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The White Lotus Finale: Who Lived, Who Died, and the Dark Twists

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In a surprising contrast, although the monk’s lengthy soliloquy at the end of Sunday’s finale suggested that life lacks definitive conclusions, Season 3 of The White Lotus wrapped up neatly—albeit in a somewhat bleak and, if you delved deeply into online theories, foreseeable manner. Contrasting the almost farcical deaths in the first two seasons of The White Lotus (an unfortunate man stabbed due to an affair involving a suitcase full of feces and a wealthy heiress accidentally falling off a boat while escaping a murder plot), this season’s deaths were deliberate and violent.

Here’s who died, who didn’t, who left Thailand a whole lot richer, and what it all means.

Lochlan Ratliff almost dies by poison fruit smoothie

Initially, it seemed like Timothy Ratliff would poison his family except for Lochlan during the series finale: The audience heard gunshots and found a dead body floating in the water within the first five minutes of the premiere episode. However, things were not as they appeared at first. There was a suspenseful moment when it looked like Timothy might kill his entire family by blending poisonous fruit seeds, which had been hanging from trees over their villa all season. The blender’s noise grew louder and louder, leading viewers to anticipate that one of the Ratliffs would meet an unfortunate end due to the poison. But in the end, Timothy stopped short of following through on his murder-suicide plans after preventing underage Lochlan from drinking piña coladas and declaring that the coconut milk was spoiled, causing his eldest son Saxon to drop the smoothie instead.

In the continuation of events, Lochlan – a spoiled teenager who found it inconvenient to clean the blender – utilized it to prepare a protein shake that his brother refused to provide for him. Earlier in the series, Saxon had scornfully told Lochy that no one would mold him into a man; he must do it himself. It appeared for a significant portion of the episode that Lochlan’s contaminated smoothie might claim his life, as he experienced a vision of drowning under the watchful eyes of four shadowy monks overhead. Remarkably, the youngest Ratliff sibling revived. (It should be noted that his father lacked the means to search for the right dose of the toxic fruit via a phone.)

From their experiences, it’s clear that the Ratliffs have gained some insights: Timothy found out that losing one’s wealth pales in comparison to losing a child. Victoria might have figured out she needs to be more discreet with her lorazepam stash. Piper discovered she can’t manage without organic food and air conditioning. Lochy may have realized he’s a people-pleaser amidst a family of self-centered individuals (which seems to explain his desire to aid his brother, who lives for the moment). Lastly, Saxon understood that there’s more to life than just living for the moment and also developed the skill of reading books.

As they sailed towards the resort, the Ratliff kids assumed an unusual alignment reminiscent of the “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” poses. However, on the boat leaving the hotel, their postures were distinctly different. Rather than donning sunglasses, Saxon was engrossed in a spirituality book that Chelsea had gifted him. Instead of wearing headphones, Piper grinned towards the sun. In contrast to hiding behind a drink, Lochlan stuffed his hands into his pockets. One might let it slide if he never touched a drink again.

Chelsea and Rick die in the shootout he starts

Eventually, Chelsea proved correct. Misfortunes indeed come in threes. After two close calls with death during her holiday – an armed robbery and a snake bite – she should’ve definitely left the resort. Additionally, Chelsea was also accurate in her assumption that her life and Rick’s were connected. Rick, who appeared to find peace in the previous episode after confronting the man he thought was responsible for his father’s death, hotel owner Jim Hollinger, surprisingly didn’t use common sense to depart from the resort following his threatening encounter with a gun.

As a film enthusiast, I found myself face-to-face with Rick over breakfast one morning, a conversation that took an unexpected turn as he hurled insults towards my mother and accused his own father of being a less-than-admirable man. In a fit of rage, fueled by an urgent counseling session with Amrita, I drew a weapon and fired at Jim Hollinger. However, the shocking truth was revealed to me moments later when Sritala, Jim’s wife, disclosed that Rick was none other than my biological father. It’s hard to fathom how incompetent Jim’s bodyguards were, given their repeated failures. They seemed to relentlessly harass Gaitok, yet they allowed Rick to escape after brandishing a firearm in Bangkok and deserted Jim when they knew he was on the resort grounds.

