White Lotus Season 3 Finale Ending Explained: Deaths Explored, all Character Fates Revealed, Mike White’s Words, and more

The White Lotus season 3 finale is finally here and we now know who has perished this season. However, it’s not one person or even two. Three people died and while there were plenty of speculations and theories about who would die, the deaths turned out to be quite unexpected. 

In this article, we will reveal which characters bid goodbye to the earthly plane and what happened to the rest of them. We will also discuss what Mike White has to say about this season and the finale. 

Who died in White Lotus Season 3?

Rick, Chelsea, and Jim Hollinger were the three characters who died in The White Lotus season finale. While the previous episode heavily hinted at The Ratliff’s dying, the finale showed that they survived intact (although Lochlan almost didn’t). 

How did Rick, Chelsea, and Jim Hollinger die?

In the finale episode of season 3, Rick and Chelsea reconcile as the former left Frank behind and didn’t listen to his requests for staying. During their conversation, Chelsea tells Rick about Amor Fati. She says, “I was never too worried, because amor fati. It means you have to embrace your fate, good or bad. Whatever will be, will be. And at this point, we’re linked. If a bad thing happens to you, it happens to me.”

She also says that she thinks they will be together forever and Rick agrees. Her words come true, but in a ghastly way. At breakfast, Jim confronts Rick and brings out his gun. He says “Your father was no saint.” Rick goes back to the table with Chelsea and any closure he felt is gone. 

Chelsea tries to help by telling him to focus on the present. But her words don’t work. He gets up and watches Jim take photos with Jaclyn. Rick goes up to Jim and shoots him straight in the chest. Sritala, outraged and in pain, reveals that Jim was Rick’s father. So, everything bad that Jim said about Rick’s father was actually about himself. 

But things have gone so far that it’s impossible to take them back now. In fact, things go from bad to worse now. Chelsea then gets shot in the shootout with Jim’s bodyguards. Rick is aghast and takes her in his arms while screaming and sobbing for help. 

Sritala tells Gaitok, who approaches the scene to kill the man who shot Jim. Gaitok pulls the trigger, killing Rick. He falls into the water with Chelsea’s body. In the first episode of the season, it was their bodies that Zion discovered. 

Just before getting shot, Rick says to Chelsea’s dead body. “I’m so sorry. We’re going to be together forever, just like you said!” Mike White said on The White Lotus Official Podcast about Rick and Chelsea's relationship:

“I haven't written a lot of that kind of relationship in the show at all, so I was just like, it'd be interesting to do… There's this idea that maybe in their tragic ending, there's something that feels a little like a hint to a life beyond, that love transcends this life. Even as they're wheeled out to the plane together in their symmetrical coffins, their love transcends this in some bittersweet way.”

What Happened to The Ratliffs?

The Ratliff family seems to be on the path of normalcy after this season finale. In this episode, Piper tells Victoria that she doesn’t want to stay in a monastery as there’s no AC, no good bed, and only bland food. So, it looks like Piper isn’t staying in Thailand. Elsewhere, Saxon and Lochlan also talk about their incestuous time together. 

Saxon tells his younger brother, “No one’s gonna make you a man, you gotta do it yourself.” He also tells him that they need to stop whatever they are doing forever. Timothy sees Lochlan and asks him if he could live with no money, house or luxuries. When Lochlan answers in the affirmative, he seems relieved. 

However, this doesn’t immediately derail his plan. He cuts up the poison fruit in Saxon’s blender and mixes them. But Timothy doesn’t immediately give his family this. Instead, before dinner, he asks for piña coladas to be sent to the room and mixes the poison fruit blend with them. 

Mike White said in the official podcast of the show, “He (Timothy) has done this shady thing and realizes not only are they going to be poor, but that this idea of this self that he’s created, he’s going to have to rip off the mask and see that he’s not that person.”

The creator further explained, “It’s an annihilation of his identity in some deep way where it’s almost like, why live if you can’t be that person? And let’s burn down the entire world instead of having to face this life post this identity.”

