5 For 5: My Likes and Dislikes of White Lotus’ Season 3 Finale
I love White Lotus, each season offers thinly veiled themes and high-stakes characters.
And Season 3 didn’t disappoint, for the most part.
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*This article will contain spoilers for White Lotus Season 3, specifically the final episode*
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Originally Published April 2025
Likes: Reconciliation, Money, and Survival
Lochlan Survives!
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I know we were all holding our breath through the final minutes, waiting to see if Tim’s past mistakes and ill-plotted solutions would come to a head with the death of his youngest son. It seemed like Lochlan’s death might’ve been the price for Tim’s incorrect judgment of murdering his family, even with his plan to save his youngest son by denying him a deadly piña colada. I was expecting a classic comeuppance for the Ratliff family with the potential death of their youngest member, but I was glad that he was spared in the end. After all, the death of three guests would be too much, even for White Lotus.
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Gaitok Has His Moment, Finally
I’ve been rooting for Gaitok since episode one, and I hold heavy resentment for Valentin having guilt-tripped our already regret-ridden hero. I also hold it against Mook that she seemed more interested in Gaitok’s position rather than his heart; she doesn’t deserve him. At a certain point, it seemed like what he really wanted was to live a life of nonviolence and resign from his post, leaving behind the traumatic robbery and his feeling of inadequacy among the bodyguards. But in the end, he worked up his killer instinct and ultimately got the recognition he was craving, along with the admiration of his beloved Mook. At the end of the day, if Gaitok is contented, I’m happy for him. Plus, I think we can all agree that Khun Sritala is in good hands.
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Belinda Gets Her Bag and Gets Out
My favorite character by far! Belinda can never get a damn break, and I just wanted her to be happy with Pornchai and not be blackmailed by Greg. However, I also want to see Belinda’s dreams of running her own business realized, and she ultimately decided that was worth the emotional turmoil she endured. I was holding my breath throughout all eight episodes, worried that she would be the victim of this season, and I was relieved to see her and her son leave Thailand safe and sound, and with five million in her pocket. I hope she returns next season, I want to see Greg taken down and Belinda remaining happy and untouched.
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Saxton and Tim Ratcliff Might End Up Okay
I’ve gotta say, I was prepared to hate Saxton for all eight episodes, but if I’m honest, I ended up having a real soft spot for him. He was serving a-hole fratboy at the beginning, but he seemed to be touched by Chelsea’s olive branch of spirituality, and his devotion to his father, and whole family, is never questioned. His future remains uncertain amidst his family’s haunting fate and the sexual trauma imparted onto him. I feel like Saxton is turning a corner, and I’d no longer be scared to be in a room alone with him.
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I was always on Tim’s side this season. I didn’t expect him to be a completely kind and respectable guy, especially because he's a wealthy Southern embezzler. Tim’s spiritual questions and journey took him right to the brink of death a few times, and each time I held my breath, hoping that he would pull through. And he did! He put his phone down and decided not to kill his whole family, so he’s making strides, I’d say. Something tells me he will be just fine living without his large financial buffer, and his family is lucky to have him (as long as he quits the Lorazepam).
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Greg Still Looms Large
I hate Greg, I think we all do, but I can’t lie and say I’m not hoping he comes back next season. The thread of Greg throughout the three seasons has been an unexpected twist for me, especially because other than that, the seasons have no connection (other than the string of deaths that follow the White Lotus brand). I’d like to see Greg get what’s coming for him, and maybe give us a better explanation of his involvement in Tanya’s murder. If anything, Greg’s continued success gives us a taste of what’s to come at our next White Lotus stay.
Dislikes: Cowardice, Sacrifice, and Secrecy
Piper Shows Her Lack of Backbone
I kept holding Piper in high regard as she seemed to be the only person at the White Lotus who wasn’t entirely oblivious to her privilege, but the final episode destroyed any hope I had for her. I can’t say I was surprised by her decision not to give up her North Carolina luxuries, but I was still disappointed. I did see some fan theories that she declined her monastic future because she didn’t want to be responsible for Lochlan following in her footsteps, but I don’t know if I believe that. In the end, I fear she was simply serving white woman tears about her uncomfortable experience in an air conditioning-free monastery.
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Laurie Gives In and Rolls Over
Laurie’s storyline of feeling left out and less than in comparison to her rich, beautiful friends hit home for me, and I’m sure it resonated with many others. I was hoping for Laurie to make a grand speech about how screwed up their whole dynamic is, how she’s been undervalued and mocked, and then to storm out and be free of the shackles of the horrific three-way friendship she’s been subject to her whole life. Unfortunately, we were given none of that. Instead, Laurie rolled over and let the torment from Jaclyn and the Kate’s hypocrisy stand for the sake of feeling as though she had a place and purpose. It was really sad for me to see Laurie succumb to this fate, and I wish she had the mustered the courage and capability to free herself from their dynamic, instead of continuing to swallow the pain she so obviously feels.
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Chelsea Sacrifices Herself for Rick’s Paternal Jihad
I’ll admit, Chelsea wasn’t my favorite character in this season. She was constantly pouting, deluding herself into thinking Rick was her soulmate, and held onto this notion, regardless of the intense emotional strife it caused. Like Laurie, I would’ve liked to see Chelsea free herself from Rick, or at least explain why she holds on so tightly to him when that loyalty and love seems unreciprocated. It felt like their situation had to have been money-based, but she kept denying that, only to say they were “soulmates” without any additional explanation or evidence to prove why that was. I was struck especially because Rick seemed like he genuinely hated her all season until the end, which seemed either like an ill-fated attempt at a metaphor or just bad storytelling to me; you decide. Though it’s Rick’s past that catches up to them and gets her killed, she was the one continuing to force their relationship and proximity, even after Rick told her to leave the scene of the shooting. In the end, it seemed fitting for her to die due to Rick’s inability to let go of the past, and I did feel bad for her. However, I can’t help but think that in the end, she is the only one to blame for her demise.
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We’re Left Guessing About Jim Hollinger
I can’t help but feel cheated out of Rick’s true backstory at the end of a tantalizing eight episodes. I think we could all see the writing on the wall by episode seven that Jim Hollinger was Rick’s biological father, and that explained the resentment both his parents had towards the Hollingers when he was growing up, which he adopted. I love a good Luke Skywalker ending for Rick, it seems fitting, especially because it ends up costing him his life (and Chelsea’s!) due to his obsession and lack of control in killing Jim. But, the big reveal happened hastily, and didn’t result in anything other than Rick accepting his death while carrying Chelsea down the boardwalk. I would’ve liked to see this paternal information unraveled more gracefully, and give us more about how Rick felt and how this impacted his familial struggle. There was also a lot of missing information about Jim Hollinger to begin with, and I think, if fleshed out, it could’ve added to another layer of capitalist fodder to chew on this season.
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Greg Still Looms Large, But Doesn’t Make Waves
I know I mentioned this being something I enjoyed, but it’s also something I dislike! Screw Greg! I can’t believe he has still gotten away with Tanya’s death, and I’m frustrated we haven’t seen more about his background or shady dealings. I had hopes that he would get found out this season, but Belinda was the only one who had an ethical issue with Greg for his role in the previous season’s murder, and I’m not mad she didn’t take it upon herself to see to it that he ended up behind bars. Greg’s presence is constant, if anything, and while I think it ties each season together, his role seemed stagnant this season. I was hoping that if he wasn’t caught, he would at least prove to get involved in another criminal enterprise to move the story forward. Him sitting behind his waterfall, awaiting his cuckold fantasy, just did not tie it together for me, but I guess that just gives me hope for season four.