Warning! This article contains spoilers for The White Lotus season 3, episode 1.
The White Lotusseason 3, episode 1 begins with a dead body floating through a river, with the ensuing story raising several possible victims for the murder. As has become customary for the HBO show,The White Lotusseason 3’s castincludes an almost entirely new batch of characters, with only one familiar face from previous installments.The White Lotusseason 3’s trailerfirst teased these characters, with episode 1 beginning the deep dive into the secrets and relationships that the show has become known for.
Thestory ofThe White Lotusseason 3takes place in Thailand, differing from season 1’s Hawaii and season 2’s Sicily. As has become commonplace with the HBO property,The White Lotusseason 3, episode 1 begins with a sequence that teases a wider mystery to come before flashing back a week earlier to unravel the story. As was the case withThe White Lotusseason 1’s ending- and that of season 2 - this murderous mystery will undoubtedly be uncovered in the ensuing episodes, yet several potential victims are raised via season 3, episode 1’s ending.
Played By Lalisa Manobal
Image via Max
Perhaps the least likely victim ofThe White Lotusseason 3’s new cast of characters is Mook. Mook is introduced as an employee of Thailand’s White Lotus branch who is assigned to care for Rick and Chelsea as a health mentor. ThroughoutThe White Lotusseason 3, episode 1, Mook showcases little to indicate she could end up on the bad side of any of the hotel’s guests, with the only hint of drama coming from her connection to another hotel employee named Gaitok.
That said, Mook is still worth raising as a victim due to the simple potential of collateral damage.The White Lotusseason 3’s opening kept the gun-toting murderer of the show hidden, only highlighting that multiple shots were fired. It could be revealed that Mook ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time, with both season 1 andThe White Lotusseason 2’s endingfeaturing accidental deaths. However, if the murder of someone specific is shown inThe White Lotusseason 3, it is difficult to see Mook being the target.
Played By Carrie Coon
Laurie is one of the other more unlikely victims inThe White Lotusseason 3. Thus far, all that is known of Laurie is that she is unhappy in her life and her friendships with Jaclyn and Kate. Beyond that, little is presented to suggest that she could end up on the wrong side of a gun inThe White Lotusseason 3’s ending. Interestingly though, she is shown to somewhat resent her friends, meaning she could spiral enough to become the shooter herself, though this is as unlikely as her being the victim seen inThe White Lotusseason 3’s flash-forward.
8Chelsea
Played By Aimee Lou Wood
Another admittedly unlikely victim is Chelsea, one of the guests being looked after by Mook. Chelsea’s story will seemingly center around her unhappy relationship with Rick and her bonding with a woman in a similar position to her. It is via this connection with this other woman who frequents the White Lotus, however, that the potential for Chelsea to be wrapped up in a conspiracy presents itself, giving her a lower-ranked spot on this list.
Greg hatched a plot to kill Tanya and take her wealth, with his appearance in season 3 adding the potential for more murderous plots…
The woman Chelsea befriends at the bar of the White Lotus is shown in a relationship with an older man, revealed to be Jon Gries' Greg. Greg appeared inThe White Lotusseasons 1 and 2 as the lover and eventual husband of Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya. In the latter season, Greg hatched a plot to kill Tanya and take her wealth, with his appearance in season 3 adding the potential for more murderous plots. With Chelsea befriending Greg’s younger girlfriend, she could be wrapped up in a dangerous game.
7Kate
Played By Leslie Bibb
As alluded to via the exploration of Laurie, Kate could be a potential victim inThe White Lotusseason 3. She has been established as someone with a wealthy husband, which she implied has led her to have some enemies and people who would get close to her in order to better their standing in life. This could be as good a motive for murder as any, but how that would spiral fromThe White Lotusseason 3, episode 1’s ending to the flash-forward is anyone’s guess.
Played By Walton Goggins
Rick is Chelsea’s older boyfriend, and one of the few guests inThe White Lotusseason 3, episode 1 to be shown to have a shady past. He mentions that he is not allowed into Australia, hinting at trouble with the law in the past, and eventually, it becomes clear that Rick traveled to Thailand and the titular hotel specifically to seek someone out. Rick wants to meet the husband of one of the hotel’s owners, becoming notably angry and irritable upon realizing they are in Bangkok.
