I’m Sorry But The White Lotus Season 3 Finale Still Makes No Sense

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The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards were a big success overall, but one notable show was surprisingly overlooked: HBO’s *The White Lotus*. While the first two seasons won many awards, the third season wasn’t recognized. The reason? The Season 3 finale, though typically full of surprises like previous seasons, felt too unbelievable to be truly satisfying.

Honestly, the finale left me a little cold. It felt like they went with the most obvious choice – Rick doing the big shootout – and it just didn’t land. Plus, some of the character motivations, especially with Gaitok, Rick, and even Chelsea, felt really off. The season wasn’t *bad* overall, we had some genuinely good storylines, but the ending kind of threw it all away and made a lot of what happened earlier feel pointless. It just didn’t make a lot of sense, and it was hard to really buy into it.

Rick’s Actions Were Bizarre In The White Lotus Finale

I was completely captivated by the latest season, which transported us to the beautiful, but surprisingly dangerous, landscapes of Thailand! It wasn’t all paradise, though – there were poisonous fruits, venomous snakes, and some pretty intense locals. This time around, we met three brand new groups of people, alongside some familiar faces like Belinda and Gary, whose stories continued to unfold. One family that really stood out was the Ratliffes – they seemed incredibly wealthy, but were secretly on the verge of losing everything. The father was desperately trying to keep that a secret from his kids, which led to some truly wild behavior! And then there was a group of childhood friends, one of whom turned out to be a famous movie star – it was such a fascinating mix of people!

Jaclyn, Laurie, and Kate shared a strong bond, but their relationship was tested by tough talks and differing values. Meanwhile, Rick, a wealthy man with a troubled history, was with Chelsea, his much younger girlfriend. It initially appeared Chelsea was only interested in Rick’s money, but she genuinely loved him and wanted to help him heal from past trauma. Rick carried a lifelong burden: his mother had told him that Jim Hollinger murdered his father while he was protecting their community. Though he never knew his father, Rick was consumed by anger and a desire for revenge. This drove him to The White Lotus, which was owned by Hollinger, seeing it as a chance to finally confront the man he believed had wronged his family.

Right away, it was obvious Rick acted on impulse and dealt with problems in unhealthy ways, but he wasn’t stupid. He always knew what he was doing, even when he was being reckless – like when he messed with snake cages or treated Gary badly. Later in the series, Rick cleverly tricked Sritala by pretending to be a movie director, which got him invited to her house. Once inside, he found Jim and held him at gunpoint, even pushing him to the floor.

Rick accused Jim of killing his father, but surprisingly didn’t kill Jim himself. He then left the house, leading viewers to believe he was escaping Thailand after upsetting a dangerous man. Instead, in a shocking turn of events, Rick returned to The White Lotus, which didn’t make any logical sense. The sensible thing would have been to go to the airport and meet Chelsea so they could leave together, but Rick calmly went back to the resort and started having breakfast after physically attacking the owner. This irrational decision made the finale incredibly frustrating to watch. If Rick had simply left, the violent confrontation could have been avoided. He realized he was agitated and knew he’d likely encounter Jim again if he stayed, yet he deliberately sought him out – and his security team – at the hotel. This baffling behavior was hard to understand and contributed to the confusing season finale.

The Audience Can Only Suspend Disbelief To An Extent

The show presents a wild, exaggerated world filled with wealth, scandalous behavior, and crime. Its characters are incredibly dramatic, and the plotlines often veer into the absurd. Ultimately, *The White Lotus* uses sharp satire and humor to make its points, and we, as viewers, happily go along for the ride because it’s so entertaining. The repeated deaths at different locations of the same hotel chain are undeniably far-fetched, but the show’s sheer enjoyment makes it easy to overlook that implausibility.

Rick’s behavior in the finale felt forced and unbelievable, especially his return to the resort. It seemed like he intentionally sought out Jim, knowing it would push him to a violent breaking point, and the shooting itself felt predictable given how stressed he already was. It also didn’t make sense that Amrita, the wellness guide, wouldn’t help Rick when he was clearly struggling. She prioritized a session with Belinda’s son, even though he likely would have been flexible. These events were meant to create tension and explain the shooting, but they felt contrived and ultimately made the finale less impactful.

The events leading to the tragic ending felt forced and unnecessary, as if they were added just to create drama. It’s like the show abandoned logic, and this finale pushed it too far for viewers. Rick’s decision to return, despite knowing how much it would hurt Jim, didn’t make sense. Even stranger was the reveal that Jim was Rick’s father – a twist that felt unbelievable, especially since Jim repeatedly had opportunities to tell Rick the truth. Many viewers had already guessed this connection, making the reveal feel predictable and uninspired.

It wasn’t surprising that Chelsea was caught in the crossfire, but Gaitok’s sudden turn to violence was shocking. All season, he’d gone to great lengths to avoid hurting anyone, even letting criminals escape with stolen goods. He’d repeatedly told Mook he wasn’t suited for this dangerous life and wanted to start over. A deeply religious man, he was fundamentally opposed to violence. That’s why seeing him suddenly shoot Rick in the back – while Rick was trying to rescue Chelsea – made absolutely no sense.

Honestly, the Season 3 finale just didn’t work for me. It felt like the writers threw everything out the window. Characters I’d come to know did things that were completely out of character, and it made me question everything I’d invested in the show up to that point. The shootout could have gone so many different ways, but this felt forced – like they’d run out of good ideas and just twisted all the existing storylines to reach a shocking, but ultimately unsatisfying, conclusion. It all hinged on characters behaving in ways that just didn’t make sense. I would have honestly been more thrilled with a wild fan theory coming true – even something crazy like killer monkeys or a villainous Laurie! – than with this ending where Rick just acted like a petulant kid. It just felt…off.

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2025-10-06 03:49