*Spoiler alert*
After a full week in Thailand with the new and returning cast of provocateurs in the season three finale of HBO’s original hit series, “The White Lotus,” has put theories to rest with new questions. The show sets up curiosity for how the next installment within the series will handle the repercussions of this season’s loose threads.
While this latest installment hits all of the notes that viewers have come to expect, and develops a cast of characters that can hold its own against any of the past star-studded casts in the series, bigger does not always mean better. Especially for those checking in for another full stay at The White Lotus Hotel.
One glaring disappointment compared to previous seasons is the vital absence of an intriguing hotel manager. With spectacularly written characters, such as the unforgettable Armond and the complex Valentina, there is no long-awaited payoff from this season’s hotel manager, Fabian (Christian Friedel), to convolute the plot in an interesting way for fans.
Theories connecting Valentin (Arnas Fedaravicius) and his friends to the burglary that had occurred in episode two were shown to be correct. Luckily enough for the Russian best friends, they are let off scot-free by Gaitok (Tayme Thapthimthong) and partying again in the final moments of the season.
Throughout season three, viewers questioned whether or not Gaitok could pull the trigger if confronted with the opportunity to go against his Buddhist morals on violence and prove himself as an individual with ambition to others around him. However, when push comes to shove, Gaitok confronts his timidness as he receives an order by the White Lotus Hotel owner, Sritala (Patravadi Mejudhon), to shoot Rick (Walton Goggins) for killing her husband, Jim Hollinger (Scott Glenn). Gaitok is finally promoted to one of Sritala’s top security guards, and presumably wins the heart of Mook in the process.
Speculation surrounding Rick’s past and his stay in Thailand becomes more clarified once it is revealed that Jim had been his father all along. Sritala confesses this out loud as her husband lies cold in her arms as a result of Rick’s uncontrolled anger. Rick ultimately becomes a victim of the lies fed to him by his dying mother. His mismanaged hatred left him blind to the love he received from his partner, Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood) — which becomes too late to realize in the end.
Instead of leaving one fatality within the main cast of this season, Mike White tugs harder on the emotional heart strings of his show’s fans. He decides that Rick should not be the only individual to suffer the fallout of his actions. Chelsea gets caught in the crossfire of Rick’s misfortune, resulting in two sympathetic casualties.
As it was countlessly repeated within the season by Chelsea, bad things happen in threes, and this saying hits entirely too close to home. After becoming a burglary victim in episode two, getting bit by a snake in episode three, and now tying her fate to Rick’s death, Chelsea proves her theory right as she becomes the fatal third “bad thing.”
Fans may remember that not-so-important fruit containing a poisonous seed called the pong-pong fruit, shown to the Ratliffs all the way back in episode one. Surely enough, the seed returns as a method for Timothy (Jason Issacs) to kill his family before they realize what he has done to create their wealth.
Thankfully, Timothy eventually gains enough consciousness to understand that killing his entire family will only cause a larger chain of harm and that he must be truthful to his family about the reality that is ahead for them.
However, as explained to Timothy by a Monk in episode six, Buddhism equates death to one’s consciousness dropping back into a larger pond from which it came. The death of Timothy and his family’s wealthy lifestyle symbolizes their descent back into the larger consciousness of reality that is the poor working class. This remains an aspect of the Ratliffs’ storyline that does not feel finished and leaves viewers wanting more.
As it is too well known in daily life, money will make just about anybody turn into the person they hate. Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) is no exception to this notion. By accepting Greg’s (Jon Gries) five million dollar hush money settlement, she approaches Pornchai’s business proposal in the same manner Tanya had done to her in season one — out cold and left to dry. It will be intriguing to see if future installments by Mike White decide to explore any cracks in Greg’s perceived security.
On a beautiful and surprisingly happy note for “The White Lotus,” Jaclyn (Michelle Monoghan), Laurie (Carrie Coon) and Kate (Leslie Bibb) all make amends by the end of their trip after Laurie’s beautiful last dinner table speech that touches the hearts of not only her friends, but also the viewer in their depiction of the struggles between long-lasting friendships.
Verdict: Season three of “The White Lotus” takes a grander approach than its respective seasons, although that does not necessarily mean it outshines the groundwork laid before it. This latest installment provides more than enough to keep viewers satiated and anticipating what series creator Mike White has planned next.
