'The White Lotus' Season Three Ending Explained

The third season of Mike White's The White Lotus took us to Thailand and started off with another dead body floating in the peaceful waters, along with a lot of gunshots. In this chaotic season, there were lots of suspects and reasons people would have been killed. Today, I want to go over these and then explain the ending of the third season of the show.We'll go over who died in The White Lotus season three, a bit of the plot, and maybe a setup for season four. Let's dive in. The White Lotus Season Three PlotThe third season of The White Lotus takes us on a journey in Thailand with rich guests trying to enjoy their vacations as their lives explode. After our initial introduction with a dead body floating past, we flashback to meet everyone and set the scene. First up is Rick Hatchett (Walton Goggins), who is traveling with his younger girlfriend Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood). She's there to have fun and to reconnect with Rick, but he has ulterior motives. He wants to kill Jim Hollinger, the resort owner's husband, whom he blames for his father's death. Also on the boat is the Ratliff family: financier Timothy (Jason Isaacs), his wife Victoria (Parker Posey), and their children Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger), Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook), and Lochlan (Sam Nivola). Timothy is spiraling due to an impending financial scandal. He was insider trading and the FBI is going to tear him apart. He is probably going to lose everything he has, leaving them destitute. They don't know it and he has their cell phones taken, so they are vacationing in the dark.His daughter, Piper, chose this place to vacation because she is considering moving there to live in a monastery with Buddhist monks. but after experiencing their lifestyle, she is heartbroken to learn she is actually a creature of comfort and cannot hack it. His sons, Saxon and Lochlan are both trying to figure out their masculinity. This leads them onto a boat with some older women, but it's Saxon and Lochlan who wind up hooking up, leading to an incest storyline that drives both of them a little crazy. Alongside these people is a trio of longtime friends—famous actress Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan) and her best friends Kate (Leslie Bibb) and Laurie (Carrie Coon). They navigate their own complex relationships during their reunion trip, as each of them looks for meaning and permanence in their lifelong friendship.They meet some Russian guys Valentin (Arnas Fedaravičius), who is a masseuse at the spa, and his friends Alexi (Julian Kostov) and Vlad (Yuri Kolokolnikov). These guys are intent on showing the girls a good time and driving a bit of a rift in them, as they also want to seduce them. At the resort, we meet security guard Gaitok (Tayme Thapthimthong), who pursues a romance with health mentor Mook (Lisa) but she wants to be more with a man of action. He's desperate to be put on the owner of the resort's security detail. This season also brings back Belinda (Natasha Rothwell), the spa manager from Season 1, who visits with her son Zion (Nicholas Duvernay). She recognizes Greg Hunt (Jon Gries), who was in season one and who had his wife, Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) killed in season two. He is now going by the name Gary and is shacking up with Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon), a woman who may actually understand what he wants in this world and who is willing to give it to him, in exchange for a lavish lifestyle. All of these storylines complicate the world and bring us into the craziness that is the ending of season three. White Lotus Season Three EndingIn the final episode of season three, titled 'Amor Fati' we get all the answers to all the complicated situations over 90 minutes. First, we see Belinda and her son Zion make a deal with the devil, Greg for money she needs to open her own spa. In return, they won't blow the whistle on him possibly being a murderer and getting all this money through violence. He wires them five million dollars, and they immediately change. Belinda spurns a lover she met in Thailand who was interested in opening a spa with her, sort of becoming her own version of Tanya, who screwed her. In a separate crisis, Timothy Ratliff uses the seeds of a poisonous plant on the island to make Pina Coladas for his family. But in the heat of the moment, he decides they don't all deserve to die, even if he thinks they could never live in a world where they are not rich. But in the aftermath, some of the poisonous seeds are left in the blender. the next morning, Lochlan Ratliff accidentally poisons himself with the seeds his father had intended for the family but miraculously survives after a profound vision. Our trio of middle-aged women, Jaclyn, Kate, and Laurie put behind their petty squabbles and discover the beauty of lasting friendships with people you can count on. They find depth in seeing each other's flaws and looking past them to garner mutual respect and honesty with one another. It may be the only happy part of this ending. Back at the guard station, Ga

Apr 7, 2025 - 20:02

'The White Lotus' Season Three Ending Explained

The third season of Mike White's The White Lotus took us to Thailand and started off with another dead body floating in the peaceful waters, along with a lot of gunshots.

