It’s time to check out from another season of The White Lotus, and before the final credits rolled on the latest edition of Mike White’s decadent dark comedy anthology, the shadow of death loomed large in Thailand. While season 1 saw the tragic demise of Murray Bartlett’s Armond and season 2 was a veritable bloodbath that had us waving goodbye to Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya McQuoid and ‘the gays,’ the bodies were again piled high in season 3.
As with any season of The White Lotus, it was anyone’s guess who’d be leaving in a body bag. I'm just thankful that Parker Posey’s Victoria Ratliff will live to fight another day (she has to be the new Coolidge for season 4). While Lochlan Ratliff (Sam Nivola) survived a brush with death at the wrong end of a poison shake, it was the end of the road for Walton Goggins’ Rick and Aimee Lou Wood’s Chelsea. An action-packed finale saw Rick finally get revenge on the man who killed his father, but did anyone expect a Star Wars Easter egg in the midst of all those flying bullets?
No, I am your father
Although some clocked it ahead of time, the big twist of the episode was that Jim Hollinger (Scott Glenn) wasn’t the man who’d left Rick without a father all those years ago. Echoing the famous, “No, I am your father,” line from The Empire Strikes Back, it’s confirmed that Jim wasn’t a criminal kingpin who killed Rick’s dad, but was actually Rick's dad himself.
We don’t quite get a replay of the iconic moment between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, as before Rick can learn the truth, he’s taken Jim's gun and shot him twice in the chest. As Jim lies dying in the arms of his wife (Lek Patravadi), she asks, "why"? Rick reiterates that Jim killed his father, leading Sritala to scream, “He’s your father, he told me.”
With Jim willing to take this secret to the grave rather than have a heartfelt reunion with his son, it’s unlikely they were ever going to hug and make up. It’s clear that Jim isn’t a good guy, and having previously discussed what it cost him personally to conquer the Thailand crime scene, he was, at the very least, an absentee father. The finale made it clear that Jim and Rick weren't destined to reconcile. After a tense confrontation in Bangkok in the penultimate episode, Jim later appeared at the White Lotus hotel and threatened Rick with a gun. At least Luke and Darth Vader got to talk through some of their past trauma in Return of the Jedi, after Anakin Skywalker sacrificed his own life to save Luke from Emperor Palpatine.
They re created the Darth Vader moment, "he's your father"#TheWhiteLotus pic.twitter.com/p9sQftlZOW
— sanmeyo (@sandeep_sanmeyo) April 7, 2025
The parents of all plot twists
Parental plot twists are nothing new, with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 revealing that Ego was actually the father of Star-Lord. Or what about Amy and Rory Pond finding out River Song is their daughter in Doctor Who? As well as honoring Star Wars, The White Lotus feels like a nod toward the climax of 2008’s Wanted, where Wesley (James McAvoy) finds out he’s just gunned down his own daddy dearest.
Some fans think that Rick’s father reveal was a little too easily signposted and came too close to the end of the season to have much emotional impact. Compare this to Star Wars, where we got the cliffhanger ending of The Empire Strikes Back, leading into a whole other movie where we could explore the troubled dynamic between father and son.
Some have argued that Rick’s arc was largely saved by Chelsea, with some taking to X to vent their frustrations. Complaining about the finale, one viewer grumbled, “I feel like the Darth Vader reveal was just so boring. If they never mentioned it, it wouldn’t have taken anything away from the scene or the story.” Another added: “Rick's story arc was like Luke Skywalker's if the audience only first found out Darth Vader was Luke's father when he died. Zero plot and terrible character development.” We don’t imagine Mike White is too bothered by these vocal few, with him already calling out those who’ve dubbed season 3 as 'boring.' In the aftermath of The White Lotus finale, White addressed these complaints and told the show’s official podcast: “There was complaining about how there’s no plot. That part I find weird. It never did… part of me is just like bro, this is the vibe. I’m world-building. If you don’t want to go to bed with me then get out of my bed. I’m edging you! Enjoy the edging. If you don’t want to be edged, then get out of my bed. Do you know what I mean? Don’t be a bossy bottom.”
For all its faults, The White Lotus kept us on our toes until the very end. Even though some might’ve seen the Rick twist coming a mile off, there was no real way of guessing who was going to shuffle off this mortal coil until the very end. Sure, The White Lotus' big twist might not be remembered up there with The Empire Strikes Back, but in terms of giving us another season of death and debauchery, there’s no arguing with the fact that White nailed it.
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