The White Lotus is a show about wealth, travel, and human connections (or lack thereof). Taking place at one of the White Lotus resorts, each season begins with the discovery of a body before jumping back in time. Throughout the rest of the episodes, viewers are offered hints about who was killed and how. And now, as fans anxiously await the exciting season finale, we’ve jumped into our list of most expected victims.
Of course, it’s possible that several characters will die. After all, most of the people killed in Season 2, “the Gays,” didn’t appear until Episode 3. However, we have a hunch that one of the characters on this list is next to go based on the introduction sequence, the show’s themes, and the general death patterns in Seasons 1 and 2. Or, if they’re not the first death, they might be the one to fire the killing shot.
9
Chloe
Played by Charlotte Le Bon, Chloe and Greg are together in the new season of The White Lotus. Sadly, that didn’t go well for Greg’s last wife, Tanya. However, the big difference here is that Greg is the one with money, while in Season 2, he was after Tanya’s wealth. Thus, it seems unlikely he’d kill Chloe, as he has nothing to gain from doing so. However, if she were to learn about his past misdeeds, it’s possible that, like Belinda, he’d take action to stop her from speaking.
Mysterious, but Not Really at Risk
Right now, it seems more likely that Chloe will leave Greg as opposed to being killed by him. She seems very unhappy in the relationship, which quite possibly isn’t even a relationship at all, but as Rick said, a hired service. Either way, outside of Greg’s money and her new friendship with Chelsea, Chloe doesn’t have much reason to stick around the resort.
After her sordid tryst with the Ratliff brothers, it seems as though Greg is seeing the true colors of Chloe and even expressed his own unique sexual fantasies to her, though Saxon turned down an offer to fulfill Greg’s intimate desires. Chloe may be unfaithful and have a wandering eye, but she wants to hold onto the wealthy Greg at all costs, and it doesn’t seem as though she’s become a full-fledged nuisance to him (yet).
Related
Is ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3’s Resort Real and Can You Stay There?
Since its dazzling debut in 2021, ‘The White Lotus’ has taken the world by storm with its gorgeous settings, juicy mysteries, and quirky characters.
8
Sritala
Portrayed by Lek Patravadi, Sritala is one of the owners of the White Lotus in Thailand. She’s responsible for the resort’s health focus and also one of its primary entertainers. She previously announced her plans to visit her husband, Jim, in Bangkok, which caught the attention of Rick, who made his own plans to follow Sritala to the city. While we’re not sure she’s much of a target on her own, her connection to Jim — and thus Rick — could ultimately spell her end.
Caught in the Crossfire
After Rick confronted Jim about his alleged involvement in the death of his father at their Bangkok home, he was unable to shoot the man and instead pushed him to the ground before fleeing with Frank (Sam Rockwell). With her larger-than-life personality, we could see Sritala accidentally getting caught in the crossfire of their altercation and the subsequent fallout that will ensue, or she could be the one to seek retribution. After all, she desires the limelight, and being the tragic victim of Season 3 would certainly make her memorable.
Related
Major ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3 Finale Details Should Please Frustrated Fans
The Thailand trip ends next Sunday.
7
Chelsea
Aimee Lou Wood’s Chelsea is bubbly, straightforward, and waving a million death flags. Her boyfriend, Rick, says she’s like a machine gun, and she later promises to make him happy even if it kills her. Her outfit in Episode 1 also looks somewhat like body armor, and as we learned from Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya, the outfit choices in the show are intentional and meant to hint at something about the character. However, at this point, it almost seems too obvious for the victim to be Chelsea, especially since, as she said, she already “Almost died” in Episode 2.
On the Attack
What if Chelsea isn’t the victim, but rather, the shooter? Looking at the intro sequence, there are plenty of hints that there might be something more to Chelsea’s character. Notably, Aimee Lou Wood’s name appears beside a leopard eating a deer as she stares down a hunting dog. Of course, Chelsea might be represented by the dead deer, in which case her death is likely, but we have a feeling that she could be the leopard, about to strike.
After surviving two near-death experiences already, Chelsea continues to warn Rick that “bad luck comes in threes,” likely foreshadowing the deadly grand finale that is upon us. The number three is a prominent number in the season, as there are three longtime girlfriends on vacation, three Ratliff children, and even three Russians who were revealed to be the masterminds behind the robbery at the resort’s gift shop. Chelsea could also get caught in the crossfire after Rick confronted Jim, the man he believes murdered his father, though more of their history will likely be revealed.
