So Long Thailand, Farewell "The White Lotus" Season 3

We hardly knew ya.

Hot takes, fresh off the 1.5-hour finale of The White Lotus, prime appointment TV (or as close to it as you come by these days).

This will be brief-ish.

🪦 RIP to Rick and Chelsea, the only people we truly cared about and who didn’t make it out of Thailand alive. 

🏆 The award for the Darth Vader / Inigo Montoya Jedi mind trick story and tragic death goes to Rick. Rick discovers, moments after taking out Khun Jim Hollinger—the man he thought was responsible for his father’s death—that the treacherous bastard was actually his father. DOH!

But the real villain may be Rick (or Mike White), who does not recognize how much having Chelsea in his life made it complete and put her on the path to her inevitable demise through his reckless actions. When he tells her minutes before her death while they are blissfully eating breakfast together, “The plan is for us to be together forever,” I had no clue that forever was 5 more minutes.

Tim, Victoria, Saxon, Piper and Lochlan

The Ratliffs are to this season what the Mossbachers were to season 1 - the very, very lucky family. They may experience temporary crises (often at their own hands) and make messes for others, but they ultimately recover scratch-free and with lives to spare.

Piper dragged her family to Thailand under the guise of wanting to live in a monastery, but she quickly lost interest after just one night of roughing it. She found the austere conditions unappealing, particularly the “untasty, non-organic” vegetables and stained mattress, revealing her true attachment to material comforts. I hate bland food, too, but would it put me over the edge? Maybe.

Tim has been giving off major Weekend at Bernie’s vibes this season, stumbling through life as if he’s been propped up by sheer willpower alone. Much like Bernie Lomax in the 1989 cult film, Tim seems caught in a surreal, drugged-out haze, dodging not just legal troubles but also the probing questions of his family. In the latter episodes of this season, he dabbles with fantasies of killing off his family to evade having to face his shame. He nearly accidentally kills Lochlan as he goes for broke in a frenzied Jim Jones of Jonestown (Kool-Aid) sacrificial/murder moment on the final night of vacation, but then decides to discard the drinks intended for his family. Unfortunately, Lochlan drinks the residue the following morning as he prepares himself a Saxon “muscle milk” shake and dies momentarily, but then comes back to life.

Side Note: The award for the most-transformed-for-the-better character goes to Saxon, previously deemed “The Douche” and the guy who Chelsea should have opted for, or at least dined with instead of Rick. That would have been the safer pick for her and who knows, maybe an eventual love match. At the very least, Saxon respected her, reading the book she recommended and taking Chelsea’s unique way of seeing the world seriously. I don’t know that Rick did. He was too caught up in his own vendetta, which was unfortunate.

Laurie, ?? and Jaclyn

The Blond Blob, the characters we all hated and cared very little for, somehow emerged with the biggest platonic love story of all the characters this season. YUCK! They got their friendship back on track, and Laurie (Carrie Coon) delivered a moving speech that felt like Mike White's commentary on spirituality, religion, and the search for life's meaning. Coon's words resonated as a relatable "everywoman" perspective. We’re left with friendships being the thing that gives life meaning, and not the spa treatments, yoga, massages, and meditation. I did take away from this particular friend group that all of them seemed unchanged in their ways, but perhaps more accepting of their flaws and able to appreciate one another.

Side Note: When you’re on the last day of a trip, generally spirits improve and you aren’t hating as much on your friend group. Then again, Chelsea’s comment to Saxon about the importance of connections and having “groups” might very well be about these three.

Gaitok Gets the Promotion & The Girl (and it all feels quite empty)

Do the ends justify the means? Gaitok’s journey and the Belinda/Zion storyline had me grappling with this. Once the show’s moral anchors, both Belinda and Gaitok compromised their ethics, trading pieces of their integrity for greater security and wealth, leaving their moral compasses shakier than ever.

Mook and Gaitok

Gaitok’s quiet principles unraveled the moment he shot Rick—a violent act to shield Sritala and avenge her husband’s death, severing ties to his pacifist past. Mook’s relentless push for ambition and acceptance of violence as "part of the job" corroded his moral core, leaving him clinging to a compromised version of himself. His silence about Valentin and the Russian gangsters’ role in the robbery further muddied his ethics, trading integrity for a fractured sense of security. He ends up Sritala’s bodyguard and Mook’s boyfriend, but will forever have to compromise his integrity in both the workplace and at home. Plus, there’s something vile about Valentin, Alexei, and the third guy getting away with their crimes, but perhaps no more vile than Greg/Gary plotting to kill Tanya, taking all her money, and then using part of it to buy Belinda’s silence.

Predictions: Given the show's knack for unexpected twists and reprising a prior season character, it wouldn't be surprising if we see Tanya’s assistant, Portia (Season 2), played by Haley Lu Richardson, in Season 4, especially if Greg/Gary is still out there.

Belinda Becomes Tanya & Zion Her Closer

Do you remember when Tanya heartlessly moved on from Belinda in Season 1 for Greg/Gary, of all people and interests? I recall the speech well since I recently rewatched The White Lotus season 1 for a podcast [see here]. Tanya had gotten Belinda’s hopes up about investing in a spa for her, only for Tanya to crush Belinda’s dreams when vacation time was over and she left. Belinda delivers pretty much verbatim the same lines to her former love interest, Pornchai, who was hoping to start a business and a life with Belinda, and whom Belinda seemed to really like. The money Zion negotiates for her from Greg/Gary in the amount of $5 million has Belinda seeing stars and dollar signs, and in this constellation, there’s no Pornchai. While I’m happy for Belinda, something tells me, much like Gaitok’s fate, it’s not a happy ending.

Belinda and Zion

The finale’s title, “Amor Fati,” means “love of fate,” but in this season 3 universe, embracing Chelsea’s tragic fate is a tough pill. Given her prior brushes with death (armed robbery and snake bite), it was probably written in the stars. After all, Chelsea would be the first one to say, "Bad things come in threes," suggesting that after experiencing two unfortunate events, a third one is likely to occur. It was fated.

What are your hot takes from The White Lotus Season 3 finale? Prediction for Season 4? Comment below!

Check out The White Lotus- Season 3 chat for more insights and commentary [link here]

I will see you next season.