The White Lotus is one of those shows that lulls its audience into a false sense of knowledge. Given that each season is loaded with hidden clues, clever symbolism and masterful meaning, we are not only trying to guess the murdered and the murderer, but we are trying to work out what all the characters and their storylines represent too.
Mike White, the show's creator, does not do things by halves. He even said himself season three is 'bigger, longer, crazier,' than ever before. So if you've found yourself wanting to understand the show on a deeper level or to put your conspiracy theories to the test, then you've come to the right place.
Here are all the most convincing theories about The White Lotus season three that are currently doing the rounds on social media.
The Ratliff siblings symbolise the proverb 'see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil'
The three Ratliff siblings might represent three different aspects of Buddhism. Saxon, the eldest, is 'see no evil'. He works at his father's company (where things are going catastrophically wrong) but willingly hands over his phone to the hotel when his father tells him to. Saxon also seems hellbent on prioritising his own wants, needs and point of view – the horrors of the world around him are of little consequence.
Piper is 'hear no evil'. She is, as of yet, the only sibling who wants to engage in the culture around her and takes issue with some of her family's more conservative values. Piper also has little interest in spending time with Saxon and prefers her own company.
The youngest brother, Lochlan, is 'speak no evil'. There are theories that suggest he is queer and has not had that conversation with his family yet, especially with the misogynistic Saxon. Or there's the idea that he is going to overhear something crucial to the plot in a future episode and choose to keep the information to himself.
The Ratliff's are inspired by The Staircase
Some fans have noticed that there are some curious ties between The White Lotus season three and the HBO show, The Staircase. Firstly, both Patrick Schwarzenegger (who plays Saxon) and Parker Posey (who plays Victoria) were in the HBO show.
The show explores the 2001 murder of Kathleen Peterson, who was found dead at the bottom of a staircase, and the trial of her husband, crime novelist Michael Peterson. 'Ratliff' is even the surname of Michael and Kathleen's friend Elizabeth, who was also found dead at the bottom of a staircase.
There's also the fact that Michael Peterson became Elizabeth Ratliff's children's legal guardian after her death. Perhaps the three siblings are step-siblings, which would explain the popular 'incest' theories between the two brothers.
The season three Ratliffs come from the same US state, North Carolina, as the Peterson family. Apparently there is also a Berlin-based photographer called Michael Petersohn whose work in Thailand has earned him notable praise....
Valentin was involved with the hotel robbery
It would have been difficult to get through the first episode without noticing Valentin, the toned, topless wellness guru working at the hotel. However, did you notice that he pulled up to the front gate to chat to Gaitok just as the armed robbers drove in and ended up robbing the hotel jewellery shop? Well, we did.
Does that mean it was an inside job? And Valentin is in cahoots with the thieves? If so, what else is he capable of? We'll have to keep an eye on this one.
Chloe was involved with the hotel robbery
Speaking of the hotel robbery, Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood) was left petrified as the armed robber broke in while she was trying on jewellery, but her new friend Chloe was conveniently tucked away in the changing room the whole time. Did she know what was about to happen? Does she know her boyfriend Greg/ Gary is a crook? Or is it another red herring?
Greg or 'Gary' will want to get rid of Belinda
It must be every master criminal's nightmare to see someone from their former life show up in the middle of dinner. When Belinda, the health spa manager from The White Lotus Hawaii in season one, walked up to Gary to say he looked familiar, he must have been at least a tiny bit nervous.
Of course, she was right. Gary, formerly known as Greg, met Belinda's former massage client Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) in season one and by season two they were married. It wasn't love, sadly, Greg hired the mafia to have Tanya killed so that he can run off with her fortune. Now that he's been outed in Thailand, will there be consequences for Belinda?
Monkey murder
Throughout all three seasons of The White Lotus, monkeys have played a sneaky role. Either through the theme tune, the hotel decor or running around the grounds. In season three, however, they seem to play a bigger role than ever before. There are some slightly wild theories online that one of the monkeys grabs the gun and runs rampant in the finale, shooting the victim we saw in episode one. Let's see...
Nikki Peach is a writer at Grazia UK, working across pop culture, TV and news. She has also written for the i, i-D and the New Statesman Media Group and covers all things TV for Grazia (treating high and lowbrow shows with equal respect).