The White Lotus Responded to The Simpsons With a Subtle Reference in Episode 6
HBO’s hit anthology series previously received a nod in the animated sitcom’s season 36.
With just two episodes left until another big mystery’s revelation, The White Lotus ’ season 3 has so far been full of surprises, with one of those recognised only by The Simpsons ’ true fans.
The latest episode of Mike White’s feverish drama primarily focused on the ongoing mess bringing the luxurious resort’s guests closer to a shocking discovery.
However, it might be the reason why not so many were aware of a tiny detail that helped The White Lotus return the favour to The Simpsons; the latter included HBO’s hit series in the list of its pop cultural references not so long ago.
The White Lotus Pays Back to The Simpsons’ The Yellow Lotus Episode
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Launched all the way back in 1989, The Simpsons has since been considered an iconic phenomenon of modern pop culture due to the show’s constant use of references to fellow TV series, movies or even something on a more global scale.
Apparently, the hit status of Mike White’s The White Lotus just couldn’t let the series escape the same fate of being mentioned in The Simpsons.
That said, the sitcom gave a nod to HBO’s mysterious drama with season 36 episode 2 titled “The Yellow Lotus” and released back in October of 2024; in there, Marge is seen relaxing near the pool and reading Barbra Streisand’s 2023 memoir My Name Is Barbra.
The White Lotus’ latest episode, in its turn, also features the same book, this time read by Michelle Monaghan’s Jaclyn.
The subtle reference caught the eye of The Simpsons’ longtime showrunner Al Jean who made a comparison of the two shows in his recent social media post captured “To understand the brilliant White Lotus season 3 you must first visit the yellow lotus”.
The White Lotus Latest Episode Had More Shocking Revelations Than The Simpsons Reference
It’s safe to say the third season’s last couple of episodes have had a significant impact on the show’s audiences, revealing a handful of gruesome details.
It was Sam Rockwell’s shocking monologue in episode 5 that was quite unsettling for many viewers, yet still impressive enough for them to root for the actor’s possible Emmy nomination.
The next episode came as something even more disturbing, finally exposing a weird nature of Saxon and Lachlan’s relationships during the Full-Moon party. In fact, the scene turned out to be something very unexpected for the characters’ actors too, as Lachlan’s Sam Nivola recently revealed in an interview with Vanity Fair.
“I was on the phone with Patrick when we both knew we got the roles, and we were talking to each other about how we were going to play it. He said the scene where Chloe says to Saxon, ‘Your brother jerked you off last night’ was in one of his audition sides. And I was like, ‘What the f—k? What?’”, Nivola recalled.
