‘The White Lotus’ Season 3 finale review: A meandering end to Thailand trip

A still from ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3
| Photo Credit: HBO

The best thing about the finale of Mike White’s The White Lotus, is the depiction of sisterhood. Three women, Kate (Leslie Bibb), Laurie, (Carrie Coon) and Jaclyn, (Michelle Monaghan) friends from way back when, get together for a luxury holiday in Thailand sponsored by television actor, Jaclyn. Through the seven episodes, they have been sniping at each other, but in the finale, ‘Amor Fati’, they accept how important they are to each other.

It is a smart and heart-warming bit of writing. Friends might bicker argue or even have a falling out but in real relationships, there is always a deep connection, which has weathered the many rough seas and will go on to weather many more to come.

Apart from that, White uses the 90 minutes (what is with the movie-size finales?) to reveal the all important deaths (yes, there is more than one) to wrap up the many plot lines he has been teasing over the past eight episodes. Some people get their just desserts while others do not.

Episode 1 opened with gunshots and Zion (Nicholas Duvernay) who was visiting his mum, Belinda (Natasha Rothwell), praying to a serene Buddha statue to keep him safe.

We met the guests at The White Lotus, Thailand, including the wealthy financier, Timothy Ratliff (Jason Isaacs), his wife, Victoria (Parker Posey) and three children, Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger), Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook), and Lochlan (Sam Nivola). There is also Rick (Walton Goggins) with revenge in his heart and his girlfriend Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood).

When Pam (Morgana O’Reilly), the health mentor to the Ratcliffs, makes to return their devices at the end of the trip, Timothy, who has been dipping into Victoria’s stash of pills to stay afloat and ignore the financial crisis his company is going through, says he does not need them. Saxon has to come to terms with the drug-fuelled incident with Loch, while Piper needs to figure out if she will find nirvana in the monastery. Rick gets a measure of freedom much to Chelsea’s delight.

A still from ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3
| Photo Credit:
HBO

Belinda’s dream of setting up her own spa, looks like it might finally come true though the means to achieve that goal is not kosher. Mook (Lalisa Manobal) is willing to go out with the security guard Gaitok (Tayme Thapthimthong), but might not wish to be with him if he is not ambitious. Gaitok suspects Valentin (Arnas Fedaravičius), might know more about the robbery (a very annoying plot point) at the gift store than he lets on.

When nothing much happened in Episode 7, we hoped the finale would be a cracker. Unfortunately, it did not play out that way, as, though many things happened, they did not move the plot forward. And there were some outright silly stuff prompting much eye rolls. The show is gorgeous looking as ever and the acting is superb, but there is seems to be a very definite law of diminishing returns at work here. When you think of the explosive finale of Season 1 (how we miss Murray Bartlett’s magnificent Armond!) ‘Amor Fati’, which incidentally means embracing your fate, falls woefully short.

It is probably time for White to return to the drawing board. Also it is amazing that rich people are still frequenting the resort chain which seems to have made a habit of losing its guests.

The White Lotus is currently streaming on Jio Hotstar