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Some aspects of the season 3 finale work out perfectly, if also somewhat ironically. The Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan), Laurie (Carrie Coon), and Kate (Leslie Bibb) storyline is perhaps the most satisfying, even if their climactic moment in the finale reeks of characteristic vapidity masquerading as sisterhood. Perhaps that is the point: I doubt that these women will change who they are, but this trip has brought them closer, as this friendship has stood the test of time despite being flawed and inconsistent. This arc is the closest to what can be called “wholesome,” as everything else that happens in this episode is either bleak or bittersweet in a way that feels rather empty.
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Indeed, there’s a glaring lack of consequences in the world of “The White Lotus” — one that cannot always be explained away with the fact that the wealthy are immune to concepts like karma. Previous seasons’ deaths were more accidental, but this particular season elected to indulge in deliberate violence with several casualties, which should undoubtedly invite legal scrutiny (even in a fictional setting). Moreover, there’s an unsettling absence of empathy in the aftermath, even though everyone was in or near the hotel when the incident occurred. Neither Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger) nor Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon) seems bothered (or aware!) that Chelsea is dead, and there is no indication of general shock among the hotel staff or the guests after such a harrowing incident.
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Even normally empathetic folks like Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) seem to gloss over these traumatic events. Speaking of which, Belinda turning down Pornchai (Dom Hetrakul) here surprisingly mirrors what Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) did to her in season 1. This is intentional, of course, but it evokes mixed feelings all the same. Turns out, money changes everyone, including those with a spine, blurring the line that once separated unscrupulous characters from the ones worth rooting for on the show. Then there’s Greg (Jon Gries), who is last seen lounging in his Thailand mansion, now virtually untouchable after having committed fraud and attempted to kill his ex-wife.
But what about the Ratliffs? The three kids have changed just a tiny bit, yet there’s little satisfaction to how this arc ends. This entire season was driven by Timothy’s (Jason Isaacs) anxiety over his family’s reaction to their impending financial ruin and legal problems, but we never get to see this moment. Instead, we simply get a wishy-washy statement about the family’s ability to weather any storm, with Timothy looking longingly out at the ocean waves. This anticlimactic ambiguity makes it feel as if the Ratliffs are exempt from consequences, which will definitely not be the case when they return home.
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In the end, the “White Lotus” season 3 finale leaves too many threads unresolved. (Did the whole robbery reveal actually have a point? Does Lochlan tell his mother and siblings about his near-death by poisoned smoothie?). But while the show can pretend these oversights are by design, one only has to look closer at the finale’s flimsy, cynical foundation to recognize that’s not the case. Much like the episode itself, it goes to show how quickly things can fall apart.
“The White Lotus” is streaming on Max. Solana Token Creator
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