“The White Lotus” aired its season three finale episode on April 6th, and delivered fans an emotional punch. The first episode of the season aired on February 16th and a new episode was released each Sunday. Throughout the season, Sunday nights became one of the most anticipated times of the week, with countless viewers tuning in at 6 p.m. to watch the latest episode.
The show has gained massive popularity due to the success of the first two seasons, which were set in Maui and Southern Italy. To keep viewers hooked and intrigued throughout the season, the first minutes of the first episode show a death that occurs but hides the face of the victim (or victims).
Social media has also played a significant role in keeping fans’ attention, with many videos posted on apps like TikTok and Instagram in which users predict the ending of the season along with other theories and connections they find while watching the show.
When asking a few Trojans about their predictions for the finale, freshman Jane Strong, believed that “something was going to happen with the blender and the poisonous fruit.” Similarly, freshman Megan Kalpari, said, “Because of all the emphasis on the fruit and the blender throughout the season, I had a feeling something bad was going to happen.”
Freshman Nayonika Arora, stated that “the lead-up to the finale was executed very well by Mike White [the show’s creator]. I liked how going into the episode, there was a real possibility that any of the characters could end up dead.”
While the show can be labeled as a mix of dark comedy and drama, at its core, it is a character study so that by the end of the episode, viewers get to know the motivations behind each character and all of the group dynamics. The prioritization of character-driven narratives in the show is what Arora believes “makes the show click and really resonate with people,” and she added that she “was going to be really sad at any of the deaths.”
SPOILER WARNING FOR THE FINALE
In regards to what actually unfolded during the finale, two of the main characters, Rick and Chelsea, ended up dead and one supporting character, Rick’s revealed-to-be father. Aside from the actual deaths, what was most shocking was that two main characters died, whereas in the first two seasons, there was only one main death.
When asked about the ending and who ended up dead, Kalpari said she was “really surprised that Rick, Chelsea, and Rick’s dad all died since they were all part of one storyline.” Arora believes that “Rick had what was coming to him, but I was beyond devastated that Chelsea got caught in the crossfire.”
Another pinnacle moment in the episode was when Lochlan drank a smoothie from a poisoned blender, seemingly fell onto the floor and died, then later in the episode woke up. “I was super upset when Lochlan was dying because I felt bad for him. It was shocking when he woke up though, crazy twist, but I was happy about it,” Strong said.
When asked how this season compared to the past two, Strong and Arora both stated that they enjoyed the second season more because of the “vibes,” but Kalpari exclaimed that season three was “incredible and ended perfectly, which makes it my favorite season.”
Each season of ‘The White Lotus’ takes place in a different location, so when asked where they would like to see season four set, Strong said, “a ski vibe in Switzerland,” Kalpari responded with “on safari in South Africa” and Arora described a “rainforest season in Brazil” as cool.
Strong graded the season an 8/10, Arora an 8.5/10, and Kalpari rated it a 10/10. Although on social media, some have claimed that the finale felt underwhelming, while others deemed it to be a perfect end, these Trojans are buzzing about the finale and satisfied with the season’s conclusion.