In this chaotic season, there were lots of suspects and reasons people would have been killed. Today, I want to go over these and then explain the ending of the third season of the show.

We'll go over who died in The White Lotus season three, a bit of the plot, and maybe a setup for season four.

Let's dive in.

The White Lotus Season Three Plot

The third season of The White Lotus takes us on a journey in Thailand with rich guests trying to enjoy their vacations as their lives explode. After our initial introduction with a dead body floating past, we flashback to meet everyone and set the scene.

First up is Rick Hatchett (Walton Goggins), who is traveling with his younger girlfriend Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood). She's there to have fun and to reconnect with Rick, but he has ulterior motives. He wants to kill Jim Hollinger, the resort owner's husband, whom he blames for his father's death.

Also on the boat is the Ratliff family: financier Timothy (Jason Isaacs), his wife Victoria (Parker Posey), and their children Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger), Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook), and Lochlan (Sam Nivola).

Timothy is spiraling due to an impending financial scandal. He was insider trading and the FBI is going to tear him apart. He is probably going to lose everything he has, leaving them destitute. They don't know it and he has their cell phones taken, so they are vacationing in the dark.

His daughter, Piper, chose this place to vacation because she is considering moving there to live in a monastery with Buddhist monks. but after experiencing their lifestyle, she is heartbroken to learn she is actually a creature of comfort and cannot hack it.

His sons, Saxon and Lochlan are both trying to figure out their masculinity. This leads them onto a boat with some older women, but it's Saxon and Lochlan who wind up hooking up, leading to an incest storyline that drives both of them a little crazy.

Alongside these people is a trio of longtime friends—famous actress Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan) and her best friends Kate (Leslie Bibb) and Laurie (Carrie Coon). They navigate their own complex relationships during their reunion trip, as each of them looks for meaning and permanence in their lifelong friendship.

They meet some Russian guys Valentin (Arnas Fedaravičius), who is a masseuse at the spa, and his friends Alexi (Julian Kostov) and Vlad (Yuri Kolokolnikov).

These guys are intent on showing the girls a good time and driving a bit of a rift in them, as they also want to seduce them.

At the resort, we meet security guard Gaitok (Tayme Thapthimthong), who pursues a romance with health mentor Mook (Lisa) but she wants to be more with a man of action. He's desperate to be put on the owner of the resort's security detail.

This season also brings back Belinda (Natasha Rothwell), the spa manager from Season 1, who visits with her son Zion (Nicholas Duvernay). She recognizes Greg Hunt (Jon Gries), who was in season one and who had his wife, Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) killed in season two.

He is now going by the name Gary and is shacking up with Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon), a woman who may actually understand what he wants in this world and who is willing to give it to him, in exchange for a lavish lifestyle.

All of these storylines complicate the world and bring us into the craziness that is the ending of season three.

White Lotus Season Three Ending

In the final episode of season three, titled 'Amor Fati' we get all the answers to all the complicated situations over 90 minutes.

First, we see Belinda and her son Zion make a deal with the devil, Greg for money she needs to open her own spa. In return, they won't blow the whistle on him possibly being a murderer and getting all this money through violence.

He wires them five million dollars, and they immediately change. Belinda spurns a lover she met in Thailand who was interested in opening a spa with her, sort of becoming her own version of Tanya, who screwed her.

In a separate crisis, Timothy Ratliff uses the seeds of a poisonous plant on the island to make Pina Coladas for his family. But in the heat of the moment, he decides they don't all deserve to die, even if he thinks they could never live in a world where they are not rich.

But in the aftermath, some of the poisonous seeds are left in the blender. the next morning, Lochlan Ratliff accidentally poisons himself with the seeds his father had intended for the family but miraculously survives after a profound vision.

Our trio of middle-aged women, Jaclyn, Kate, and Laurie put behind their petty squabbles and discover the beauty of lasting friendships with people you can count on. They find depth in seeing each other's flaws and looking past them to garner mutual respect and honesty with one another.

It may be the only happy part of this ending.

Back at the guard station, Gaitok has figured out that a break-in earlier in the season was caused by Alexi, Vlad, and Valentin -- the Russians. But Valentin begs him not to tell anyone. they only did it because they needed money and if they were arrested they would be sent back to Russia and killed in the war.