6
Belinda
Natasha Rothwell’s Belinda was an unexpected addition to Season 3. Originally appearing in Season 1, she gave Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya a massage that soon turned into a quasi-friendship, only to end with heartbreak when Tanya wouldn’t support Belinda’s business. Now, Belinda is in Thailand as part of a training program. Initially thrilled, there’s reason to think this seeming paradise might actually spell trouble.
The Greg Problem
In Episode 7, Belinda finally agreed to have a meeting with Greg upon her son Zion’s insistence, as she spent most of the season anxiously questioning his involvement in the death of Tanya (Greg’s former wife) and becoming increasingly paranoid as a result. Her knowledge could present a real threat to Greg, which could lead him to kill her in self-preservation.
However, he instead offered Belinda $100,000 in exchange for her silence so that he could live out the rest of his life peacefully in Thailand. Despite Zion urging his mother to take the money (as they both know Greg will come after them if she doesn’t), Belinda possesses a strong moral compass and doesn’t want to make a dangerous deal with the devil. The tension is building epically between Belinda and Greg, and they are certainly headed for an explosive showdown in the finale.
After hearing gunshots in the opening episode of the season, Zion goes looking for her and recoils upon finding a body — but if it were Belinda, we think he’d be more likely to go toward the body as opposed to fleeing from it. Additionally, while Natasha Rothwell’s name appears in the intro beside a crane looking at itself in the water (and the body was found in the water), we think this connection is too obvious — as is the image of Sam Nivola’s name, aka Lochlan, near a boy in the water. Instead, the crane seems to symbolize Belinda searching for something, and given her journey so far, we hope she finds it.
5
Gaitok
The earnest and perpetually compassionate Gaitok (Tayme Thapthimthong) has been put through quite the emotional and mental ringer throughout the season, as he desperately wants to prove himself to his superiors at the resort and hopes to pursue a romantic relationship with his longtime crush Mook. After being assaulted during the robbery at the hotel’s boutique and cruelly emasculated by his co-workers, Gaitok is given a gun that ends up being a bigger headache than help for the security guard.
Gaitok Makes a Stunning Realization
After finally getting Mook to agree to go on a proper date with him, Gaitok takes her to the Muay Thai fight after previously telling her, “I never want to hurt people,” leaving his potential lady love disappointed in his aversion to violence. However, Mook pushes back and says that fighting is a normal human urge and is natural, even if it does go against the teachings of Buddha. While at the fight, Gaitok spots Valentin and realizes that he played a crucial role in the robbing of the resort.
It seems increasingly likely that Gaitok will finally take a stand and discover his fighting spirit in order to protect the White Lotus, perhaps confronting Valentin and his friends over the crime in what could end in bullets flying. After all, Gaitok has already shown he is more than capable of handling a gun (having showcased his skills at the shooting range), and it could be the security guard who is behind the gunshots heard in the foreshadowing opening episode.
4
Rick
Since the moment he appeared on-screen, Walton Goggins’ Rick had been acting strangely. As mentioned before, he had a passionate interest in Sritala’s husband, Jim, as he was told by his mother on her deathbed that Jim was the man responsible. Did Jim kill Rick’s father? Or perhaps he actually is Rick’s dad, and Rick was simply lied to? Either way, it seems like the meeting between the two didn’t lead to anything good, and could instead potentially end in Rick’s (or Chelsea’s) death.
Rick Finds His Closure
Despite harboring intense animosity and anger throughout much of the season, it appears as though Rick had a cathartic moment after meeting Jim and sparing his life, as he goes off to party with Frank and looks to finally be happy and at peace. That doesn’t mean that Jim may not potentially retaliate for Rick shoving him to the ground and showing up at his home under the guise that they wanted Sritala to star in an American film, and he may have to look over his shoulder in the finale.
In the opening credits, Goggins’s name appears beside a man all alone in a tower. In Season 2, Jennifer Coolidge’s name also appeared beside a woman all alone in a tower (sans the monkey outside), and as previously mentioned, her character died that season. Additionally, Coolidge’s name was the second name to appear in Season 2’s intro credits, while Murray Bartlett (who played Armand) had his name appear first in the credits in Season 1. Notably, Goggins’s name appears third in Season 3’s credits. Given that the lists are alphabetical, this might just be a coincidence, or it might be the clue that unravels the whole thing.
