"The Ratliff family is not dying"—Fans are speculating several possible endings from The White Lotus season 3 finale trailer

The White Lotus season 3 is set to drop its finale episode on April 6, 2025, on HBO. The anthology series premiered on February 16, 2025, and has taken viewers on a wild ride over the last seven episodes. As the multiple storylines come to a conclusive end in the upcoming finale, fans have been speculating about the identity of the person killed in the opening moments of the third season.

One of the most popular theories suggests that the deceased will be one or more members of the Ratliff family as the show has hinted at this possibility. However, one X user disagrees with the theory, stating:

"Book mark this. The Ratliff family is not dying."

Ahead of the finale, fans of the HBO series have shared their predictions about the victim's identity on X.

"Shootout involving Gaitok and the Russians - Gaitok gets promoted to Sritala’s bodyguard. Timothy doesn’t go through with the murder-suicide plot because of a random act of God. Belinda is fine, Zion is fine, hopefully Greg is the one who dies," wrote one fan.

"What about the 3 girlfriends? Hostage situation with them?" wrote another.

"I think this time they are not giving us one dead, they are giving us three: Chelsea, Tim and Gaitok’s girl (by his hand)," mentioned one fan.

Others are convinced that Timothy Ratliff and his family will be dead by the end of the weeklong trip at the luxurious hotel.

"Omg he’s about to kill his family," commented another user.

"Mr. Ratliff is definitely gonna kill his family with the poison fruit," said one X user.

"omg i knew it, the dad is going to murder suicide his family, wrote another.

A look at The White Lotus season 3 finale trailer

On March 31, 2025, Max released a preview for the upcoming The White Lotus season 3 finale episode. It showcases Rick returning to Chelsea at the hotel following his memorable trip in Bangkok. After putting his past behind him, will he be ready for a future with Chelsea? Also, Jaclyn, Laurie, and Kate may realize how toxic their friendship has turned and decide to bury the hatchet before leaving the girls' trip.

Furthermore, Timothy has lived with a sense of impending doom since hearing about the FBI investigation in episode 2. After grappling with thoughts of suicide, Timothy may take the drastic step on the last day of his family vacation. In the preview, he is seen plucking a fruit out of the suicide tree, which could be foreshadowing his eventual fate.

After figuring out Valentin's role in the robbery from The White Lotus season 3 episode 2, Gaitok will likely report his findings to his superior, Pee Lek. The trailer shows him running with a gun in hand, possibly away (or towards) an altercation with Valentin and his thieving accomplices—Aleksei and Vlad.

Moreover, Belinda will decide if she wants to accept $100,000 in exchange for covering up Greg's complicity in Tanya's death. If she rejects the offer, however, Greg may decide to take matters into his own hands and take Belinda out to secure his future.

What did Mike White say about The White Lotus season 3 finale?

The White Lotus season 3 episode 8 is set at 90 minutes, making it the longest episode in the show's entire three-season run. Titled Amor Fati, it promises to tie up all the loose endings and offer a conclusion to most of the plotlines.

On April 2, 2025, Mike White and the cast of The White Lotus season 3 spoke to The Hollywood Reporter at length about the hit series. With regards to the finale, White said that he hopes to "stick the landing" after saying:

"It’s an hour and a half. It’s kind of epic. As a filmmaker, it’s probably the piece of work that I’m like, "I can’t believe I did that." My hope is that it’ll feel like a cathartic sad or a satisfying sad and not a "What the fuck?"sad, but people are going to have a million different opinions. You just hope you stick the landing."

Stay tuned for the episode recap of The White Lotus season 3 episode 8 soon after it premieres on HBO.

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