The White Lotus Season 3 Finale Discussion Thread (spoilers)

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Skully

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The finale felt like so much b.s. to me. I was not engaged or sold on it. I thought Season 2 started slowly, but I thought the wrap-up worked really well.

Speaking of ick ... If you haven't seen it, you should check out the movie "Chuck & Buck" (2000), written by and starring "White Lotus" creator Mike White, alongside Chris and Paul Weitz (the sibling filmmakers who broke through with "American Pie" and went on to more respectable things). The ick is not as taboo as what we're seeing in "The White Lotus" this season, but it will have you squirming in your seat. And it's good.

The ultimate ick movie is Todd Solondz's "Happiness" (1998). I will not elaborate.


 
Chiogtr4x

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A few of my takes or feelings on the finale- I actually thought it ended strong, or better than expected.

- I'm really glad the Ratliff family's fate did NOT end with 'blender poison drink' mass murder/suicide. That "Let's have a family drink!" scene -was dramatic & terrifying! - also glad dad saved the kid!

Of course tge family may all leave/kill DAD when the find out whats gonna happen, back in N.C.!

- You could tell what was gonna happen with Rick & dad situation- I think Scott Glenn survived ( right?), but sorry Rick's girl lost her life- she was flaky, but sweet- good person!

- the 3 Gossip Girls ( 'at the end of the day') were just pretentious and annoying- good actors playing their characters, IMO.

- Belinda ( in earlier White Lotus Season 1, too) comes across as gracious, warm, deferential- but is really a bit of a snake- took that $5 mil. Pay-off; screwed over her future Thai biz-,partner, JUST LIKE Tanya did to her, is Season 1.

- so happy Gaitok got the bodyguard/chauffeur promotion AND the respect of his girlfriend- I really liked his character. Hope they live.
Happily Ever After!

- Sam Rockwell becomes a Buddhist- there is Hope for humanity

* just me musing- i thought it was a good finale
 
2HBStrat

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Chiogtr4x said:
....You could tell what was gonna happen with Rick & dad situation- I think Scott Glenn survived ( right?)...
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I think we don't know if he survived or not. But why didn't he tell Rick that Rick was his son? He had a couple of times to do so!

In the long term Season 3 will be like Episode 3 of The Godfather...it's okay and worth watching but not up to the standards of the first two. I've watched the first two season of White Lotus just about every time they've been on HBO, but I don't see that happening with Season 3.
 
rcole_sooner

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I agree with about everything said.

Did we ever figure out if Tim was actually going to be implicated? Angela thought his son saw something on his phone, but I'm not sure.
 
Colo Springs E

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rcole_sooner said:
I agree with about everything said.

Did we ever figure out if Tim was actually going to be implicated? Angela thought his son saw something on his phone, but I'm not sure.
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I believe that's the assumption, is that yes he's in trouble and they'll lose pretty much everything.

Maybe they'll all be staff at the next White Lotus resort! :lol:
 
Chiogtr4x

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Mike Eskimo said:
Unfortunately rich white financial sector crooks get the Martha Stewart digs - like a minimum security golf clubhouse where they take walks around the grounds.

Italy #1
The first season #2
And this last one was …great - up to the finale !


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All other Season #3 story lines aside, (just IMO),

Tim Ratliff's change of heart from death ( murder/suicide) to life ( dealing with his fate, and hopefully, keeping his family together) made for a dramatic shift/ending and was actually pretty emotional for me

I was freaking out, when he gave everyone his 'piña coladas' - then told the kid to " Have a Coke..."
That was great TV drama for me!
 
8bit

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I guess I’m in the minority. I actually wasn’t as crazy about season 3 as the first two seasons but I thought things wrapped up quite beautifully with the finale.

I actually like how things ended up for the family. As soon as the father blended the seeds I predicted Lochlan would somehow end up drinking the shake and dying. Glad they walked that one back. I love that Tim made peace with what was going on. Him seeing the water drops bouncing up and down at the end was a powerful scene.

Rick and Chelsea… yeah you hate to see it. Because she was so likable. But I think it made sense. This sweet girl was just utterly devoted to this hopelessly miserable man. So she too was in for a life of misery. She wanted to be with him until the end, and she was. So it was an appropriate ending for them IMO.