Related
Arnold Schwarzenegger Shouts Out His Son’s Nude Scene in ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3
Arnie’s idea of a like-father-like-son moment is as wholesome as you might think.
3
Timothy
Patriarch of the Ratliff family, Timothy (played by Jason Isaacs), is involved in some pretty shady business dealings. While the exact specifics haven’t been fully exposed, it involves money laundering by someone named Kenneth, voiced by Ke Huy Quan. Now, Timothy is terrified about the prospect of prison and knows the walls are closing in on him, which could lead him — or someone else — to do something extreme.
Timothy Continues To Spiral
In hopes of escaping his all-consuming paranoia and fear, Timothy steals his wife’s pills to numb his all-consuming anxiety and even takes Gaitok’s gun, with the family man constantly pondering suicide and fantasizing about killing Victoria, Saxon, and himself as a result of his business misdeeds and hoping to spare them an uncomfortable life. Knowing that prison time is unavoidable and that his actions will affect his loved ones, Timothy goes to retrieve the gun in episode seven but is left stunned when he finds it missing.
In a brief minute-long clip previewing the finale, Timothy pulls a piece of fruit from a tree the locals call the “suicide tree,” with a staffer telling him, “Don’t eat it.” Saxon’s blender is also heavily focused on, and it makes you wonder whether or not Timothy will whip up a special smoothie of his own with the forbidden fruit in hopes of saving his loved ones from heartache and public disgrace.
2
Laurie
Laurie, played by Carrie Coon, is up there on our list of potential victims. She’s a mess, the type who is more likely to shoot a gun out of anger than be shot by one, which is part of why we think she’s a victim candidate. It would be surprising to have her killed by one of her friends when she seems set up to be the shooter. It would also be very in line with the more tragic elements of The White Lotus to have a woman who felt overshadowed by her friends realize just how little they really cared about her.
Other Clues
In Season 2, Jennifer Coolidge’s name appears next to a monkey in the intro sequence, and during Season 3, Laurie’s “friends” mention that they thought she was a monkey after she banged on the glass. Of course, Victoria’s actress Parker Posey’s name appears beside two monkeys in the opening credits this time around, but that seems too on the nose, whereas this monkey mention is a small callback with potentially big repercussions.
Additionally, Coon’s own name appears in the opening credits beside an elephant surrounded by carnivores as two bird-like creatures (Jaclyn and Kate?) watch on. We don’t doubt betrayal is on the line for Laurie, as she is quickly becoming disenchanted by her former gal pals. In the penultimate episode, a disappointed Laurie ditches Jaclyn and Kate to attend a Muay Thai fight with Valentin, leading to a humiliating hook-up with Aleksei that leaves her sneaking out a window when his girlfriend shows up. She ends up in a taxi in the final foreboding moment of the episode.
1
Greg
Played by Jon Gries, Greg (or Gary, as he now goes by in Season 3) is arguably the worst person in all of White Lotus. In Season 2, he ordered Tanya’s murder and accidentally got his old flame Quentin killed, but now in Season 3, he seems entirely without remorse. Fans were shocked to see him return to the show, but his appearance could ultimately close a storyline and get Tanya the justice she deserves.
Our Thailand Dream
Greg’s placement on our list is partially wish fulfillment, but there are also a lot of reasons to think it will be true. For one, why bring him back to the show at all if his presence isn’t going to play a huge role in the season? Second, Tanya’s dead body was found in a similar position in the water as the body in Season 3, so it would be fitting if the same happened to Greg. Third, and very fittingly, there’s currently a fan theory that Tanya was reincarnated as a monkey out for revenge, and it’s very possible that she/one of the monkeys might grab a gun and finish Greg off.
In short, the clues are definitely there, and Greg’s death is so expected that it twists around to become surprising. Plus, it would make sense for his character, and audiences would be satisfied if it happened. If Season 2 was about fulfilling Tanya’s Italian dream, we’re hopeful this season will be about fulfilling our Thailand dream and putting an end to Greg’s reign of terror.
