The White Lotus - S3 • E8 - Amor Fati
The White Lotus
TV-MAS3 • E8Apr 5, 202587m
7.9
Laurie, Jaclyn, and Kate reckon with their friendship. Timothy comes up with a shocking plan for his family. Belinda considers a deal.
Megan Cruz reviewedApril 9, 2025
This is the best finale in White Lotus history. Argue with the wall. This season has been so full of real complex human emotion and the characters are so deliciously multifaceted. I feel like season three was by far the most cohesive thematically throughout all of the storylines and felt like it had the most to say.
I’ll start with the three women, who to me, were the heart of this season. Their story felt so incredibly real. Full of resentment, drama and real love. That’s what you get with family or friends who know you this well and this long. Life takes us all down different paths and even when you don’t want the same things as the people you love, it can be hard to accept that your life will always be different than theirs. Your choices will create chasms between you and sometimes you can build bridges to gap them but sometimes you can’t. But Laurie’s final speech (which Carie Coon WILL be getting an Emmy for) is defined by the love that transcends. Relationships are hard. Sometimes just being truly known is the scariest thing. To be loved is to be really seen, warts and all and it’s the choosing to accept someone for their flaws that makes it so special. I was so deeply moved by these women who choose each other over and over even when it’s hard.
Gaitok was one of the great tragedies of this season for me. The themes of masculine ideals were present in every story this season but Gaitok’s desire to practice non violence made for such a devastating conclusion to his arc. Look, girl you are so beautiful but you might be evil.
The Ratliffs had an incredible conclusion. Piper’s monologue was absolutely fitting for the kind of spoiled rich girl who is smart enough to recognize her privilege but not self aware enough to realize it has defined her. Watching her finally turn to her mother for the approval she had spent the season dismissing as she finally admitted this truth was so satisfying. Victoria’s speech on the other hand is maybe the single most biting piece of social commentary we’ve seen by this show in three seasons. Victoria’s ability to twist her status into some divine calling to live well on behalf of the less fortunate masses is some divine right of king’s delusion that was incredible and disturbing to witness.
But of course, the great tragedy of the season belongs to Chelsea. A girl who marches boldly to her doom because she has romanticized the very idea of romance so staunchly. I believe that Rick and Chelsea loved each other deeply and I was moved at their reunion, but I simply could never root for them. Love that comes from a place of need is doomed from the start and Rick and Chelsea both needed to be loved more than they actually loved each other. It doesn’t make it less real, but it always leads to tragedy.
What an incredible season. I really want to rewatch immediately.