Who will die in The White Lotus season 3? Seven theories for the finale

However, as with the first two seasons, we were once again offered a mystery, knowing that at least one person would end up dead - this time floating in a body of water following a flurry of gunshots.

With no shortage of tension amongst our cast of characters, who could be heading for the most dramatic fall of all?

Here are some of the biggest theories on who will die in the extended The White Lotus season 3 finale, Amor Fati.

Who will die in The White Lotus season 3?

Here are our top six theories about who will die in The White Lotus season 3 finale, taking into account where things stand after episode 7.

Theory 1: Rick and/or Frank

We left Rick (Walton Goggins) and Frank (Sam Rockwell) in the midst of a wild night out in Bangkok, marking a catastrophic return to alcoholism for the latter.

They're currently a short flight away from the Koh Samui resort, but it seems likely that Rick will reunite with Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood) there tomorrow, perhaps bringing Frank along with him to continue the party.

In fact, it seems plausible that the two of them could arrive back at the hotel in the early evening, at around the same time as the flash-forward we saw at the start of the season.

But the White Lotus co-owners Sritala (Lek Patravadi) and Jim Hollinger (Scott Glenn) may alert staff that Rick – one of the guests at their Koh Samui location – recently infiltrated their home under false pretences and assaulted one of them.

If so, it's likely that they would get a hostile response at the hotel gates from security guard Gaitok (Tayme Thapthimthong) and potentially Thai police, too, which might explain the multiple gunshots we hear in the opening tease.

Given that both men seem to have found some degree of inner peace in Thailand – albeit, in very different ways – screenwriter Mike White may well choose to end their stories here.

Theory 2: Timothy Ratliff

If there's one character who seems destined for an early grave by the end of episode 7, it would be Timothy Ratliff (Jason Isaacs), who has been on a self-destructive rampage for several days.

Having received word that his wealth, business and reputation will be stripped from him when he returns home – where he'll be charged with financial crimes, Timothy has spiralled into a drug and alcohol-fuelled stupor.

After days of erratic behaviour, including a viral scene in which he accidentally flashed his family, even Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger) realised that something was seriously wrong – and pleaded for his father to open up to him.

Not only did Timothy refuse to do so, but later that night, he even fantasised about murdering his family to stop them from finding out about his misdeeds. He also imagined, for the third time, taking his own life.

Clearly, Timothy is in a dire mental state going into the season 3 finale and his physical health might be deteriorating too after an enormous amount of booze and unprescribed medication.

To say he's a danger to himself and others is an understatement. The question is, can he get that gun back from Gaitok? Or will he simply wander into harm's way out of sheer intoxication and carelessness?

The main counter to this theory is that it's potentially just too obvious at this stage; particularly when The White Lotus season 3 cast all professed to be completely shocked by the final reveal.

Theory 3: Laurie or Jaclyn

Until episode 7, it seemed that longtime girlfriends Laurie (Carrie Coon), Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan) and Kate (Leslie Bibb) were relatively separate from the most dangerous season 3 subplots.

But now, Laurie finds herself in a difficult spot after sleeping with Alexei (Julian Kostov); a friend of hotel staff member Valentin (Arnas Fedaravičius), who subsequently attempted to pressure her into giving him $10,000.

During her escape, Laurie discovered that Alexei was involved in the gunpoint jewellery theft at the hotel, proving that he and his friends aren't afraid to become violent in order to get what they want.

Both Laurie and Jaclyn have slept with members of the group and divulged personal information about their lifestyles, leading them to be considered rich 'marks' for Valentin and Alexei.

It's possible that these holiday flings will come back to haunt them on their final day at The White Lotus, with the heartthrobs using their personal connections to Laurie and Jaclyn in order to rob them.

We know that they have access to guns from their previous theft, so it wouldn't take much for shots to start going off should something go wrong.

Theory 4: Gaitok or Valentin

If Valentin does attempt to get money out of the girlfriends before they leave the resort, it's quite possible that the scheme could backfire – or that hotel security guard Gaitok could be drawn into the danger.

As Valentin and Gaitok both have access to guns, that might explain the sheer number of shots heard in the opening flash-forward scene. Perhaps we can expect a tense shoot-out as the gang attempts to leave with more stolen valuables.

The question is, would Gaitok suppress his religious beliefs and become aggressive towards his attackers, in order to gain the approval of his bosses and love interest, Mook (Lalisa Manobal)?

Or alternatively, would he stay true to his spiritual commitment to pacifism, which could potentially leave him defenceless if Valentin or another of the robbers decide they want him out of the way?

A make-or-break stand-off between the two staff members is one possible scenario we might see play out in the season 3 finale, if Valentin decides to stage another grand theft.

Theory 5: Greg or Belinda

A key storyline in The White Lotus season 3 has been the surprise reunion between Maui resort spa manager Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) and Tanya McQuoid's scheming widow, Greg (Jon Gries).

The latter is lying low in Thailand, having successfully offed his heiress wife in an elaborate scheme (see season 2), but Belinda's keen eye for faces quickly picked him out in the hotel restaurant – a reintroduction that she may live to regret.

As of episode 7, Greg has offered Belinda a sum of $100,000 in hush money, which she could put towards starting the business that Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) cruelly bailed on at the end of the first season.

In a heated debate with her son, Belinda states that she can't in good conscience take the money, to which Zion (Nicholas Duvernay) raises the valid point that Greg might very well have her killed if she turns it down.

And so, Belinda remains in mortal danger due to her unflinching morals and strong desire to see the diabolical fugitive brought to justice. There is, however, a chance that the tables could turn on Greg himself.

After all, season 3's tagline reads "karma comes for everyone", so perhaps forces beyond our understanding have decided his number is up – or maybe it's Tanya's reincarnated spirit inside a monkey, as some have forecast (see below).

Theory 6: Chelsea

Not Chelsea, no!

The sweetest addition to the cast of The White Lotus season 3 has to be Aimee Lou Wood's consistently positive and spiritual Chelsea.

Persisting in her romance with the rather difficult and surly Rick, Chelsea has remained loyal and devoted to him despite his secret-keeping and haunted past, even going so far as to describe them as being in a yin and yang-style battle with each other.

Chelsea has also already had some brushes with death this season and noted that bad luck tends to come in threes. Could this be a final tempt of fate, and Rick's revenge mission against Jim Hollinger (Scott Glenn) might backfire and deprive him of his soulmate Chelsea?

It would be another dark move from Mike White - surely not....

Theory 7: A wild (monkey) card

One of the more outlandish theories floated by viewers of The White Lotus on social media is that one of the wild monkeys living around the hotel might snatch a gun from one of the armed characters – and proceed to wreak terrifying havoc.

This zany twist would avoid drawing any comparisons to real-life tourist tragedies that have occurred over the years, while adding an element of unpredictable chaos to the ending as virtually any character would be at risk.

The idea was inspired by repeated shots of monkeys at the beginning of the season, accompanied by a few lines stating how dangerous they can be – even without Tanya's vengeful spirit reaching out from the afterlife.

The White Lotus season 3 is available on Sky Atlantic and NOW.

Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.