The White Lotus Season-Finale Recap: The Suicide Tree

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In the season finale’s initial moments, as Luang Por Teera speaks to his devoted followers, I find myself echoing his sentiments: “There is no resolution.” Humanity seems perpetually entangled in turmoil, and we, unfortunately, are skilled at creating it not only for ourselves but also for others. The series, The White Lotus, has always been unsparing in its criticism of the wealthy, yet it’s never plunged to such despairing depths before. Wealth, it appears, corrupts and insulates. In this economic climate, few can afford the luxury of enlightenment.

Contemplate Belinda, who seems to lack moral guidance. How much would it set one back financially to alter deeply-held convictions about what is right? Approximately $5 million USD (฿172,649,966.50) could be the price tag in April 2025. It doesn’t take a great deal for Zion to persuade his mother to disregard her conscience and return to negotiate with Greg once more. Finding the right figure is a subtle art: one wouldn’t want to be worth more alive than dead, but $100,000 probably won’t bring the peace of mind he truly needs. “My mom filled me in on your opening bid,” Zion informs him, already well-versed in the most cringe-worthy financial jargon. A tenth of Tanya’s total wealth would secure their return to the negotiating table.

Zion appears quite self-satisfied, almost endearingly so, yet it’s Belinda who possesses the strategic prowess when it comes to handling the situation. This tactic is known as brinkmanship, my boy. Give it a read. She exits, leaving behind, “He aims to scare us, but we must make him tremble,” she tells Zion in private conversation. Then, she dispatches her diplomatic pawn back into the household to finalize the agreement. However, by dinner, there’s no money in her bank account. In the dead of night, there’s still nothing. I began to fret that Belinda hadn’t trained a closer, but by dawn, the bank verifies a substantial, one-time deposit. Forget about vacations in Thailand or spa days. All Belinda desires is wealth.

Before setting off for Hawaii, Belinda decides to bid farewell to Pornchai, due to a sudden change in her circumstances that prevents her from committing to him, Koh Samui, or massaging another LBH’s hairy back any longer. In essence, Jennifer Coolidge’s character might say it like this: “Well, concerning the business… I truly must ponder upon it.” As Tanya said in season one, right before disappearing entirely, “You’re exceptionally gifted, and I truly want to support you, but I’m discovering that I keep repeating a pattern of clinging onto someone…” It seems that Belinda is finally able to act as indifferently towards others as she has been treated in the past.

I want to be your friend.” Instead, Laurie spends the day alone, eventually rejoining her friends for an introspective dinner. Kate has enjoyed this trip to Thailand, she confides. The fact that she can globe-trot in luxury with her longtime friends makes her feel as though she’s been following a divine path — her efforts are bearing fruit. Jaclyn also needed this journey. Being an actress in Hollywood at her age is challenging; her peers find it hard to accept her, but they care for her deeply.

It comes as no surprise when Laurie admits she didn’t take pleasure in the resort. Her explanation is deeper and more convincing than we usually expect from our perpetual pessimist. These lifelong friends serve as mirrors for each other, and Laurie has been grappling with her self-image. Unlike Kate and Jaclyn, she hasn’t found contentment in her job, marriage, or motherhood. She doesn’t practice any religion. However, during a solitary, introspective day, she discovers that one can proactively find purpose in their own life. The imperfect bond they share means something to her simply because it is there – because she is here, and that carries significance. No moral code needed for understanding this truth.

In a similar vein to myself, Rick also finds solace in an enlightening moment. Waking up in a hotel tub chair in Bangkok with Frank impaling a headless mannequin, I can’t help but feel this is a promising turn of events. Thankfully, this wild spree didn’t claim my life! Despite his best efforts, Frank fails to persuade me to stay at the party. Instead, he catches the first flight to Koh Samui and searches for Chelsea on the beach. “I’ve managed to free myself,” Rick confides in her, and I truly mean it. He may appear altered, but that’s not a bad thing. When Chelsea shares insights about the spiritual significance of accepting your destiny, like embracing one’s fate, I don’t scoff or mock her. There might be a self-help book influence on her understanding of Nietzsche’s concept of amor fati, but that doesn’t make it any less valid. And when Chelsea expresses her belief that we’ll be together forever, I don’t display skepticism. Instead, I echo her promise.

Regrettably, if simply knocking over an old man’s chair is what you need to mend your troubled spirit, then maybe the healing is merely a facade. As it turns out, Rick wasn’t the only one who left Bangkok on a plane that day. The next day, he encounters Jim Hollinger, who warns Rick with a pistol in his holster that he’ll shoot if Rick doesn’t vacate his hotel. Moreover, Jim reveals that he now recalls Rick’s parents – Gloria was an alcoholic, promiscuous liar, and his father wasn’t exactly a saint either. “You didn’t miss out on much,” Jim concludes. In 40 years, Rick had been trying to find a way to punish this man for killing his dad; in just 24 hours, Jim managed to carry out Rick’s revenge more effectively. As Rick searches for Dr. Amrita, the only one who has shown him an alternative path away from his pain, Chelsea calls after him, suggesting he let go of the love he never received. Fortunately, at least, Chelsea snatched a last mini-donut on her way out of the breakfast joint before leaving.

