3 Red Herrings From ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3 (And Why They’re Not The Killers)
So you think one of these characters could be the culprit? Nope--it would be too obvious.
To say I’ve been on the edge of my seat for Season 3 of Mike White’s The White Lotus would be an understatement. While many find the languid heat of this slow-burn too “boring,” I can’t help but see clues in every close-up.
Here’s the thing about a good mystery, though: There’ll be a lot of red herrings. A red herring is something–usually a person–in a mystery that draws your attention away from the truth. This often manifests as a character who seems like the obvious choice as the killer, only to be revealed as nothing more than a diversion by the time the real murderer has been revealed. It’s the magician’s trick–“Look here, not there.” And there are plenty of red herrings in The White Lotus season 3. Before you start thinking that these characters are the ones leading the gunfight revealed in the first episode, perhaps you should look behind them instead.
Spoiler warning: We may reveal plot points through episode five.
Greg/Gary
Why it’s too obvious: Gary lives on the island with his girlfriend, coming down occasionally to hang with all the other bald, rich, white men who’ve mysteriously nabbed young hotties. But Belinda quickly realizes he’s Greg from another season of the show–and now he’s asked all about her. We see him looking up info about her on his computer and see her appropriately stressed when she learns he’s got his eye on her. Right now, he’s being telegraphed as a huge threat.
Why it can’t be him: It would feel a little cheap for him to be the one to orchestrate the big shooting of the season. After all, we’ve seen him before. The White Lotus is supposed to be an anthology show where each season has a different story, so bringing him in to be the Big Bad would be a major bummer. (Plus, he better not hurt a single hair on Belinda’s head or I riot.)
Timothy Ratliff
Why it’s too obvious: I mean…he has a gun. And since he didn’t use it on himself at the end of episode 5 (darn), there’s a chance he could use it on someone else. Here’s the thing, though: He’s very much being set up as a character with nothing to lose. His world is going under and he’d do anything not to let his family know. Add in the fact that he talked to Gary about staying on the island and it certainly seems like he’s being pushed as the most likely suspect, similar to the real-life murders perpetrated by Alex Murdaugh.
Why it can’t be him: In addition to being way too obvious, he’s got two things working against him being the Big Bad. He’s way too drugged-up now and he’s only got one gun. The shooting that happens at the end of the season has waaayyy more shooting than this one gun can handle and he’s too much of a drugged-up coward to look for more.
Rick Hatchett
Why it’s too obvious: He’s clearly got a past. He’s killed people before and he’s specifically on this trip to kill at least one person. Plus, thanks to his oversharing friend, he now has a bag full of guns. And, if you judge him by the way he acted in the first few episodes, you really couldn’t put it past him to have absolutely no remorse.
Why it can’t be him: He has experience with this. There’s no way he’d fire indiscriminately into the wilderness like the killer does for the big shooting. Bullets are flying everywhere and Rick’s a professional. Plus, he’s on his own emotional journey of character growth–it’d be a shame to see him backslide. Amrita would be so disappointed.
Then who’s left?
Plenty of people could be the real killers of Season 3. Heck, there could be multiple separate murderers that aren’t actually connected. But there are a few people I have in mind as the likely culprits: The Russians who partied with the trio of ladies, the tatted security guards, and, most of all, Lachlan Rattliff. What do you think?