Rick is later shown looking at images online of the subject of his search - Jim Hollinger - and his wife, Sritala. Although it is unclear what exactly Rick’s business is with Jim, it is clearly something suspicious. As such, Rick’s time at the White Lotus could turn sour if his past with Jim is truly deplorable, leading to his potential death.
5Timothy Ratliff
Played By Jason Isaacs
Timothy is another character inThe White Lotusseason 3 that is hinted as having a dishonorable past. Timothy is a wealthy businessman, who receives a call from a journalist in season 3, episode 1. Timothy is asked about a company named Sho-Kel, and his own history with that company and its founder, Kenneth Nguyen.
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Despite denying having seen Kenneth in years, Timothy immediately calls him and sounds distressed over the inquisition. It could be revealed that Timothy’s wealth was ill-gained via his company’s connection to Sho-Kel. Given that money and greed have often been motives for dark actions inThe White Lotus,Timothy being the victim of season 3 is a viable option.
4Jaclyn
Played By Michelle Monaghan
Out of the trio of Laurie, Kate, and Jaclyn, it is the latter who is the most likely to end up asThe White Lotusseason 3’s victim. The reason for this, again, stems from wealth and privilege, with Jaclyn confirmed as a famous actress.With such a following behind her and the undoubted financial gain this brings her, it would not be a surprise to see one of the other unhinged White Lotus guests focusing on her as a murder victimas they spiral throughout season 3 for their own greed.
3Sritala
Played By Lek Patravadi
The owner of Thailand’s White Lotus is Sritala, who seems approachable and nice enough throughoutThe White Lotusseason 3, episode 1. While this makes her seem like an unlikely murder victim, she is the wife of Jim Hollinger, the subject of Rick’s dark revenge. For this reason alone, Sritala could potentially find herself in danger, potentially from Rick himself if he goes far enough in his quest for vengeance.
Sritala’s death could be a tragic twist in the tale…
Moreover, Sritala’s position simply makes her a very openly wealthy person. As alluded to, greed has been a big theme of both preceding seasons ofThe White Lotus,potentially providing another reason for Sritala being in someone’s crosshairs. As a seemingly lovable older woman too, Sritala’s death could be a tragic twist in the tale.
2Belinda
Played By Natasha Rothwell
Belinda being so high on this list of potential victims inThe White Lotusseason 3 is for two reasons: her connection to the flash-forward scene and her history in the show. Beginning with the latter, Belinda is one of the very few characters inThe White Lotusseason 3 to have been in the show before. Belinda was part ofThe White Lotusseason 1’s cast as a massage therapist at the titular hotel’s Hawaii branch. Given that one victim ofThe White Lotusseason 3 was the returning Tanya, Belinda could face a similar fate.
Secondly, Belinda is the only character on this list to have a direct connection to the flash-forward scene in whichThe White Lotusseason 3’s victim was shown. In season 3, episode 1, Belinda mentions that her son, Zion, will be coming to visit and stay with her. In the flash-forward sequence, it is Zion who finds the dead body after the gunshots ring out throughout the White Lotus. If Belinda is the victim, this connection - and Belinda’s history - would provideThe White Lotusseason 3 with more dramatic and emotional heft than any other potential victim.
1Jim Hollinger
Played By Scott Glenn
The most likely victim ofThe White Lotusseason 3, at least so far, is Jim Hollinger. Ironically, Jim is the only character on this list who is yet to physically appear inThe White Lotusseason 3, but he was teased as the man whom Rick vows revenge against. Jim and Rick clearly have a history, with Rick’s unhinged nature potentially spelling danger for Rick.
Furthermore, Jim was mentioned to be sick by Mook, adding another potential way in which he could becomeThe White Lotusseason 3’s victim. With other characters only being teased to have antagonistic relations with one another thus far, Jim is the only one to be outright confirmed as the subject of someone’s revenge. For this reason alone, Jim becomes the most likely victim ofThe White Lotusseason 3, but the evolving mystery and character dynamics could certainly change this list entirely by the season’s end.
