Analysis of the Season 3 Finale of ‘The White Lotus’: Which Characters Meet Their Demise?

The White Lotus Season 3 finale “Amor Fati” has finally unveiled the mystery of the shooter that Zion (Nicholas Duvernay) heard back in Episode 1 and revealed which character meets a tragic end. The long ninety-minute episode just concluded on HBO, inviting us to explore the unexpected twists and turns that series creator, writer, and director Mike White has crafted this time…

**Spoilers for The White Lotus Season 3 Episode 8 “Amor Fati,” now streaming on MAX**

And it’s a bloodbath! Multiple characters die in brutal ways, while one fan favorite seemingly gets a miraculous reprieve at the last minute.

Since The White Lotus Season 3 premiered in February 2025, viewers have been aware that the season would culminate in a shooting incident at the resort in Thailand. Zion Lindsay’s concern for his mother, Belinda (Natasha Rothwell), intensified when it was discovered that she had been presented with a perilous proposition by the murderer Greg (Jon Gries). Greg offered her $100,000 from his deceased wife Tanya’s (Jennifer Coolidge) estate in exchange for concealing his whereabouts. In the previous episode, Belinda seemed inclined to reject Greg’s offer.

Furthermore, while Zion ventures through the water towards the sound of gunfire, he encounters a lifeless body floating past him. Throughout the season, speculation lingered on whether the deceased individual could be a member of the Ratliff family, an employee of the resort, or even Rick (Walton Goggins) or Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood).

Well, now we know who was killed in The White Lotus Season 3 and how. Here’s everything you need to know about who dies in The White Lotus Season 3…

Rick and Chelsea (and Scott Glenn’s Rick Hollinger) all perish in The White Lotus Season 3 finale. However, for almost ten minutes, it seems that Lochlan Ratliff (Sam Nivola) is also doomed for a bodybag. After all, he does seeming die after drinking poison fruit crushed into a protein shake.

First, lets tackle Lochlan. Early in the episode, Lochlan offers to have a protein shake with Saxon, who declines. Not only that, but Saxon tells him that he’s got to make his own smoothie. 

Later that episode, Timothy decided to crush the seeds of the suicide fruit in the blender for Pina Coladas. He then served the drinks to Victoria (Parker Posey), Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger), and Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook). Lochlan, he insisted could only have a Coke. (After all, Lochlan was the only one of the Ratliffs who said he could live without money after Piper admitted she couldn’t take a year at the monastery.) However Timothy stops them from drinking the poisoned beverages because “the coconut milk was off.” The family toasts their final night with wine, while the dregs of the cocktail were still in the blender. 

The next morning, Lochlan sees protein powder and puts it in blender. He drinks the whole smoothie and walks down to the pool. Waves crash onto the beach, evoking both the imagery of the tsunami and the Buddhist belief of returning to the great consciousness. Piper and Saxon don’t see their brother struggling.  Victoria calls for Lochlan, but he can’t say anything. He pukes up the poison potion and collapses onto the deck. 

Lochlan sees his family flitting before his eyes before they close. He sees himself swimming in the water, trying to swim towards figures looking down at him. But in his vision, he drowns. Timothy finally wakes up, sees the empty blender canister, and runs to his son, screaming for help. Later, however, Lochlan awakens and says he thinks he’s seen god.

Elsewhere, Rick has returned to the resort and affirmed his love for Chelsea. They’re going to be together forever. The problem is the Hollingers return. Jim Hollinger and Rick have a bitter confrontation wherein the older man calls Rick’s mother a “slut and a liar.”

“She told you a fairy tale. Your father was no saint. You didn’t miss out on much and that’s the fucking truth,” Hollinger says. “What? You’re going to try to kill me now? I don’t think so.” He shows off an armpit holster with a gun.

Fuming, Rick goes to Amrita (Shalini Peiris) in the hopes that they can talk, but she’s about to start her session with Zion. “You’ll be alright. I’ll come find you. I promise.”

Rick sits on the bench and starts crying. He then sees the Hollingers chatting with Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan), Kate (Leslie Bibb), and Laurie (Carrie Coon) while their bodyguards are distracted. Rick’s rage intensifies. He gets up to walk towards Hollinger when Chelsea arrives. He tells her to get out of there. Rick takes Hollinger’s gun out of his own holster and shoots him, saying, “Fuck you.”

“Why?” Sritala (Lek Patravadi) asks. 

“He killed my father,” Rick says. 

“He’s your father!” Hollinger’s wife replies. 

The bodyguards snap to and a gunfight between Rick, Chelsea, and them ensue. Gaitok (Tayme Thapthimthong) hears the gunshots and retrieves the gun, running towards the melee. Rick kills the bodyguards, but Chelsea is shot. 

When Rick sees her wounded, he cries over her and begs her not to die on him. “No, no, no!” Rick cradles her body and carries her off, promising they’re going to be together forever. 

Gaitok arrives where Sritala is holding Jim’s corpse and she orders him to kill Rick. Gaitok reluctantly obliges. Both Rick and Chelsea’s corpses fall into the water, together, forever.

When DECIDER caught up with Aimee Lou Wood last week, she admitted she had mixed feelings about Rick and Chelsea’s fate.

“I felt very at peace with it while I was doing it and then as time’s gone on and I’ve processed it, I don’t,” Wood said. “The feelings have got more complicated.”

“I think because I had ‘Chelsea goggles’ on, everything was actually, in a way, simpler because I just had to fully invest in her frame of mind, which is incredibly tunnel vision,” she continued. “Since having separation from her, I’m like, ‘Oh, well, wait a sec. Wait a sec.’ I’m seeing things more clearly and I feel now conflicted and I think that everyone’s gonna feel quite, it’s quite controversial.”

Yep! There will be a White Lotus Season 4. On January 22, 2025, HBO announced that The White Lotus had been renewed for a fourth season.