Ever since the premiere of The White Lotus Season 3 last week, fans have gone absolutely feral over the change in the intro theme. I mean, I can’t blame them. The original theme slapped, and Season 2’s theme really resonated with viewers. So when Season 3’s theme removed the iconic vocals and yodeling, fans were disappointed.
It’s gotten to the point where viewers are theorizing that hey, maybe there’ll be more layers added to the theme over the weeks and we’ll eventually get the vocals back. With the release of episode 2, that doesn’t seem to be the case, but we did actually get the vocals back in one key scene during the episode.
About midway through episode 2, titled Special Treatments, we see Rick go for a stress management session with Dr. Amrita. He shares his dark childhood and past with her, and also tells her that he doesn’t have an identity. If a gas tank is empty, it’s empty. It’s not an illusion because the car just won’t run. Nothing comes from nothing.
As soon as he says that, the very iconic and recognizable yodels start playing. It’s a bit of a haunting moment, especially as we’re left to mull over Rick’s sentiment and his tortured past. The instruments kick in as well, and all of a sudden, it’s like we’ve been transported back to Maui. The White Lotus has always excelled at using its music and soundtrack to great effect, and it’s work especially well here, after a big character moment for Rick.
I’m not convinced that the Season 3 intro theme will eventually morph into the original theme everyone knows and love, but it’s still nice to see the series pay homage to it in little ways like that.
The White Lotus is now available to stream on HBO Max.
Published: Feb 24, 2025 2:58 AM UTC