Regrettably, it wasn’t until Rick took aim at Jim and a tragic turn of events led to Chelsea’s death, along with some team members sustaining what seemed to be lethal gunshot injuries, that the group sprang into action. Earlier in this season, I had praised Rick and Chelsea as the most robust couple we’d ever witnessed on The White Lotus. Granted, the bar wasn’t particularly high, but actors Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood truly captured the essence of their deep-seated love in interviews. My apologies for romanticizing this relationship; it was a mistake to do so under these circumstances.

Rick, carrying Chelsea who was badly injured, struggles towards help, but Gaitok – provoked by Sritala and weeks of teasing from Mook – shoots Rick in the back, even though Rick was clearly holding an injured Chelsea. (More about Mook and his relationship with Gaitok will be discussed later.)

Leading up to the final episode, my coworker Judy Berman and I each made guesses about which characters would live or perish. While I correctly anticipated a significant moment involving Darth Vader between Jim and Rick, it was Judy who accurately predicted Chelsea’s demise. Admittedly, I had harbored doubts due to the apparent obviousness of the situation. Throughout the season, Chelsea spoke in cryptic ways, hinting that bad events happen in threes, expressing constant unease about the future, and even foreshadowing multiple times that she had narrowly escaped death on this vacation. The repeated assertion by Chloe that romantics often end up “heartbroken…or worse” added to my concerns. The final episode saw Chelsea and Rick proclaiming their unwavering love until the day they died, which made me fear that their fated day was imminent. Even the romantic lighting during Chelsea’s reunion with Rick seemed ominous to me.

Indeed, Judy astutely noted that Season 2 presented clear indications foreshadowing Tanya’s demise: A fortune teller subtly hinted to Greg that he was manipulating her; a tale of a wealthy matriarch being slain for her mansion; and the recurring themes linking Tanya with tragic opera heroines. At times, one must pay attention to what creator Mike White is suggesting!

Innocence is sacrificed

One key observation from these instances of violence: When those in powerful positions struggle to find inner peace, they often end up harming the defenseless individuals around them. In Tim’s case, his inability to accept the loss of his family’s wealth and his standing within it almost led him to take the life of his most struggling child, who was arguably the most vulnerable among them. Similarly, Rick indirectly caused the death of Chelsea, a source of light in his otherwise grim existence, due to his unyielding grip on revenge and his self-image as an aggrieved individual.

Characters who initially appear to be blameless or morally upright end up making corrupt decisions. For instance, Gaitok, driven by his desire to win favor from his love interest and superior, abandons his personal philosophy and commits murder. In return, he receives Mook’s approval, a promotion, and some stylish sunglasses – fitting for the world of White Lotus. Similarly, Belinda chooses to accept Greg/Gary’s “blood money” and successfully negotiates for $5 million, largely due to Zion’s business-savvy confidence. Although White has previously portrayed Belinda as an ethically unimpeachable character, the show is devoid of morally upright individuals, so it’s no surprise that she too succumbs. In a way, Zion is correct and his mother should rejoice in her hard-earned respite. However, there are also reasons to question this turn of events…

Belinda gets rich and becomes Tanya, sort of

Essentially, through his actions, Gary plays a part in transforming Belinda, as he can’t seem to find tranquility following Tanya’s demise. Specifically, he bribes or influences Belinda significantly and instantly, causing a fundamental shift in her personality.

Following Belinda’s financial success, she meets up with her new partner, Pornchai, who they had earlier planned to start a spa business together in Thailand. However, Belinda’s sudden wealth alters her outlook, leading her to inform Pornchai that their circumstances have evolved, preventing them from going into business as originally planned. This conversation mirrors the one Tanya had with Belinda in Season 1 after meeting Greg and deciding to depart from Hawaii. Essentially, Belinda is now following a path similar to Tanya’s.

It’s important to note that Belinda tended to provide vague responses when Ponchai asked about starting a spa together, considering she has a life and son in the U.S. However, it’s worth mentioning that since acquiring new wealth, there seems to be some change in Belinda that could be seen as questionable.

The blonde blob reconcile in a too-perfect moment

It’s unclear how to interpret Laurie’s emotional speech at the gathering of her traveling friends, whom Mike White nicknamed “the blonde bob-haired group.” Jaclyn admitted to sleeping with a man she had feelings for, and both Jaclyn and Kate placed blame on Laurie for her own troubles. Despite being dissatisfied with her career, relationships, and motherhood, Laurie finds contentment in maintaining this friendship with her two longest (and possibly catty) acquaintances. Later, they all snuggle up on lounge chairs by the pool.

