【satanic eroticism】

With The satanic eroticismWhite LotusSeason 3 finale right around the corner, it's time to make some predictions.

Who's going to live, and who'll die? Will Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) bring Greg (Jon Gries) to justice? Will the Ratliff family lose everything? Will Gaitok (Tayme Thapthimthong) finally prove himself to be an adequate security guard?

Using clues from the trailer, interviews, and good old-fashioned guesswork, we've made some finale predictions below.

1. Jim Hollinger returns to the hotel with some news for Rick

We know from the trailer that Jim Hollinger (Scott Glenn) returns to the hotel in the finale. If he wanted Rick (Walton Goggins) dead he wouldn't show up himself, so it stands to reason that he has another purpose for being there. Could it be to break the news to Rick that he'sactually his father?

2. The Russians carry out the shooting

Did Laurie (Carrie Coon) steal that jewellery she glimpsed in the apartment of Biković (Julian Kostov) in episode 7? Could Greg have hired the Russians to kill Belinda if she refuses his offer of hush money? Either of these scenarios could bring Biković and Vlad (Yuri Kolokolnikov) — who we now know carried out the robbery in episode 2 — back to The White Lotus in the finale. Out of all the characters in the show, they seem like the likeliest perpetrators of the shooting that was teased in the very first episode.

3. Gaitok saves the day

Gaitok is as close to useless as a security guard can get, but damn it if his heart isn't in the right place. With his newfound skills at the shooting range, plus that shot of him running purposefully in the trailer, we think Gaitok might finally complete his hero arc and be the one to bring the perpetrators down.

4. Rick dies protecting Chelsea

Unlike Gaitok, Rick's arc feels more like that of the doomed protagonist in a neo film noir. Wouldn't it be tragically fitting if, after all the drama with Jim Hollinger, he ends up dying in a completely unrelated incident? Maybe Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood) — who is still waiting on the third bad thing to happen after the robbery and the snake bite — will get caught up in the shooting, and Rick will die trying to save her?

5. Timothy Ratliff dies...and then his legal issues disappear

There would be no more ironic end for Timothy Ratliff (Jason Isaacs) than if he finally dies in the finale — either by his own hand or by getting caught up in the shooting — only for it to turn out that his legal issues were nothing to worry about after all.

6. Saxon and Chelsea get together

Chelsea is clearly attracted to men that are emotionally damaged, and in episode 7 there seemed to be a brief spark between her and Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger). If Rick dies in the finale, maybe she'll take solace in a new person with baggage?

• 'The White Lotus' Season 3, episode 7: So, what happened at Laurie's wedding?
• 'The White Lotus' Season 3, episode 7: What's Greg's plan? Is Belinda safe?
• 'The White Lotus' Season 3: I have a theory about Jim Hollinger
• 'The White Lotus' Season 3, episode 7: You've heard Sritala's song before
• 'The White Lotus' star Jon Gries may have just revealed something about Greg's Season 3 fate

7. Lochlan stays at the monastery by himself

Following that terrible full moon party, Lochlan (Sam Nivola) seems determined to distance himself from his family. In episode 7 he tells his sister Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook) that he wants to stay in the monastery with her, but she seems less than convinced by the idea. Maybe the finale will see Piper giving in to the life of luxury she's used to back home, and Lochlan staying in Thailand by himself, trying to suppress his "dark side"?

8. Greg/Gary gets away with it

In a recent interview, Jon Gries – who plays Gary/Greg — made a comment that seemed to imply his character could be back in future seasons. It would be too satisfying for Greg to meet a horrible end in Season 3, so it seems likely that he'll continue to evade justice for the Season 2 death of Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge). Does this mean he'll find a way to silence Belinda and her son Zion (Nicholas Duvernay)? One way or another, it seems likely — but if we had to guess we'd say they'll take the money in the end.

The White Lotusis streaming now on Max, with new episodes dropping weekly at 9 p.m. ET Sundays on HBO.

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