Gaitok contemplates quitting because he's not sure he can handle all this, but knows if he quits he will likely lose Mook.

Meanwhile, Jim Hollinger comes to the hotel and sees Rick at breakfast. He calls his mother a slut and confronts him. Rick is forced to walk away when his bodyguards show up, but Chelsea is worried about him.

When Rick cannot find someone to help him mentally in that moment he breaks down.

Jim and his wife go to take a photo with famous actress Jaclyn and her friends. But as the photo is taken, Rick runs over and takes a gun John has on him. Rick kills Jim, only to learn immediately after that Jim is actually his father.

The bodyguards fight back, and there's an increasingly violent shootout. Chelsea is tragically killed in the crossfire, and Rick himself is subsequently shot dead by Gaitok, who seizes the moment to prove his worth -- even if it means shooting Rick in his back.

Back at Greg's house, he's having another party with Chloe. His secret is safe and he finally knows how to connect with himself thanks to his time with her and her exploration of his kinks.

So we get the reveal that the dead body from the pilot was John and that Rick and Chelsea also died in the interaction.

The season concludes with the surviving guests and staff forever changed by the events, with Gaitok rewarded for his actions despite earlier moral compromises with a job as the head bodyguard for the owner and a relationship with Mook.

We also see the Ratliffs grappling with their near-death experiences and family dysfunction. As they leave the island, Timothy Ratliff tells his kids hard times are coming but they'll get through it as a family.

Belinda and Zion leave with the money, now rich people who also have compromised their morals, but who are excited about their future.

The Themes of White Lotus Season Three

At the end of the third season we got a lot of proof that money changes who you are inside. Belinda, who was our underdog looking for love and some parity in this world, got rich literally overnight and immediately shed her feelings for a sweet guy and guilt over Tanya's death, to instantly move on.

The Ratliffs lost everything and that almost led their patriarch to kill all of them. Surviving means their lives will be harder but their true test is completely ahead of them.

The whole season took a look at vengeance and impulsive decisions. We see impulses always leading to bad things that hurt people.

We saw Gaitok want a job so badly he was willing to shoot someone unarmed in the back for it, and then delight in it later because violence got him the girl and the promotion.

But he was willing to spare the Russians because it didn't really advance his career and would have made him look bad.

Whether it's letting snakes out of cages, having sex with workers, or having revenge sex to prove a point, impulsive behavior leads somewhere dark. And even to death. The theme of controlling that via meditation or stress management shone through.

We also saw how people who love each other, whether families or friends have fates tied together. Chelsea says early on "If something bad happens to you, it happens to me." Well, Rick got her bit by a snake but also got her shot at the end. Her death led to his death.

His destructive cycle had horrible retribution on her.

And we got the same message with our trio of women, who reconciled the bad impulses and revenge they had only to come together to ensure that love and friendship stayed their guiding force.

Amidst all of these values are Eastern Buddhist values. Guests all showed shallow, materialistic pursuits, anxieties, and moral compromises. Characters grappled with finding meaning, but in juxtaposition to the monks on the island, we saw the characters' actions reveal deeper attachments to wealth, status, or personal desires.

Where is the White Lotus Season Four Happening?

Mike White's destination murder show was renewed for a fourth season, and that means they have to find a new resort. Now, all the White Lotus resorts so far have been Four Seasons so we expect that to continue.

After the show, in the extended interviews, Mike White gave us a tease of what is to come.

He said, “For the fourth season, I want to get a little bit out of the crashing waves of rocks vernacular but there’s always more room for more murders at the White Lotus hotels."

HBO drama chief Francesca Orsi told Deadline, "We’re going on some locations scouting in the next couple of weeks, so we’ll know soon. I can’t really say where we’re going to land but chances are somewhere in Europe.”

Many people are theorizing it could be in the French Riviera. But there are Four Seasons all over the globe, so it could be anywhere.

Summing It All Up

This show is full of plot twists, deep character development, and some incredible worldbuilding.

This season, we really explored some complex themes and had to deal with what felt like a Greek tragedy at the end of it.

Mike White delivered another eight episodes of confusion, hysteria, and human connection.

I'm excited to know what you took away from the whole thing,

Let me know what you think in the comments.