Spoiler alert: This article contains key plot points from the White Lotus Season 3 finale.
Spoiler alert: This article contains key plot points from the White Lotus Season 3 finale.
Season 3 of The White Lotus ended on a high note for HBO, pulling in a massive 6.2 million viewers across HBO and Max on finale night. That’s a 51% increase from the Season 2 finale, making it the show’s most-watched episode. The series continues to prove its cultural relevance, with each season drawing in more and more attention.
Let's get into why fans loved this season so much and what we already know about the future for The White Lotus.
Season 3 Highlights: Messy Families, Tragedy & Female Friendships
Season 3 gave us everything: betrayal, redemption, emotional gut-punches, a cast that felt like a fever dream in the best way and... let's just call it brotherly love.
The Ratliff family storyline sparked by far the most online discussion. Viewers were shocked by the explicit, incestuous scenes between brothers Saxon and Lochlan, and many were obsessed with their glamorous mother, Victoria, and her charming southern accent. Meanwhile, the looming threat of their father Timothy's plan to poison the family (except their youngest son for some reason) kept everyone guessing — and sighing with relief when he backed out.
casting the worst father of the 2010's to be the worst father of the 2020's Mike White I see your vision #thewhitelotus pic.twitter.com/nU8DWO5suD
— Liz Duff (@producerlizz) April 7, 2025
Rick and Chelsea quickly became fan favorites. Their romance felt honest and vulnerable, which made the finale all the more devastating.
Belinda’s return brought a moment of warmth to the season. Fans were happy to see her and her son finally getting the peaceful, hopeful ending (and the five Million Dollars) she was denied in Season 1.
Laurie, Kate, and Jaclyn’s friendship was one of the emotional cores of the season and one of the most discussed storylines. Despite past drama, the three women reconciled, giving fans a rare and heartfelt look at complex female friendship on TV.
cheers to complex relationships between women onscreen... that was beautiful ladies #thewhitelotus pic.twitter.com/GNK6XgRbsN
— vicky (@lesbianomenon) April 7, 2025
Lisa from BLACKPINK made her acting debut as Mook, a wellness coach at the resort. While her storyline wasn’t central, her presence brought a lot of excitement and global attention.
The Finale: No One Was Ready For This Heartbreaking Ending
In a final twist, Rick shoots hotel owner Jim, only to realize he just killed his dad. Seconds later, both Rick and Chelsea are dead. Just like that. No time to breathe. Social media was instantly flooded with posts mourning the couple, praising Aimee Lou Wood’s performance (best known from Sex Education), and watching the final scene in disbelief. Ironically, Rick did wish for his father's killer to die, so be careful what you wish for. Chelsea was definitely the fan favorite this season, and it was a gut-punch not seeing her get her happy ending.
What's Next? Season 4 And All Star Dreams
The White Lotus is officially coming back for Season 4, though HBO is still keeping the details quiet. But Patrick Schwarzenegger, who proved he’s way more than a famous last name, dropped a little tease: he’s heard talk of an All-Star Season that could bring together fan-favorites from all three seasons. No confirmation yet, but we’d be seated, even more so if they manage to somehow resurrect Tanya.
Overall, this season was a big success. The White Lotus Season 3 had big shoes to fill — especially with fans worried it wouldn’t be the same without Jennifer Coolidge, whose iconic character died in Season 2. But the show delivered: layered storylines, complex characters, and some truly standout performances made this a fantastic season.
What did you think of the finale, and would you be into an All-Star Season? Let us know in the comments.