It’s quite possible these friends will either part ways following their argument or continue their frosty relationship after this pretended reconciliation. In a post-episode interview, White interprets Laurie’s monologue as her trying to learn from the difficult week they experienced together in paradise. Thus, her speech may have sounded somewhat insincere.

Additionally, let’s go over the gunfight scene again. When the bullets begin to whiz past, Laurie flees quickly, abandoning her companions behind. This suggests that perhaps her friends aren’t as significant to her as one might think.

This season’s flat girlfriend problem

As the season progressed, I grew more and more aggravated by how uninteresting both Mook and Chelsea seemed to me. In every interaction with Gaitok, Mook consistently urged him to be bolder. It puzzles me why she would be attracted to such a gentle, naive young man if boldness is her primary attraction. I’m not aware of any details about her past or her other preferences and aspirations.

Similarly, Aimee Lou Wood’s exceptional portrayal of Chelsea evolved into a character often resembling a mystical fairy-like figure by the season’s end. Nearly every conversation she had in the show was either with Rick or centered around Rick. If you were on holiday with someone who kept disappearing to phone their boyfriend who never picks up, you would probably advise them to end that relationship.

As a movie enthusiast, I can’t help but be intrigued by the hints of Chelsea’s past struggles. I find myself yearning to learn more about her backstory. Beyond her deep affection for Rick and her nurturing role towards him, she appears as a romantic soul. The chemistry between Wood and Walton Goggins as Chelsea and Rick is undeniably captivating, making one root for their relationship. Yet, I can’t help but wonder about her past – did she have a job, family, or friends? There must be more to this enigmatic character than meets the eye.

In a rephrased form, the sentence could be: I desired greater depth from these two characters who, unfortunately, appeared to serve as mere props in a confrontation—Chelsea as a deceased figure to impart a lesson for one man, and Mook as a tool to provoke another into violent action.

Seriously, where are the police?

I was prepared to let slide the fact that Shane escaped punishment for murder in Season 1, managing to board a flight back to New York under the guise of an accident. I also conceded that Greg, who later became known as Gary, built his home right next to the resort chain where his wife was murdered and spent a fortune, possibly hundreds of millions, on a house, yacht, and various other luxuries without triggering any suspicions from the authorities.

However, I must firmly object to the idea that the three friends who allegedly witnessed a murder in the morning could casually depart on their boat in the afternoon. Regardless of Jaclyn’s celebrity status, they will undoubtedly be questioned by the police. (Additionally, it’s worth considering: Lochlan miraculously didn’t need any medical attention after his supposed encounter with God and near-death experience? Zion seems unusually unaffected given that he saw a corpse in the water?)

Moreover, had the hotel not faced a public relations issue following the initial two seasons, it certainly does so now. It’s imperative that the murder spree at this resort chain is addressed in Season 4.

Nothing from nothing

In the early part of the season, recall when Rick is in therapy with Amrita? It’s where Rick claims that since his father passed away before he was born, he lacks an identity, using the phrase “nothing comes from nothing.” However, this idea will eventually prove false about Rick. His assertion, in a way, becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Instead of focusing on the love he has, Chelsea urges him to focus on the love that was withheld. But, unfortunately, Rick is unable to appreciate his many blessings and, due to this lack of attention, he ends up damaging what he cherishes most. A relationship receives no nourishment if nothing is given into it.

Suitably, the song “Nothing From Nothing” by Billy Preston is played as the show concludes. The lyrics, “You’ve got to have something, if you want to be with me,” can be interpreted in multiple ways for Rick and Chelsea. If he had offered her something spiritually, they might have endured together. However, this statement could also reflect Victoria’s philosophy (she values wealth) or Mook’s (he seeks a masculine partner) in a more pragmatic and materialistic sense.

As a film enthusiast, I’ve got to mention the captivating musical selection at the end of the series. It sounded like a choir, reminiscent of a church service, echoed over the finale, yet it seemed to fall on deaf ears for the westerners who journeyed to Thailand in search of spiritual enlightenment. They didn’t seem to find anything there that fundamentally reshaped their prior perspectives. It would be fascinating to catch up with Saxon a few months down the line and see how his studies in eastern religion are unfolding.

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2025-04-07 08:07

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