The White Lotus: Who will die in the season three finale? Biggest fan theories for HBO hit explained

Fans of the dark comedy anthology series have been searching for answers after the dramatic opening scene of the show’s third season. Viewers watched as a gunshots were heard inside the luxury resort as guests and staff fled the scene.

Zion, who we come to find out is spa therapist Belinda’s son, attempts to hide and search for his mum at the same time. He comes across an unidentified body in the water before we jump back in time to how our characters found themselves at the Thailand resort hotel.

The scene left fans wondering not only who the victim was that Zion came across, but also the identity of the unidentified gunman.

Here are some of the biggest fan theories for what answers we could expect in the show’s eagerly-awaited final episode.

Timothy kills himself and his family - with fruit

Timothy Ratliffe (Jason Issacs) has had an anxiety-inducing stay at The White Lotus. After being contacted while on holiday and told that he is in the middle of a criminal investigation and financial scandal, his mental health has taken a major dip to put it lightly.

Viewers have watched as he continues to keep the issues a secret from wife Victoria (Parker Posey) and children Piper, Lachlan and Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger), the latter of whom works at his firm. He has also turn to using his wife’s medication to sleep.

Timothy got his hands on the gun that was given to security guard Gaitok and fans saw various moments in which he contemplated taking his own life but decided against pulling the trigger to save his family from dealing with the aftermath. However, after Victoria opened up and told him that she couldn’t live if she were poor, and son Saxon told him that his job (which is now ruined) is the only thing he has in his life, he experiences fantasies of killing himself and his family to save their pride.

One hitch in his plan is that Gaitok now has his gun back. However, eagle-eyed fans may remember that in the first episode the family were warned about the deadly fruit hanging on the trees outside their luxury villa.

In the episode eight trailer, we see Timothy questioning a staff member about the fruit once again. Coupled with the family’s continued use of the blender, especially Saxon for his daily protein shakes, could we see Timothy add some of the deadly fruit to a smoothie and offer it up to the family to make their deaths look accidental?

Chelsea’s bad luck comes in threes

Viewers have been certain that something bad is going to happen to Rick’s girlfriend Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood). Already this season, the happy-go-lucky woman has been at the centre of an armed robbery and was rushed to hospital after being bitten by a poisonous snake.

They say bad luck comes in threes, and even Chelsea herself has commented on this while speaking to Rick (Walton Goggins). Could Chelsea be the unidentified body in the water?

Of course, this could be a red herring, but in true White Lotus fashion, you can’t rule anything out.

Lochlan is the body in the water

Fans have began going wild over this fan theory after spotting a huge possible clue in the show’s opening titles. When actor Sam Nivola’s name appears in the opening title, the tapestry on the screen shows a man seemingly drowning in water.

Paired with the fact that Lachlan, who has had a wild time in Thailand that has included an incestuous storyline with brother Saxon, was in a sensory deprivation tank earlier in the season, fans think that he could meet his watery demise. Albeit this isn’t much to go on, but regular viewers know that creator Mike White is known for putting hints in the show toward the climax of his characters.

Greg’s old ways resurface

Belinda found herself in an uncomfortable situation after recognising Greg, who was going by Gary in Thailand. In the show’s previous series, he was married to eccentric hotel guest Tanya before she was killed in a plot orchestrated by Greg to pocket her fortune.

Greg has evidently been attempting to evade authorities in Italy, who want to speak to him about his wife’s mysterious death, and Belinda recognising him put a spanner in the works. In the last episode, we saw Belinda and her son reluctantly go to his Thai home for a party, where he offered her $100,000 to open her wellness centre (which Tanya previously promised her before flaking) for her silence.

Belinda asked for time to think about the offer, while Zion urged his mum to take the offer. But could Greg be getting ahead of the game and making sure Belinda doesn’t speak before she accepts his offer? He already orchestrated Tanya’s mysterious death, so what’s to say he couldn’t do the same to Belinda?

Rick’s revenge plot backfires

Rick found himself in Thailand not for a relaxing and luxurious holiday, as girlfriend Chelsea initially believed, but to find the man who he was told killed his father. After he and friend Frank (Sam Rockwell) bluff their way into the home of White Lotus owner Sritala under the premise of wanting to recruit her for a non-existent Hollywood film, he comes face-to-face with her husband and his father’s killer Jim Hollinger.

Rick carried a gun into the home with him, unsure if he was going to use it, but the face-off instead saw him push over the elderly man and make a swift exit. In the aftermath, we saw him, Frank and a group of Thai girls partying in a hotel room while Rick looked suitably satisfied. But could Jim be about to get his revenge for the confrontation and send gunmen into the hotel in search of Rick?

Some fans even think that Jim may not even be Rick father’s killer, instead being his father himself. One thing we can count on is that this storyline isn’t quite wrapped up yet...

The Russians gun down the hotel

The Russians have had an eventful season at The White Lotus. In between growing closer to the friendship group of Jaclyn, Laurie and Kate, staff member Valentin has been able to orchestrate orchestrated an opening for his friends Aleksei and Vlad to conduct the armed robbery of the hotel’s jewellery store that Chelsea found herself at the centre of.

Valentin’s night spent with Laclyn has already fractured the friendship group and after a frustrated Laurie left the girls to attend a Muay Thai fight with the men, we see her get into bed with Aleksei before he quickly pressures her to give him $10,000 for his “sick mother”. She is able to flee the situation after what appears to be Russian woman, who we previously seen approach the group in a club, catches them in bed together.

But could the Russians be taking a more direct approach and stage a bullet-filled rampage on the hotel where wealthy guests are staying?