Idealists in ‘The White Lotus’ and Beyond

by Jodi Nathanson

Season 3 of The White Lotus, set in Thailand, left many viewers shocked. As a devoted fan of the series and a High School English Teacher, the show’s finale, although unsettling, was not surprising. Chelsea’s ill-fated destiny follows a familiar pattern—a recognizable literary trope. Idealists do not usually fare well. Often, they don’t survive. Sadly, Chelsea’s premature passing further uncloaks the harsh reality that in a world devoid of ethics, there is limited space for pure and virtuous souls.

This principle is depressing and can be very hard to digest, but it is not new. And it is certainly not something we wish to be true, so one grapples with the disquieting and painful nature of such a discovery. Season 3 of The White Lotus unveils several morally ambiguous characters. Others certainly have their share of good intentions and even seem like they are on the right side of the ethical continuum. However, lofty ideals are quickly abandoned once they become inconvenient. For example, Piper gives up on the Buddhist Monastery after one night without any creature comforts and admits to being “like this princess who needs things to be a certain way” (“Amor Fati”). It was obvious to me that she would not become one of the island’s casualties. Similarly, once Gaitok embraces his killer instinct, or the beast that lurks within, he not only advances in his career, but Mook, his object of desire, is drawn to him. Gaitok achieves all of his dreams once he forsakes his humanity, moves his moral compass, and turns practical. As Robert Bolt aptly highlights in A Man for All Seasons, “every man has his price” (Bolt 4).

Laurie earns the audience’s sympathy on several occasions, but ultimately, disappoints. In a vulnerable moment, Laurie admits that she is “just happy to be at the table”(“Amor Fati”) and she does not give up on her toxic frenemies because she understands that human beings are flawed, relationships are messy, and that inclusion within a group is key to her survival. Laurie is a realist at heart. Anyone who has read F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby could predict that the three upper class women would slip back into their old habits and leave the island unscathed. They are too privileged to undergo any kind of meaningful, life-altering transformation. They retreat back into their money and comfortable lifestyles with little regard for others. Their blonde hair blowing in the wind as they laugh while the boat leaves the island behind is a quintessential touch.

Belinda exudes empathy, but once she becomes a millionaire and channels her inner Tanya, it becomes apparent that she will not turn up dead in the water like her son, Zion, fears. Tim was too cutthroat and selfish to be someone who “shuffle[s] off this mortal coil” (Shakespeare 3.1 68). Victoria, perhaps she will suffer a kind of death when she becomes fully aware that the Ratliff family has no money, but she does manage to leave Thailand in one piece with her loved ones by her side. Something about Victoria’s demeanour suggests that she is even more calculating than her husband, which convinces me that this woman will land on her feet irrespective of any curveballs life throws in her direction.

Lochlan suffers a near death, which works with the trope, because he possessed a naïveté, which made him struggle in a vicious world, one that rewards those who trample on others to get ahead. A self-proclaimed “Pleaser in a family full of narcissists” (“Amor Fati”), Lochlan’s sweet nature makes him both endearing and pitiable. But he gets a second chance at life because he successfully finds the middle ground or a balance of sorts once he gives in to temptation. He loses his innocence in Paradise and the Garden of Eden disappears. Lochlan’s strange journey reinforces that those who manage to find a balance by compromising their inner goodness do have a chance at survival.

Lochlan’s older brother, Saxon, departs the island reading a book that Chelsea gave him, providing an opportunity for enlightenment, which suggests that beloved Chelsea managed to make her mark on someone. Whether Saxon will learn something valuable and evolve as person, however, is unclear.

All examples mentioned above reveal the sad state of a devastated and decaying landscape where the morally bereft thrive and those with inherently good souls suffer cruel, unwarranted, and twisted fates, their innocence and righteousness rendering them unsuitable or unfit for a harsh world. Arthur Miller reveals similar truths in All My Sons through the tragic figure of Larry Keller, while John Knowles’ Phineas in A Separate Peace and Colson Whitehead’s Elwood in The Nickel Boys break our hearts. It all feels so unfair and challenges our core beliefs that good people with good morals should be the ones to flourish and prosper.

I didn’t have a problem with the ending of Season 3 of The White Lotus. I think Mike White is a genius and I appreciated the literary elements he included in the show (the brilliant connections to Greek mythology were my favourite moments). Perhaps, subconsciously, it was because I knew what to expect. The wide-eyed idealists, full of optimism cannot help but see the world through a rose-coloured lens. And Chelsea is no different. A lot of people have focused on whether the tormented Rick was a worthy recipient of Chelsea’s adoration and her unwavering loyalty and love towards him may not make sense to everyone. But it isn’t our place to judge; no one can fully understand the nuances of a relationship unless they are immersed in that particular relationship. At least Chelsea didn’t die alone like so many idealists do. She died alongside her beloved, their souls intertwined for eternity.

Work Cited 

“Amor Fati”. The White Lotus: Season 3, Episode 8, directed by Mike White, HBO, 2025

Bolt, Robert. A Man For All Seasons. New York: Vintage Books, 1960

Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet. Canada: HBJ, 1988

About the Author

Jodi Nathanson has been a High School English Teacher for over 20 years and currently teaches at Tanenbaum CHAT in Toronto, Canada. Jodi lives in Toronto with her husband, 2 daughters, a dog, and a cat. Her articles have appeared in Canadian Teacher Magazine, The Ottawa Citizen, The Montreal Gazette, The Vancouver Sun, Wilderness House Literary Review, British Shakespeare Association’s Teaching Shakespeare Magazine, Recovering the Self; A Journal of Hope and Healing, The Bangalore Review and Jewish Women of Words. Jodi is also the author of the YA novel The Merch King of Kappa; A Modern Retelling of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. She loves reading novels (especially the classics) and believes strongly in the power of words.

• idealism in fiction
• Idealists
• Jodi Nathanson
• The White Lotus