[SPOILERS AHEAD]
No series has embodied the principle of Chekhov’s gun as well as HBO’s “The White Lotus”—most recently with literal guns. Each season of the anthology is set at a different location of the fictional elite hotel chain The White Lotus and follows the weeklong stay of several groups of wealthy guests. Importantly, the first episode always begins with an anonymous death, which the subsequent episodes build up to.
Set in Thailand, season three began with a shootout and the visual of seemingly one body floating in the water. Contrary to other seasons, a majority of the characters this season had morbid plot lines, and the finale was full of characters’ direct references to their desire or destiny to die, which quickly became notable because of the show’s notoriety for placing red herrings. The recurrence of guns throughout the season left me wondering which weapon(s) would inevitably be at the helm of the final death.
Perhaps the scene that most embodied reality was the confessions of Laurie (Carrie Coon), Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan), and Kate (Leslie Bibb). After consistently lashing out at one another, it appeared likely that at least one member of the insufferable trio would die. But the three reconcile during breakfast on their last morning. Jaclyn and Kate express happiness and gratitude for the trip, and Laurie confesses to feeling sad for most of it. Yet, she reflects on these feelings, and importantly notes that in comparing herself to her friends, she found meaning in the quality time they have spent together throughout their lives, especially on the trip. I found this to be particularly significant, as each of the group acknowledged the flaws in their friendships and themselves.
The girls’ vacation flings—Valentin and friends—also escaped, as Gaitok did not tell anyone that they orchestrated the robbery. I briefly considered that when Valentin realized Gaitok knew, he or his friends would shoot him to keep the story under wraps. Strategically, Valentin played to Gaitok’s naivete, and in the end, the latter proved his masculinity by killing Rick in place of admitting to the robbery. This makes a certain amount of sense, as Gaitok was able to protect fellow working-class individuals yet still come out looking like a hero.
Unfortunately, my prediction came true, and Rick’s (Walton Goggins) lover Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood) became collateral in his revenge arc during the shootout after he killed Jim Hollinger (Scott Glenn). Throughout the season, Chelsea is convinced something bad will happen to her and expresses this aloud. She is in the boutique when it is robbed and is later bitten by a snake, which inspires her to repeatedly exclaim that bad things happen in threes. Chelsea also admits several times that she thinks she is going to die—which seems like an obvious red herring—but because her fate is tied to Rick, this prophecy comes true.
Surprisingly, it was not revealed that Hollinger was Rick’s father until after the former was killed. An initial theory I had was that Hollinger would send police or guards to seize Rick after their altercation at Jim’s house. Yet, the way that the plot unfolded was true to Rick’s character flaws: He could not restrain his impulses, and Chelsea stood by his side unconditionally. He lost his only living family alongside the only person who he truly cared about. In the end, there was nothing left for him, so it makes sense that he died.
Given that his gun was the primary weapon visible during the season, I was surprised that Gaitok lived. Yet, it does make sense that in the end, he was the one to fire the weapon, ending his moral crisis of whether or not he could kill someone if necessary. Importantly, he hesitates prior to shooting Rick. In the end, he gets the life he wants with Mook, and earns a promotion to bodyguard for Jim’s widow, Sritala (Patravadi Mejudhon).
Most frustrating to me was that early on in the finale, Mook became disinterested in him when he expressed the desire to step down from his position due to self-doubt. She appeared to only value his material successes and potential to act violent, which is why she goes back to him in the end.
Belinda’s (Natasha Rothwell) storyline also upset me until her goodbye scene with Pornchai (Dom Hetrakul). She was initially able to hold her own against Gary (Jon Gries), but caved to $5 million worth of hush money. Her goodbye scene with Pornchai mirrors the sentiments expressed by Tanya McQuoid (Jennifer Coolidge) during her departure in season one—displaying the vicious cycle practiced by people with money.
On the other hand, Gary is left to live out his days in the company of Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon). Thus far, he is the only character to appear in all three seasons, which leaves me wondering whether he will pop up again in season four.
The Ratliff family was highest up on many people’s lists of characters who were slated to die, yet they all made it out alive. Having set it up in the previous episode, Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook) owned up to her privilege, and her change of heart against staying at the meditation center was predictable but frustrating nonetheless. Saxon (Patrick Schwarznegger) recognized and spoke about his trauma, which was antithetical to his superficiality and the ego he built up in episodes prior. Lochlan’s (Sam Nivola) attempt to become a man cost him a near-death experience as a result of Timothy’s poison attempt, although the latter’s intent was only to save the former. Victoria (Parker Posey), still blissfully unaware of her family’s destiny, rejoices in her daughter’s conclusion, and merrily embarks on the journey home.
Creator, writer and director Mike White has indeed done it again. While the first seven episodes of this season felt more obvious than previous, the finale showcased the true colors of each character and once again offered a realistic conclusion of their destinies. This ending is what sets season three apart from the previous: No deaths were random, yet the guessing game leading up to the inevitable shootout was ever-changing. Many main characters also underwent a significant change from who they appeared to be at the start of the show, and those who did not—Chelsea and Rick—suffered as a result.
For those who have not yet tapped into the series, there is no time like the present.