator, is known for his incisive views on society. With the Ratliffs, he offers a new angle on wealthy characters. Like the Roses in Schitt’s Creek, they are put in a situation that brings out their insecurities. But instead of a small town, they're in a luxurious resort that highlights their vulnerabilities.

This show is like Schitt’s Creek, where the rich Rose family had to adjust to a simple life in a small town with a funny name. They moved there after losing all their money. Over time, they found new beginnings. In this show, the Ratliffs' fancy setting makes their problems more obvious. This makes the Ratliffs, even Saxon, both annoying and lovable, much like the characters from Schitt’s Creek.

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The White Lotus' parallels to Schitt’s Creek

The Ratliffs' journey shares a lot with the Rose family from Schitt’s Creek. Both families find themselves in new places that show their weaknesses and make them grow. The story is both funny and touches the heart, just like Schitt’s Creek. They both learn that having a lot of money doesn't solve every problem.

A notable similarity between the two shows is the character type of Victoria and Moira. Both are rich, white women who seem dazed and out of it. They enjoy things only if they're done their way and often talk down to their families. They don't realize how detached they come across when they do this.

The Ratliffs and the Roses face the truth that money can't fix everything. Their struggles, filled with clever talk and moments of being open about their feelings, are like what fans loved about Schitt’s Creek. But the HBO show is a bit darker. It shows how being rich can hide emotional problems rather than fix them.

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Eager to see the Ratliffs? Watch The White Lotus Season 3 on HBO and Max.