CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Southern charm — and accents — of North Carolina have been in the spotlight on the newest season of “The White Lotus.” Now, some of those connections are bringing a bit of controversy off-screen.

If you haven’t tuned in the hit “sharp social satire” on HBO, each season is centered on different travelers and employees at an exclusive, upscale resort chain. The latest is set in Thailand, with family of five from the Triangle area of North Carolina.

From the banter of being a house divided — graduates of both UNC Chapel Hill and Duke — to their iconic Southern drawls, the Ratliff family have been pretty pivotal in this season’s plot.

But nearly halfway through the season, it’s revealed that one of the Triangle rivals did not approve of being in the show. We’re unpacking all of it.

Spoiler alert: Here is a list of all North Carolina connections mentioned in the newest season of the show.

Duke, UNC & NC references in ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3

Episode 1: Upon arrival, the Ratliff family talk about how they found The White Lotus thanks to their daughter, Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook), a UNC senior majoring in religious studies. A true house divided, Victoria (Parker Posey) mentions how she was also a Tar Heel grad and her husband, Timothy (Jason Isaacs), and eldest son, Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger), both graduated from Duke. Their youngest son, Lochlan (Sam Nivola), got accepted into both, but hasn’t yet picked a school.

Episode 4: During a boat party, Timothy tells another couple that his grandfather was the governor of North Carolina.

Episode 5: Timothy is wearing a Duke shirt while he writes a goodbye note to his family, then picks up a gun and holds it to his head. His wife Victoria walks in and interrupts him before he can pull the trigger.

Episode 6: Later, Timothy is wearing the same Duke shirt when he imagines himself taking his life and being found by Victoria and Piper. He then goes back to bed and Victoria says, “It’s gonna be okay. We’re gonna get her back to Durham and she’s gonna be happy. She’s gonna live a normal life like the rest of us.”

Parker Posey’s Southern accent

Even those who have never seen a minute of “White Lotus” have likely heard video of Parker Posey saying, “Piper, noooo!” — or heard someone else try out their imitation of her.

The internet is truly divided on whether Posey’s accent is authentic or not. Some believe it’s too exaggerated. But those who have grown up in the South can attest to knowing at least a few Southern Belles who sound exactly like Victoria Ratliff.

But whether viewers think it’s authentic or exaggerated, they love it. A writer for The Daily Beast said that Posey’s “acting choices are nothing short of a master class in character acting.” A writer for The Guardian called Posey’s “White Lotus” accent “a thing of true beauty.”

Posey, who grew up in Mississippi, said in a now iconic interview on “Today” that it all started with show creator Mike White’s dialogue and that she loves saying words like “tsunami” and “Buddhism.” She said she loves Southern women and always wanted to play this kind of character.

And lest we forget, Posey portrayed Durham assistant D.A. Freda Black — an authentic Southern woman whose accent was mocked by many following the Michael Peterson murder trial — in the 2022 Max original series “The Staircase.” (We’ll also note here that Patrick Schwarzenegger, who plays Victoria Ratliff’s son on “White Lotus,” played Michael Peterson’s son Todd Peterson in “The Staircase.”)

‘Simply goes too far,’ Duke says

The controversy over Posey’s accent is lighthearted in comparison to other reactions to local connections in “The White Lotus.”

In a statement emailed to The News & Observer, a Duke University spokesperson confirmed that the school is displeased with its portrayal in the show.

“Duke University did not approve the use of its marks in The White Lotus. Duke appreciates artistic expression and creative storytelling, but characters prominently wearing apparel bearing Duke’s federally registered trademarks creates confusion and mistakenly suggests an endorsement or affiliation where none exists,” Frank Tramble, Duke’s vice president for communications, marketing and public affairs, said in a statement emailed to The N&O.

“The White Lotus not only uses our brand without permission, but in our view uses it on imagery that is troubling, does not reflect our values or who we are, and simply goes too far.

“Suicide is the second-leading cause of death on college campuses. As imagery from the show is being shared widely across social media, we are using our brand to promote mental health awareness and remind people that help is available.”

The News & Observer reached out to University of Chapel Hill’s media team on Thursday for a response on the university’s mention in the show, but has not yet heard back.

How to watch ‘The White Lotus’

Season 3 of “The White Lotus” is now streaming on HBO Max with new episodes released every Sunday at 9 p.m.

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