Embracing one’s fate, or loving one’s destiny, is a concept that Chelsea might discuss with psychotic guest Tim Ratliff, who has decided to act upon his long-held, violent desires towards Piper. Tim no longer intends to spare her. Upon returning from the monastery, Piper complains about the non-organic food and stained mattress on her cot. Victoria is delighted that her daughter has left Buddhism school so quickly. She believes it’s not only acceptable but almost arrogant not to indulge in luxury goods when one can afford them, given the global poverty. In an attempt to remind Piper of the thrill of late-stage capitalism, Mom takes her to the hotel boutique to buy something, reinforcing the idea that having more often leaves you with less.

Tim feels disheartened by Piper’s spiritual uncertainty. He had initially thought she wouldn’t be a concern when it came to sharing his strong piña coladas. Now, he’ll need an extra supply of his special ingredient, pong-pong seed. Earlier in the day, Tim asked Pam about poisoning oneself with the potentially harmful fruit that shouldn’t be found at this prestigious resort. He used Saxon’s blender to pulverize the pits into a lethal mixture and left it in the bar all day to steep (a nod to Chekhov’s gun principle). After dinner, Tim prepares a cocktail for everyone in his family except Lochlan. Baffled Lochlan, who considerately masturbated to spare Saxon feelings, had earlier helped Tim with this task. Lochlan, the one who expressed he could survive with nothing if forced, was eyeing Piper’s bunk at the monastery anyway.

Tim acts as if he’s a caring guardian, assuring his wife and kids that he protects their idyllic lifestyle. It’s alarming yet intriguing how they obediently consume this unpleasant drink, seemingly unaware of its potential lethal effects. This man’s eccentricity is evident in his behavior, as he allows them to sample the drink before discarding it. However, his neglect in cleaning out his son’s blender suggests a lack of concern for their well-being and cleanliness.

On the final day of checkout, it’s Lochlan who stirs first and opts to prepare a protein shake. Echoing a harsh remark from his brother the previous day, “No one can make you a man,” he reflects, “You have to become your own man.” Craving the taste, Lochlan mixes the vanilla-bean whey powder in the blender. Unaware of its foul odor, he drinks it anyway as protein shakes are typically unpalatable. This series, The White Lotus, has never been this melancholic before. As the drink takes effect, Lochlan envisions himself in the ocean. He perceives four figures huddled slightly above the water’s surface, initially resembling his family members but then transforming into faceless monks. Elsewhere within the resort, his mother is enjoying papaya, and his father is still under the influence of Lorazepam. Lochlan, meanwhile, is on the pool deck, experiencing a sense of spiritual connection. When Tim locates him, it seems he may have already succumbed to whatever affliction took hold.

Unfortunately, it’s the same fate for Rick as well. Meanwhile, Dr. Amrita is engrossed in a meditation practice with Zion, and Rick, filled with frustration over his inability to cope with his inner turmoil, loses control. He seizes Jim’s gun from the old man’s holster and fires it twice at him. With sympathetic eyes, Sritala says, “You didn’t lose out on much.”

In the subsequent gunfire exchange, Rick manages to take down both of the Hollingers’ guards, but not without Chelsea getting wounded as well. The entire hotel rushes for safety to avoid the chaos. However, Gaitok remains unfazed by the violence.

Oh, Gaitok. Yesterday, he was considering leaving his job due to his dislike for hardship. Valentin manages to talk him out of informing Pee Lek that the Russians were responsible for the hotel robbery, as sending them away would lead to more pain. Unfortunately, Mook ends their second date, but it is what it is. Living by one’s principles often comes with a price. However, when the gunfire starts, Gaitok is still weighing his options. When duty calls, he’s the one in the booth and grabs a weapon to join the battle. I thought he would perish there, but the outcome was even more disheartening. Upon Sritala’s advice, he shoots Rick in the back as he carries an injured Chelsea across a wooden bridge over a strange artificial water feature. The pair falls into the pond and resurfaces in a nod to Ophelia. In the end, no one escapes the clutches of suffering.

Although you may view death as a return home, this situation is overwhelming. It seems that Mike White acknowledges this, as he resurrects young Lochlan. Despite vomiting on his father’s lap, Lochhan appears to regain consciousness without asking for explanations. If I were Tim, I might have suggested a prompt trip to the emergency room, but perhaps we already understand his parenting skills are questionable. At the last moment, on the way back to the airport, Tim discloses the impending crisis to his family, but remember, no one actually died. Essentially, the wealthier individuals ended up unscathed.

While watching the series, it was Lochlan’s vision of God that seemed to linger in my mind, but since the finale ended, an unexpected image keeps coming back to me: our kind-hearted Gaitok, acting as a bodyguard. He’s perched behind the wheel of Sritala’s ridiculous SUV, sporting that tacky black polo shirt and sunglasses. Despite the show The White Lotus being renewed for a fourth season, I can’t help but wonder, what else is there to say about life, death, wealth, and pain except this? There seems to be no resolution.

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2025-04-07 10:55