White Lotus Season 3 Episode 1 Recap and Ending Explained- Who is the Victim?

The White Lotus is back with season 3 and the very first episode has raised interesting questions about the mysterious victim. This season, the show takes viewers to Thailand with an almost entirely new cast. The episode has hinted that the vacationers live mysterious lives. In this article, we will reveal and discuss all that happened in the first episode. 

Who Could be the Victim?

In the premiere's flash-forward sequence, we see the victim of this season who is floating face down among the lily pads. While it’s not possible to determine right now who the victim is. Zion, Belinda’s son is shown to be making the discovery. So, Belinda might be the one who died. She is a returning character who was at the Thailand branch for inspiration. 

Other suspects include Walton Goggins’ character, Rick, or Gaitok, the hotel worker. Fans hope that it's Greg because Tanya deserves justice. However, this might be a fake-out as well or maybe instead of murder, the person died by eating a toxic fruit.

The Weird bond Between the Ratliff Siblings

At the end of the first episode, it is shown that Saxon and Lochlan are sharing a bedroom. For Saxon, money, sexual fulfilment, and respect are all that matters. Also, along with this, him referring to his sister as “pretty hot” does indicate that his sense of boundaries isn’t where it should be. 

However, this seems to be an issue with the whole family. When Saxon walks to the bathroom without any clothes, Lochlan is shown looking intently at his brother. He doesn’t look away till Saxon closes the door. Also, earlier in the episode, Lachlan and Piper insist that they want to share a room. However, Saxton opposes this because they are both adults. More will certainly be uncovered as the season goes on. 

Laurie Doesn’t Connect with her two Other Friends

Jaclyn, Kim, and Laurie are another group who are here. They are childhood best friends, but it’s clear that their bond has weakened since Jaclyn became famous. Kim and Jaclyn are shown as being competitive and when Laurie can’t take it anymore, she goes to bed and begins crying after watching them. 

Throughout the episode, it’s shown that Laurie feels like a third wheel. Her two friends don’t even know how to compliment her. They also seem like they are not much interested in her life. 

What is Tim’s Shady Business?

Timothy, the patriarch of the Ratliffs is hiding his shady businesses from this family. Even though he insists that he and his family are visiting Thailand so that his daughter can interview a religious person, there's clearly more than meets the eye. 

It gets revealed when Timothy gets a call from a journalist asking him about his work with Kenneth Nguyen and a company named Sho-Kel. Also, his links to the government of Brunei imply that the Ratliff family’s wealth could have been ill-gotten. 

Why Is Rick After Sritala's Husband?

Walton Goggins’ Rick is quickly shown as not really an admirable man as he says that he isn’t allowed to go to Australia. This shows that he has had scrapes with the law in the past. Him going after Sritala’s husband, Jim Hollinger, means that he has business to settle with Jim. Also, it’s hinted that one of the reasons why he is in Thailand is because Jim is here. 

Season 3 of The White Lotus streams on Max with new episodes airing weekly until the eighth and final episode on Apr. 6, 2025.