I did want to see Belinda take Pornchai with her. But I don’t take her leaving without him as a definitive end to their relationship. Like she said in the episode to her son “Can’t I just be rich for 5 minutes?” This is is a working class woman who has been through a lot of stress. So maybe she just wants to relax for a bit before taking on any new big things in life. I like to think she’s gonna end up with him. Or at least partnering for the business.

Sucks seeing Greg continue to get away with it. But sometimes, a lot of times, in life bad people just get away with it. So it’s another fitting ending IMO.

For me: Season 2 > Season 1 > Season 3

But overall this is one of the best shows on TV right now.
 
8bit

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Modman68 said:
I think Chelsea’s effect on Saxon could have been played up more… She was the classic “girl trying to fix a man” but it wasn’t Rick who she fixed. Would have resolved her arc in a better way to spotlight how she may have helped cure his douch-ness.
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See I didn’t even really think about that until you said it. And that’s what I think is cool about leaving some things more subtle and up to the viewer rather than pounding the audience over the head with it.
 
northernguitar

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The three dames and the Ruskkies ended up being pointless.

I thought Lochlan should have died, with Tim discovering the whistle blower killed himself, and he was the in the clear.

I realize that Chloe’s death was inevitable. As soon as she was shot, I remembered her line, ‘I am hope’.

Rick killing his father was classic White Lotus.

Gaitok got the girl, he just needed to completely abandon his principles and shoot a man in the back.
 
rze99

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Colo Springs E said:
So yeah, I wasn't all that crazy about the White Lotus finale. Sweet Chelsea--who I did find a little annoying at times, with all her zen and positivity etc--her being shot and killed was sad to me. Her dying, was like hope dying. :(

I did find it interesting how Belinda immediately was changed by becoming (sort of) wealthy. She did her Thai lover just how Jennifer Coolidge's character did her in season one--backing out of a deal. And I knew Gaitok would turn his back on his beliefs. For that, he was rewarded with a high profile gig and Mook's favor--well, he's been rewarded on earth I guess.

I wonder if it bugs Mike White that the everyone figured out the Jim/Rick father/son angle?

I wanted more resolution to Tim and his family's story. But I always do, and I rarely get that resolution, and the Buddhist monks don't think I need it anyway haha

I'd say on balance, I like season 2 best, then season 1, and this season the least. But all were interesting and kept me hooked till the end. Season 4 is probably only two years away, right??
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Mostly agree. Ultimately a disappointment. Too many episodes.

I regularly feel watching these TV series that I’m just being manipulated into consuming ads and I resent it.

Would far rather watch a good movie though my good lady wife mainly just likes a TV series.
 
8bit

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northernguitar said:
The three dames and the Ruskkies ended up being pointless.

I thought Lochlan should have died, with Tim discovering the whistle blower killed himself, and he was the in the clear.

I realize that Chloe’s death was inevitable. As soon as she was shot, I remembered her line, ‘I am hope’.

Rick killing his father was classic White Lotus.

Gaitok got the girl, he just needed to completely abandon his principles and shoot a man in the back.
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The Gaitok storyline was the resolution that bothered me the most. I felt like Mook made a hard left turn into unlikable as she suddenly seemed to just want Gaitok to be some big tough guy? I would have liked to seen him hold strong to his principles over the job and Mook.
 
Chiogtr4x

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8bit said:
The Gaitok storyline was the resolution that bothered me the most. I felt like Mook made a hard left turn into unlikable as she suddenly seemed to just want Gaitok to be some big tough guy? I would have liked to seen him hold strong to his principles over the job and Mook.
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Me too, she turned out not to have the same, call it Buddhist/ non-violent values ( that Gaitok had- until he shot someone in the back!), I assumed she had. But I was wrong.

But now, they sort of deserve each other, but it's a different reality-darker?
 
Mike Eskimo

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By the way , the actress that played Mook is a gigantic global superstar . 105 million on Instagram , singer, k pop, blah blah blah.

In the show she wanted what she wanted.
They even combed his hair so he looked ineffectual . At the very end , the elderly owner lady had to scream at him to shoot .

btw, There’s no such thing as shooting a murderer in the back. You’re just shooting a murderer .

Mook could do better and she realized it .
 
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