2 days Ago By [email protected] (Lucas Hill-Paul)
The White Lotus enthusiasts are convinced they've already sussed out the latest casualty in HBO's hit satirical murder mystery, with clues dropped in the very first episode of the third season. Set against the exotic backdrop of Thailand, this season's tale from creator Mike White follows a fresh batch of dysfunctional holidaymakers at a wellness retreat that takes a sinister twist. A flash-forward teases viewers with the promise of at least one death amidst a harrowing shooting, but as usual, the identity of both the victim and the shooter is expected to be kept under wraps until the nail-biting finale.
In the opening episode, which premiered on Sunday, February 16, audiences met three long-time friends on a swanky getaway: Kate (played by Leslie Bibb), Laurie (Carrie Coon), and Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan). Despite their longstanding friendship, it's clear there's underlying tension brewing among them, hinting at an explosive fallout as the series progresses. A sharp-eyed fan took their theories to Reddit after spotting potential foreshadowing during a scene where the trio watches a performance at dinner.
The Redditor noted: "When the Girls' Trip crew is at dinner watching the Khon performance, Kate and Laurie have to remind Jaclyn about a dance they did in college where they were each subordinate in some way to Jaclyn, who was the face and body of the shared character. "The important thing here is Jaclyn didn't remember. When the inevitable blow-up between these three occurs, I think it's going to be an issue of Kate and Laurie fighting for Jaclyn's approval or attention, rather than one of them having an issue with Jaclyn.
" Mission: Impossible star Monaghan plays a successful actress in The White Lotus, and her rising fame and wealth appear to ignite some envy among her two pals. Laurie, a single mum, seems to struggle with controlling her alcohol consumption and might be concealing something heartbreaking, as the episode ends with her returning to her room to weep uncontrollably while Jaclyn and Kate stay up gossiping. However, this theory doesn't predict Laurie to be the target of the shooter by the season's end.
The post pointed out a subtle hint: "Jaclyn is also wearing a pair of earrings in this scene that reference the comedy/tragedy masks often used to represent theatre. "She has Comedy on the side facing Laurie and Tragedy on the side facing Kate. "White Lotus enjoys keeping outlier characters like Quinn (Fred Hechinger) and Portia (Haley Lu Richardson) safe, and Laurie seems to fit into this category as well.
"Could it be that when tragedy strikes, Kate is the unfortunate one and Laurie emerges unscathed?" This clever piece of costume design seems obvious once you spot it, but this easily overlooked clue could be foreshadowing Kate getting entangled in this season's tragedy. Alternatively, it could simply be a reference to Jaclyn's acting career. What do you think? Is this theory plausible or will the victim turn out to be one of the other guests? The White Lotus continues Sundays on HBO and the following Monday on Sky Go and NOW.
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