The last 20 minutes of The White Lotus’ season three finale felt like a college essay written at the last minute — an overindulgent buildup capped by a rushed conclusion.
The hit HBO original series’ third season wrapped up Sunday with an almost 90-minute finale. But even with the extended runtime, the episode couldn’t tie up all the loose ends that series creator Mike White unraveled over the previous seven episodes. Like the monkeys in the Thai trees, viewers were left hanging.
Though the season opened with the piercing pop of gunfire and an unidentified body floating among lily pads, The White Lotus isn’t your average “murder mystery” show. With multiple sets of characters and subplots that rarely intersect, the series often feels more like literary-themed reality TV.
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Across the first seven episodes of the season, viewers follow the Ratliffs, an obliviously privileged Southern family whose father faces white-collar crime charges. Outside of this, Jaclyn, Kate and Laurie — a Real Housewives-esque trio — seem to teeter on the edge of personal and friendship crises.
All the meanwhile, Rick and Chelsea — a seemingly stereotypical age-gap couple — reveal some surprising depth as Rick angstily searches for the man who killed his father and Chelsea struggles to stay desperately upbeat amid his identity crisis. Belinda, a recurring character from past seasons, is hunted by Greg, who plotted to kill Jennifer Coolidge’s character in season two. Throughout all this, Thai resort workers Mook, played by BLACKPINK’s Lisa, and Gaitok remain largely sidelined by the wealthier characters.
Season three follows the now-familiar template Mike White has concocted — rich white characters confronting subtle emotional nuances, class divides between resentful resort staff and entitled guests and at least one jarring sex scene that leaves viewers questioning their commitment to the show.
But that formula demands each season to be more shocking and unexpected than the last, and this time, the surprise factor fell short.
The finale ends with the guests leaving the resort all having undergone some sort of transformation — for better or for worse — but the pivotal turning points are skipped. Crucial plot developments are traded for an empty montage, set awkwardly to Billy Preston’s upbeat “Nothing From Nothing.” We never see the Ratliffs’ reaction to their father’s impending imprisonment, or watch Jaclyn, Kate and Laurie process the trauma of being caught in the crossfire of Rick’s shootout.
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Without these pivotal reactions, viewers are left to fill in the blanks themselves. In past seasons, that ambiguity felt intentional, even satisfactory. But with season three’s revolving characters and scattered plotlines, it just feels incomplete.
Perhaps the unsatisfying ending is intentional, designed to leave us feeling empty and confused. The innocent, Buddhist Gaitok betrays his convictions and is rewarded with a romantic interest and a career promotion. Piper, the Ratliffs’ daughter, abandons her fantasy of living in a bare monastery and embraces her Southern belle status. And Chelsea, arguably the most genuine character, is killed for her loyalty to Rick.
Mike White’s slow-burn storytelling and ability to create such vibrant yet relatable characters is certainly a talent that makes The White Lotus unlike anything else on TV. But no matter his talent, this finale feels undecipherable, leaving viewers to decide whether this season was a waste of time or a masterful commentary on the corrupting powers of money.
