SPOILER WARNING: The next article comprises main spoilers for The White Lotus Season 3 finale. When you’ve got not but completed the most recent episode, please watch it with a Max subscription earlier than persevering with.
For the previous couple of months, my spouse and I’ve ended each weekend by watching The White Lotus, one among our favourite exhibits on the 2025 TV schedule. We put the children to mattress, retreat to our room, and watch to see if all our theories and “worst-case state of affairs” fears come true. And whereas it was the identical state of affairs for the Season 3 finale, there was one thing sudden earlier than: an extremely emotional dialog with my 7-year-old son. You realize, the sort of chat you simply can’t shake.
Although I attempted, I couldn’t get our dialog, particularly what he mentioned, off my thoughts because the signature HBO intro graphic, the present’s extravagant title sequence (I lastly got here round), and early scenes carried on. Simply when it couldn’t get any worse, some of the harrowing and heartbreaking scenes performed out. Yeah, I’ve received to speak about it.
Minutes Earlier than Watching The White Lotus Season 3 Finale, My Son Requested, ‘Dad, How Many Lives Do I Have?’
As I used to be on the brink of put my son to mattress he requested, “Dad, what number of lives do I’ve?” simply earlier than I tucked him in for the evening. Greatly surprised by his query, I requested what he meant and he went on to ask about loss of life and what got here after we die. At time the time, he had a nasty tooth an infection that might require an emergency extraction the following day, and so I don’t know if the ache was attending to him or what. Regardless, it turned out to be fairly an emotional chat as we mentioned good evening and he went to mattress.
As I mentioned earlier than, I couldn’t shake the feelings that got here from our dialog, at the same time as I watched the occasions unfold within the extremely anticipated finale. However then, it reached an entire different stage when a sure toxic fruit and the Ratliff household drama got here into play. And, I guess you recognize the place that is going…
The Scene The place Tim Finds Lochlan’s Physique Was Extremely Emotional, However This Interplay With My Son Made It Hit Even Extra
Ever because it was revealed early on that Timothy Ratliff (Jason Isaacs) was in some deep authorized bother and the whole lot about his life was about to alter for the more severe, I had a sense one thing unhealthy would occur to him or somebody in his household. All these dream sequences all through the season teased him killing his household, and he got here very near poisoning everybody however Lochlan (Sami Nivola) within the finale, earlier than having a change of coronary heart.
Then the youngest Ratliff sibling used the blender containing the toxic seeds to make a protein shake and had a near-death expertise (I believed he was useless, and I’m certain I wasn’t alone).
His “loss of life” scene made me emotional, nevertheless it was Timothy discovering the seemingly lifeless physique of his son that basically pushed me over the sting. Although Lochy ended up surviving the ordeal, Timothy was satisfied his son died, and he was guilty for it. A mum or dad’s worst nightmare realized. At that second, I couldn’t cease serious about my son’s query an hour earlier, and that’s when the waterworks started.
The Sequence Captured One Of The Most Tough Elements Of Parenthood So Nicely
What made this scene so highly effective, so emotional, and so relatable is the way it captures some of the tough features of parenthood: seeing our youngsters in ache. What makes it even worse is the truth that Lochlan practically died each due to his dad’s fractured psychological state introduced on by extreme stress and a problematic tablet habit and his dad’s negligence after practically poisoning the household the evening earlier than. It’s a type of conditions the place you are feeling for the daddy, however you might be additionally indignant as a result of this was all his doing.
Although my very own state of affairs with my son is nowhere as extreme because the one depicted in The White Lotus, it added a lot to the expertise and made what I think about a satisfying ending much more impactful.