White Lotus Finale Leaves Fans Screaming At Their Screens (30 Reactions)
InterviewWell, that was definitely… something. And by something, we mean the much-hyped, twist-filled finale of the latest The White Lotus season.
After weeks of guessing who wouldn’t survive the Thailand chapter, we finally got answers—and wow, they did not hold back. The victims were revealed, the drama peaked, and some of us are still picking our jaws off the floor.
Viewers everywhere had a lot to say, so we rounded up some of the most memorable reactions to it all. Scroll down to see how people took the ending, and don’t forget to let us know what you thought of the final episode.
Spoilers ahead, obviously. You’ve been warned.
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This was the only really satisfying plotline, I think. It was so well done, and so thoughtful. To be honest, I'm glad Mike White wrote this plotline with more depth and thought than the others. It shows he relates more to relationships and aging, as opposed to murder, s*****e and incest. I mean, it would be great if everything came to a good conclusion, but if there only had to be one, I'm glad it was this one.
As soon as the finale of the acclaimed dark comedy-drama The White Lotus aired, live reactions flooded social media. The third season, set in Thailand and just as full of sun, satire, and simmering tension, had viewers hooked from the opening scene, trying to guess which character wouldn’t make it out alive.
While many praised the finale as a triumph, others were far less impressed. Some called it “perfect,” while others felt it was a letdown. One viewer put it bluntly: “The ending was a huge flop—built up several plot lines all series to abruptly end them in 20 minutes with no reflection.” These are harsh remarks for a show with 15 Emmys and 2 Golden Globes under its belt.
Critics, too, had strong opinions, some pulling no punches when sharing their disappointment with how things wrapped up. Erik Kain, writing for Forbes, described the season’s conclusion with some choice words.
““Tragic” might be one of them, and certainly there was tragedy here. “Disappointing” might be another, and I am feeling terribly disappointed as I type this. “Indulgent,” also, because I’m afraid that the success of the first two seasons must have gone to Mike White’s head,” he said.
“What a mess. What a waste of time. It seems all the worries that I wrote about last week have come to fruition, and then some.”
But not everyone agreed with that take. Jackson Weaver of CBS News argued that the show’s bleakness was intentional and reflective of real life.
“The cynicism and meaninglessness of The White Lotus’s character endings is something of the point,” he said. “Few are given ones that are really deserved. But that’s not how life works, either. All we can do is try to come up with a meaning for ourselves.”
For some viewers, that meaning didn’t lie in the big reveals but in the quiet, reflective moments in between.
Blogger Mike Meras, for instance, was particularly moved by Laurie’s (Carrie Coon) dinner table monologue to her longtime friends Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan) and Kate (Leslie Bibb). The simple line—“I’m just happy to be at the table”—hit a nerve.
“Felt that,” Meras wrote on Threads. “Laurie’s whole monologue is so relatable, especially when your friends are doing so well in life, and you’re still trying to figure out why you’re not blossoming yet.”
The only big complaint I had about the finale is, what was this guy's motivation? Why did he needlessly antagonize his unbeknownst son? It doesn't make sense that he would both want to keep it a secret and confront Goggins about it. That guy was presented as smart and then made a rookie error by not letting sleeping dogs lie.
Speaking to Bored Panda, Meras shared that he’s been watching The White Lotus “religiously” since the first season, and he’s never been disappointed.
“Honestly, there’s nothing I dislike about the show. I just enjoy the ride every time. The writing, the slow-burn tension, the social commentary… it all works so well,” he said.
He might have thought his brother made a shake earlier in the morning and didnt mind some leftovers from that... and he's a teen, I guess.
Even the heartbreak of watching doomed lovers Rick (Walton Goggins) and Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood) meet their fate didn’t catch Meras off guard.
“The show dropped a few subtle hints early on, and those signals definitely got stronger or more amplified in the last episode,” he explained. “I even started thinking Jim might’ve been Rick’s father at one point, just a gut feeling.”
There's a little bit of shoehorning in. The show did a lot to show that Tim's reasoning was because he was genuinely trying to save them from a worse fate. That's why he didn't want Lachlan to drink the cocktail - he was the only one who said he'd be fine without money. It wasn't about pride. And I'm not sure Gaitok was thinking "if I k**l this guy, Mook is going to keep dating me" when his boss was yelling at him to shoot Rick. And until the last episode, I didn't think Laurie was jealous at all of her friends. I thought she pitied and disliked them. Until that final speech, I thought she was happy with her choices, and that the jealousy was only perceived by her arrogant friends.
And if fans are worried that creator Mike White hasn’t heard the critiques about pacing and plot, they can rest easy—he has.
“Part of me is just like, ‘Bro, this is the vibe,’” White said on the April 6 episode of The White Lotus Official Season 3 Podcast. “I’m world-building.”
Then, in true Mike White fashion, he added, “If you don’t want to go to bed with me, get out of my bed. I’m edging you!”
He went on to quip that critics should “enjoy the edging” rather than complain about the pacing: “If you don’t want to be edged, get out of my bed. Don’t be a bossy bottom.”
So, while season 3 might not have been for everyone, it certainly gave fans plenty to chew on. Whether it left you satisfied or scratching your head, one thing’s for sure: The White Lotus still knows how to get people talking.
Sure, but my problem was not the lack of reaction to Lochlan dying, but the lack of a reaction from almost anything in the finale. Part of what I like about the show is the fallout after events, not the events themselves. Then, all season long there's a whole big thing about what's going to happen to Timothy and, in the end, nothing. it was a wasted storyline. If Lochlan had actually died, that would have been much more interesting. But then, we probably wouldn't have seen the reaction to that, either. Rick had basically no-time to react to the realisation that Stick-from-Daredevil was his father. That was also a waste.
That was a moment for me of how money corrupts and pollutes a person's mind. Of course, I wouldn't have stayed in the same country as Gre... I meant Gary.
I’m conflicted on this one. I don’t think his faith would allow him to use violence to protect the hotel gates, but when it came to taking down a man who had just m******d 3 people that’s different. Not great that he shot him in the back though. But I do believe Chelsea was gone at the point already.
My issue with these season was that there was ZERO levity. The other seasons at least had a few laughs here and there. The entire third season was nothing but darkness.
The White Lotus is truly brilliantly written. Each episode leads towards an inexorable zero point that approaches calmly in the still hot air like a thunderstorm. I admit I cried when Tim asked about death in the monastery. The answer was something so beautiful and comforting. And a good cry felt so relieving.
My issue with these season was that there was ZERO levity. The other seasons at least had a few laughs here and there. The entire third season was nothing but darkness.
The White Lotus is truly brilliantly written. Each episode leads towards an inexorable zero point that approaches calmly in the still hot air like a thunderstorm. I admit I cried when Tim asked about death in the monastery. The answer was something so beautiful and comforting. And a good cry felt so relieving.
