The season 3 finale of The White Lotus was hard to watch, but it did not disappoint in terms of drama and emotion. Verifying a couple of the fan predictions in our season 3 recap, this finale did not fall short of expectations, but it brought some new revelations as well as new heroes.
Mook was not a shady character after all; just a cute, fun-loving resort worker who wants a strong, protective man. Gaitok also surprised the audience in one of the show’s final moments when he was ordered to shoot Rick. It came as a surprise that he was indeed able to shoot Rick, not once but twice, after Rick shot Jim Hollinger, the owner of The White Lotus, when he insulted Rick’s mother. It was then revealed that Jim Hollinger was actually Rick’s father, as suspected. While Jim had evaded Rick’s childhood and subsequently made Rick bitter, he was still his father, and Rick was shocked for the few seconds left in his life. It was Sritala, Jim’s wife, who revealed the truth after the shots had already been fired, bringing this branch of dramatic irony to rest.
There were both lovable characters and some intolerable characters this season. Unfortunately, some of the most endearing and empathetic characters suffered the worst endings. It was heartbreaking to see such a well-loved character, such as Chelsea, die so tragically, especially one who had a lust for life and openly embraced others. Chelsea was a thoughtful and free-spirited young woman, and her love for her boyfriend, Rick, led to her being killed by his actions.
The biggest twist of the finale had the whole audience momentarily stressing as the youngest Ratliff son, Lochlan, fought for his life poolside on the patio after ingesting some of the poisonous fruit seed his dad made piñacoladas with. Luckily, at the start of this final episode, Timothy Ratliff decided not to kill his family in a group homicide-suicide situation, after contemplating taking their lives to protect them from the life they would be returning to: a life of little luxury and financial ruin. After foregoing his idea and iconically slapping the piñacoladas out of his son’s hand, deciding mid-cheers, Timothy dumped out the poisonous piñacoladas and went to bed. However, he left the remnants in the blender, and Lochlan used the blender the next morning to make a smoothie and was poisoned.
This scene depicted visions of him swimming and drowning, using the aquatic metaphor that resonated throughout the season; that all water droplets return to the ocean, just as the universe is interconnected, and how people return to be a part of it when they die, in line with Buddhist beliefs.
This underwater struggle scene was representative of Lochlan’s spirit as he struggled to breathe, and his life flashed before his eyes. His father ran out and found him when he appeared to be dead, and then at the very end of the episode, he comes to. Even though Lochlan may have some creepy incestual infatuations with his siblings, he did not deserve to die, especially in such a violent way. He was also the only one of the three Ratliff kids who confirmed he would be ok without money and luxury, which was validating to his father, now that they’ve lost their wealth.
Saxon, who was the most intolerable character, had a true character evolution as he underwent a spiritual change and opened his mind to faith and the universe. By Chelsea’s recommendation, he read a spiritual development book that he was hiding and tried meditating with her. Saxon’s change of heart and his realized feelings for Chelsea had the audience in a chokehold within an Oscar-worthy moment on the beach as he watched her run to Rick.
While the three women on their girls trip had a wild ride at The White Lotus and most certainly indulged themselves in gossiping about Valentin, they left unscathed and with an even stronger bond. Jaclyn, Laurie, and Kate spent their last evening lamenting how much they appreciated one another and this trip, and Laurie opened up about how she was struggling. It was a monologue that many women can relate to about juggling so much at once and struggling to find their niche, which makes it hard for her to be around the beautiful and carefree Jaclyn and Kate.
Laurie recounts how she has been trying on different societal constructs to find her sense of religion and feels that it has left her deflated. She compares herself to Jaclyn and Kate, two socialites, and compares her divorce to their marriages – even though Jaclyn’s is far from perfect (or at least as it would appear, since she slept with Valentin).
It’s obvious Laurie puts a lot of pressure on herself, and this vulnerable moment helped her reconnect with her friends. It also validated the feelings of so many viewers and was one of the happy endings in this White Lotus finale. Another happy ending was for Belinda, played by Natasha Rothwell, who decided to take the hush money from Gary and start her own business and new, wealthy life, after she had worked so hard as a single mom. They chose to get on the boat leaving the very next day, and Belinda left behind her colleague (and lover) in Thailand.
It was a hoot of a season with everything you can imagine from such a vibrant cast, and the ending definitely went out with a bang. It’s especially good that Lochlan didn’t meet his fate in Thailand because he’s just a kid; otherwise, his father would have really been on the brink. Even though it was sad to see Chelsea go, she prophesied her ending early on in the season when she told Rick she would love him “even if it killed her.” It was an unfortunate, full-circle ending, and it will be exciting to see where The White Lotus takes us next.
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