The Best Reactions To The White Lotus Season Finale
Another season of The White Lotus has ended with another madcap finale- and season 3’s final episode was the craziest ending yet. In a 90-minute episode, the storylines of all the characters we’ve gotten to know at the Thailand edition of the White Lotus were wrapped up, and as is the series tradition, we got the answer to who had been found dead in the first episode. If you’ve not seen “Amor Fati” yet, then be warned that there are obvious spoilers ahead- here’s everything that went down…
What happened in The White Lotus finale?
There’s always a lot of characters and storylines to keep track of when you’re watching The White Lotus, but let’s start with the Ratliff family, including some of the season’s most popular characters. In this final episode, Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook), who’d been exploring her spirituality, has an emotional embrace with her mother Victoria (Parker Posey), who became a bit of a meme for her Southern accent. Piper admits that she can’t live a life without everyday “material comforts”, and complains that food at the monastery “wasn’t organic”, and Victoria is incredibly relieved. Tim Ratliff (Jason Isaacs) meanwhile tried to kill himself and his family with poisoned pina coladas but changed his mind at the last minute- with Lochlan (Sam Nivola) almost dying after drinking leftovers.
What about Laurie ([profile-link]Carrie Coon[/profile-link]), Kate (Leslie Bibb) and Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan)? The three women have all been together for most of the season, but have had something of a fractious relationship. Having had an argument with them in the previous episode, Laurie reconciles with the other two women, delivering a moving monologue about life and what really gives happiness, and despite their various insecurities (and behind-the-back sniping), the three women leave the island perhaps the happiest of any of the characters. Zion (Nicholas Duvernay) and Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) both discuss whether they should accept hush money from Greg (Jon Gries), who is concerned they know about his whereabouts and business, and they end up extracting $5 million from him.
That tragic ending
There was always a promise of someone dying before the season was over, episode 8 revealed who would end up unlucky. Rick (Walton Goggins) and Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood) reunite, with Chelsea convinced they’ll be together forever. But Rick ends up getting into a confrontation with Jim Hollinger (Scott Glenn), and eventually guns him down- just before he’s told that Jim is actually his father in a Star Wars-like twist.
But Jim (and Chelsea) had warned him that doing anything rash would be a bad mistake, and in a spray of bullets from Sritala (Lek Patravadi)’s bodyguards, Chelsea is hit badly in the chest. Security guard Gaitok (Tayme Thapthimthong), who’d been on a date with Mook (Lalisa Manoban), hears the gunfire and comes running, and despite his reservations about violence, is the one to shoot Rick and send both him and Chelsea crashing into the water below. Some on social media have pointed out that the sad image of Rick and Chelsea floating on the water resembles the Ying and Yang symbol, adding to the poetic ending.
Reactions to The White Lotus finale
“I love Mike White’s ability to create a show based almost only on characters – the plot is secondary. Even the blender had some serious antagonist energy. And while all the characters had some kind of arc and they invariably either changed for the better (Saxon) or resigned to their dark side (Rick), there is one character who remained steadfastly the same – I’m talking about Victoria Ratliff of course, unabashedly staying true to her love for the good life. What an icon. What a meme.” – Andrea, Food, Culture & Lifestyle Writer.
Even the blender had some serious antagonist energy.
“It was a bit too predictable for me. With Chelsea finding herself in the wrong place at the wrong time (from the robbery to the snakes) you knew something bad was going to happen to her – so I wasn’t surprised when she was shot. But what shocked me was how Belinda just did a Tanya as soon as she got rich. That was a twist I didn’t see coming. Also, I’m glad the monkeys were innocent all along…” – Caitlin, Client Account Manager
What shocked me was how Belinda just did a Tanya as soon as she got rich.
“Of course the monologue of all monologues, a special mention goes to Carrie Coon for delivering the most moving speech that was possibly the only real conversation the three girls ever had in the show. As the internet declared, give her an Emmy just for that. Also, I’m just wondering how to fill up my Monday evenings now that The White Lotus is done. I really will miss living vicariously through the lives of the rich and the problemmatic.” – Andrea, Food, Culture & Lifestyle Writer
A special mention goes to Carrie Coon for delivering the most moving speech.
The Schitt’s Creek references are too good to miss. In fact, we demand a spin-off just to see Victoria finding out she’s poor now. The internet needs to see it.
The Schitt’s Creek references are too good to miss.
Where will the next season of The White Lotus take place?
After a particularly dramatic finale that will be debated by fans and critics alike, there’s a sense of: “Where next?” for The White Lotus. The show’s runaway success has meant that a fourth season is already confirmed to be on the way, and despite rumours that it would be set somewhere in Europe, no destination has been confirmed.