However, he doesn’t pour one for Lochlan. But just as everyone begins drinking it, Timothy realizes that he can’t go through with this plan and smashes Saxon’s glass. Even though Timothy wanted to spare Lochlan, it was ultimately he who drank the poison fruit blend by unknowingly mixing it with a smoothie the next morning. 

As the family leave for breakfast, Lochlan vomits and almost dies by the pool. However, by the end of the episode it is confirmed that he survived. On the boat, while leaving, Timothy tells his family that things will change now but they will get through it as a family. 

Jaclyn, Laurie, and Kate make it out just fine 

The three friends also reconcile and talk about their feelings with each other. Jaclyn apologizes to Laurie for what happened with Valentin. She also says that she is glad to be with real friends. Kate also thanks Jaclyn for paying for it all and reveals that she is glad she came on this trip. 

Laurie then says that she feels her expectations were too high and that’s why she was sad all week. She confesses, “I feel like as you get older, you have to justify your life and your choices. When I’m with you guys, it’s just so transparent what my choices were, and my mistakes.”

For Laurie, motherhood, work, or even love didn’t give her life the meaning she wanted. She compliments Jaclyn on her beautiful face and life. “I’m just happy to be at the table,” Laurie then says. All three women exchange I love you's, and also manage to survive this season. 

Mike White said about Laurie and her friends, “The ladies’ petty and large differences have come to the surface. It creates pain for them. So much of the later years of your life are spent defending the decisions you made or trying to justify your life to yourself. For Laurie, what is her takeaway? How is she going to take this into some kind of lesson to help her in this next stage of her life?” He also clarified that the relationship between the three wasn’t meant to be a critique of female friendships. 

What Happens to Greg, Belinda, and Zion?

Zion and Belinda talk about Greg’s offer of $100,000 and the former suggests that they could try to negotiate for up to a million. At Greg’s villa, Zion takes the lead in negotiating and asks for 5 million dollars. He knows that Tanya was worth at least $500 million. “What we’re asking is a mere one percent of your total haul. Peace of mind is worth one percent, don’t you think?” Zion says.

Later, Greg agrees and sends Belinda $5 million. Belinda breaks up with Pornchai and tells him that she’s leaving tomorrow. When Belinda and Zion leave, Pornchai looks upset with them. 

What Happens to Gaitok and Valentin?

Initially when Gaitok asks Valentin who all were with him at the fight, he lies and says that they were his friends from the gym. However, he later says requests Gaitok not to report them as they will be deported and killed. Gaitok goes to pray about what he should do. 

What does Gaitok Decide? And What Happens with him and Mook?

Gaitok initially decides to quit because he thinks that he isn’t a good guard as he doesn’t want to hurt anyone. When he tells Mook this, she is disappointed. She tries to convince him to stay because of the years he has put in at the White Lotus. However, he disagrees and decides to quit. 

However, Pee Lek doesn’t let him and after he shoots Rick, he gets promoted to the position of a bodyguard. He and Mook embrace after this. 

Other Important Moments in the Season 3 Finale

Gaitok decides to leave Valentin and his friends alone because they are seen partying with a new group of women. On the other hand, it looks like Frank has found a profound connection with Buddhism, as he is seen praying in a temple. As for Greg, he is seen at his villa, where he watches Chloe flirt with a man. So, it looks like he will get to fulfill his fantasies. 

Mike White Talks About Identity in Season 3 of The White Lotus

In the official podcast of the show, Mike White said that he used “Buddhist ideas as the organizing principle” for this season. He revealed:

“This season, at least from how I was composing it… trying to think about identity as a cause of suffering. I think of identity as this way of thinking about yourself in these concrete, literal terms that then end up becoming a source of pain for you. It can be a source of pride, but it also becomes a source of pain. Basically, the whole thing is really a kind of dramatic investigation.”

Where can you Stream White Lotus Season 3?

The White Lotus season three is now streaming on HBO and Max. If you want to refresh your memory, we have recaps of Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, and Episode 7. Check out this inside edition for the finale below: