S03.E08: Amor Fati

[Giuseppe]

No, I agree with those who said Belinda did not do to Pornchai what Tonya did to Belinda. Not in that sense anyway. Pornchai brought up that idea to Belinda and she was hesitant to discuss it. She never asked him for a business plan or told him she couldn't wait to go into business with him, or anything like that. Belinda never promised him anything.

What I DO think is a similar parallel to Tonya, is that Pornchai thought he and Belinda had a genuine romantic interest in each other, and when she told him he was leaving, he was more hurt by the thought that it wasn't genuine to her. I thought he brought up the "what about our business plan?" as just an excuse because what he really wanted to say was 'but I thought we really liked each other". IMO, that's why he was hurt, not because of them not going into business together. 

I felt so bad for Lochlan this episode. Kid's gonna need therapy.

Edited April 7 by Giuseppe

[truthaboutluv]

35 minutes ago, Blakeston said:

It's not that she made the same offer to Pornchai that Tonya made to her. It's that when she was telling Pornchai that she was no longer interested in opening a spa together, it was reminiscent of the scene where Tonya said that to her.

Belinda was being awkward much in the same way that Tonya was, standing there and stammering while Pornchai pretended he was't hurt. It had to have been a deliberate parallel on Mike White's part.

What makes Belinda shitty, IMO, isn't that she did anything terrible to Pornchai. It's her hypocrisy in that once she got some money, everything she said about how important the spa was to her went out the window. Her opening the spa was supposed to be the one good thing to come out of Tonya's death (and a way of honoring Tonya). And now we're left to wonder if she even cares about it at all.

Again, maybe I just interpreted the scenes differently but I didn’t take Belinda’s actions as a given that she has zero interest in ever opening a spa like she’d talked about.

I took it as she was overwhelmed, still naturally freaked out and worried that Gary might still come after her and her son and just wanted to put as much distance between him and them as quickly as possible and have a moment to catch her breath.

The fact is at the end of the day, Belinda owed nothing to this man she only just met and hooked up with once. Whereas Tanya literally made promises to her that she flaked out on. So, no, I’m just not seeing the parallels. 

Edited April 7 by truthaboutluv

[rollacoaster]

12 minutes ago, Giuseppe said:

I felt so bad for Lochlan this episode. Kid's gonna need therapy.

And, he definitely won't get it. I was really hoping he would die. That would have been truly impactful and gut-wrenching. That would have shaken up that family. And it would have been on Tim, for not taking the time to WASH OUT A BLENDER WITH POISON RESIDUE IN IT. 

I feel like Lochlan was just trying to please his father by saying he didn't mind being poor. And to please/emulate his brother by making and drinking that shake. People pleaser to the end, bless his heart. Though, big bro would have washed that blender. 

Piper's gonna grow up to be a mini-Victoria.

I'm not mad at Belinda. When she was working as spa manager, I can see why owning a spa would be a big dream to her. However, $5 million dollars opens up options and allows you to consider what you might really want to do with your life. Or, just allows you a few moments to just chill after a lifetime of working. 

I, too thought that the boat that she and Zion was on was gonna explode. 

The ending song bugged me. A little too on the nose, plus it was in jarring contrast to the rest of the series music. 

 

[kittykat]

All in all an interesting finale.

I was hoping the leaks weren't true but alas Chelsea dies because Rick could not let it go.  Like father like son.

Thought Lochy was a goner there. Mike White even says in the inside the episode that there was a Greek Tragedy feel to these characters so it would have been ironic if the one person Tim was trying to save ended up dead.  Still, the Ratliffs are going to be alright. They may be bonkers but they have each other. I did find it interesting that Saxon and Piper had reverse arcs.  Saxon trying to find a deeper meaning in life and Piper recognizing and owning her privilege.  Had to laugh at Victoria supporting her daughter while trying her hardest to hide her gloating.

The three ladies live on.  Laurie loves her friends and realizes they are the one constant in her life. Oddly upbeat for them but ok.

Interesting angle that the guests actually came away with a small amount of enlightenment but it's the help this go around that compromises their morals.  Gaitok breaks his faith to kill Rick and impress Mook.  Belinda pulls the rug out from under Pornchai and walks away with the big bucks.  And it totally was a callback to what Tanya did.  And Greg lives to smirk another day.

Well I was entertained even if the season was uneven.  

[CarpeFelis]

1 hour ago, kitkat343 said:

Victoria showed herself to be quite clever at times, especially figuring out how to keep her baby from joining a cult in china.  She also had a lot of great one liners, although she wasn't ever actually trying to be funny.    In my mind, she hires a ghost writer who writes a hysterical autobiography of her life and it winds up being a bestselling book describing the life of a woman who had everything and lost it all when her husband committed a crime.  

I so wanted to see what she’d do if she found out Tim was the one who stole her lorazepam. Missed comedic opportunity, Mike White!

Would also have enjoyed a scene with the Ratliffs getting off the plane only to find FBI agents waiting to haul Tim off in handcuffs.

Bummer the Russians got away with it.

ETA: Gaitok may think he’s got everything he wants now, but life with Mook isn’t going to be as great as he thinks. She’ll just keep pushing him to get more promotions until she drives him completely nuts.

Edited April 7 by CarpeFelis

[T Summer]

Rick probably didn't expect that old man to threaten him with a gun after pushing him over,  but he just went back to the resort he and Sritala own and didn't expect him to sic his bodyguards on him or anything?

So Lochlan's motivation was supposedly being a people pleaser? His first time in sexual congress with a woman  and he reaches out and touches his brother because he didn' t want him to feel left out?

Most people can't keep 2 thoughts going at the same time!

Anyway, ew 🤢 😵‍💫🤮

 

Tim sees his first born son who's  following  in his footsteps make smoothies in that blender he requested every day... and he just leaves deadly  Pong Pong fruit residue in it and goes to bed? Right.

Piper could tell the food wasn't organic?🤭

Belinda should've called the police in Italy in the beginning and never let on she recognized Greg/Gary.

The 3  blondes were  so boring, so shallow... to the bitter end. 🥱Did Laurie really say I'm glad you have a beautiful face [Jackie] and I'm glad you have a beautiful life [Kate]?

Most of all I feel cheated not seeing Victoria's reaction to her demotion to having  to live like a regular person. She's gonna need more meds.

Glad to see Frank back at the monestary praying.

Sawadee Krap Thailand

 

Edited April 7 by T Summer
added the word more

[Roccos Brother]

I kept hoping Lachlan would be spared from drinking the kool-aid; and honestly, who the hell doesn't wash out a blender before reusing it the next day? Gross. But once it seemed apparent that his fate was sealed, I think it would've been much more poignant and poetic if he did turn out to be the only one in the Ratliff family to have died, instead of that cop-out.

The blond blob's storyline didn't really feel resolved. As I mentioned last week, Kate seems to be particularly difficult to write for, as she seems to be the only one in the group who didn't really have an arc nor was there ever a crack in her facade. It feels like there's a lot more still left unsaid and unaccounted for between the three. That brief moment of vulnerability at their last dinner was a bit too little, too late.

I know everyone wished for Greg to get his comeuppance, but that would have been too obvious. I would argue that giving Belinda her happy ending was also a bit too obvious. 

I also don't like that the Russians got away with everything, but Gaitok and Mook both got what they wanted in the end, so maybe none of it really mattered.

The reveal about Rick's dad was exactly what everyone predicted, and it felt anticlimactic - I don't know if it was the way it was scripted or maybe Patravadi's acting ("He's your father! He told me!") just wasn't up to the task for that dramatic moment, but it just didn't feel convincing to me.

Edited April 7 by Roccos Brother

[Corgi-ears]

"I am planning to kill almost my entire family. The universe devised a test for my daughter -- she spent a couple of days at a monastery, and found it hard-going. Thus, she is obviously not cut out for our impending life of poverty. Poison shake for her! I'm undecided about my youngest son; perhaps I'll just ask him if he can deal with not owning a house. If he says he's ok, I'll take him at his word. I'll spare him, by which I mean I'll let him watch his entire family die.

Oh, my eldest son is definitely getting a pong pong seed. I mean, have you met him?"

Edited April 7 by Corgi-ears

[AntFTW]

3 minutes ago, Roccos Brother said:

The blond blob's storyline didn't really feel resolved. As I mentioned last week, Kate seems to be particularly difficult to write for, as she seems to be the only one in the group who didn't really have an arc nor was there ever a crack in her facade. It feels like there's a lot more still left unsaid and unaccounted for between the three. That brief moment of vulnerability at their last dinner was a bit too little, too late.

My expected were probably too high because I did expect more than we got from the blonde squad's storyline.

[Cheezwiz]

I found the conclusion of this season very satisfying. In fact, although I felt the in-between episodes dragged, and could have been compressed a bit (a loooot of repitition of storylines), I think I actually preferred this season to Season 2 in Italy.

I did question the fact that all of  the Ratliff's initially took pretty big gulps of their Pina Coladas before Tim smacked them out of their hands. Even if they didn't croak, something that toxic surely would have made everyone feel pretty sick by the next morning no? It would have been much more powerful to have had Lochlyn die (and I genuinely thought he was a goner), especially since Dad was trying to spare him. Nonetheless, they all grew on me, and I was glad to see them depart together. Kudos to Patrick Schwarzenegger - he did a great job with his role.

I almost got the feeling that Gaitok was leaving Mook behind and not looking back as he drove away on his new security detail with Sri-Tala.

Poor Rick & Chelsea. Sorry those two crazy kids didn't make it. Together forever as she predicted.

I can't really fault Belinda for not wanting to immediately open a spa. If that kind of coin suddenly came into my life, I'd want to just put my feet up and breathe as well!

I really hope we're done with Gary - I don't want to see him again. But I will watch further seasons!

Any guesses on what country might be featured next?

 

[Snazzy Daisy]

Well, a fan favorite always dies. It has started to become a pattern.

Chelsea was right about 2 things:

• Bad things come in threes.
• Rick and her were soulmates.

The irony of Rick and Chelsea floating in the water, facing up and down like yin and yang. ☯️

[Madding crowd]

My thoughts: they didn’t do a good job of writing Lochlan as a believable character. We see him staring at his brother’s ass, then being told by the posture coach he needs to bring out his feminine side only to find out his actions in the boat were because he’s a people pleaser. Lots of folks are people pleasers but almost none of them would do that to their brother.

I don’t believe Tim wouldn’t have just thrown that blender away-who leaves poison lying around? Also Lochlan smelled it before using it and should have smelled the coconut milk his dad said went bad. I also don’t believe a high end resort would have hanging poison fruit trees in front of peoples rooms. I get it that poison plants are everywhere but guests aren’t crunching random leaves, fruit is another matter. Seeing Tim at the end talking about embracing change just made me think the family will never know he tried to kill them . I liked Saxon’s arc and think he will look to improve himself. 

[NeenerNeener]

8 hours ago, Sailorgirl26 said:

I the only one who thought her boat was going to blow up as they were heading out? Greg does like to arrange boat deaths....

You're not the only one!

[Blakeston]

7 hours ago, truthaboutluv said:

Again, maybe I just interpreted the scenes differently but I didn’t take Belinda’s actions as a given that she has zero interest in ever opening a spa like she’d talked about.

I took it as she was overwhelmed, still naturally freaked out and worried that Gary might still come after her and her son and just wanted to put as much distance between him and them as quickly as possible and have a moment to catch her breath.

The fact is at the end of the day, Belinda owed nothing to this man she only just met and hooked up with once. Whereas Tanya literally made promises to her that she flaked out on. So, no, I’m just not seeing the parallels. 

We don't know for sure whether Belinda will open a spa or not, but I think Mike White wants us to believe that she won't.

He went out of his way to compare her to Tonya in this episode, with the scene where she disappoints Pornchai being quite similar to the scene where Tonya disappoints Belinda.

At the end, when Belinda and Zion were chilling on the boat while Pornchai looks on awkwardly, it seemed like the message was, "Belinda is the newest member of the careless, self-centered rich."

This message wouldn't make sense if she turned around and built a spa for working-class women soon after she got back to Hawaii. 

I don't think she's as bad as Tonya (especially because she never made an agreement with Pornchai), but the finale cast her in that light.

[snarts]

The most unbelievable part for me was the stress therapy lady turning Rick away when he was obviously having a breakdown. It surprised me that she wouldn't take 5-10 min to try to talk him down. I also thought Zion might say something like "dude, go ahead, you seem like you need this session more than I do" since he was already mentally checked out of the resort. It sucks that Rick tried to get himself help at the last minute & couldn't. Poor Chelsea.

Lochlan should've died. Nothing in Tim's actions show me that he's ready to go home & face the music. If he was planning a family annihilation by just the thought of being under investigation/charged, how will he handle the stress at home with all the publicity? 

[SlovakPrincess]

6 minutes ago, snarts said:

. Nothing in Tim's actions show me that he's ready to go home & face the music. If he was planning a family annihilation by just the thought of being under investigation/charged, how will he handle the stress at home with all the publicity? 

He’s absolutely not ready to face his dire reality, none of them are.  But that’s life - they’ll need to figure it out, as ill equipped as they are.  In the end Tim realized struggle and even humiliation was better than death.
 

I had more understanding for Mook and Gaitok’s cynical ending than Belinda, as they were truly trapped in dead end jobs …. I know Belinda worked hard but at the end of the day she was able to put her son through college (and he would probably end up getting a high paid finance job and support her in retirement), and her job paid for her to  experience a luxurious spa in Thailand for a week.  Was it really worth selling her soul for 5 million?

[peeayebee]

I did not like the finale.

9 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

I thought the shots of Lochy in the water were stunning and almost made this season worth it.  

The best part of the finale was the cinematography. The shot of Lochlan below water looking up and seeing the four monks was gorgeous. At first I thought it was his family, but the silhouettes looked like monks. Maybe he blended the two together in his mind.

And speaking of blending...

It made sense to me the Lochlan didn't rinse it out. Tim kept denying him one of the drinks. He didn't want to be treated like a kid. I remember as a kid drinking from leftover cocktails from my parents' parties. I can see him discounting his dad's warning about the coconut milk being bad. 

And I'm not bothered by Tim's not cleaning out the blender. He had other things on his mind. He nearly killed his family and himself. He was going thru a nervous breakdown. Of course it's bad that he didn't clean it, but it makes sense to me.

I thought he had taken a pretty big gulp at the beginning, so I expected to see him at least vomiting later. The others, I think, took sips and didn't like it. When there was a long shot of Saxon drinking, I'm pretty sure he was pretending. He had it to his lips but wasn't ingesting. It tasted bad, so I don't think anyone really wanted to drink it.

 

26 minutes ago, snarts said:

The most unbelievable part for me was the stress therapy lady turning Rick away when he was obviously having a breakdown. It surprised me that she wouldn't take 5-10 min to try to talk him down. I also thought Zion might say something like "dude, go ahead, you seem like you need this session more than I do" since he was already mentally checked out of the resort. 

Yup. I found this unbelievable as well. We saw before how kind and gentle and helpful she was. Everything you said makes sense.

I read parts of interviews where the actors said, "You'll never guess what happens!" Seems like a lot of viewers DID guess correctly. The surprises for me were Belinda and Zion working to trick GaryGreg into giving them so much money (though I think he probably wasn't really tricked), Lochlan NOT dying, and, frankly, Piper discovering that being poor is yucky. I know many people predicted that would be her reaction, but I was surprised and disappointed in her.

What an anticlimax to hear that Jim really was Rick's dad. 

And Rick? What an asshole. I hated that he couldn't let it go and killed Jim because he said bad things about his mom and 'dad.'

I really think it would have been better if a monkey had grabbed a gun and shot up the place.

And Fabian. He was comic relief. In the previous ep where we get this buildup to his performing, only to barely see it, was pretty funny. I think it was a joke from Mike White. And this is reinforced in this ep where he comically falls into the water. 

The three friends? Whatever. Nice for them that they're all friends like at the start, but I just didn't like it. 

Zion? I liked him in the first couple of eps we saw him in, but boy did I dislike him when he was all "I'm a business major. I know how to negotiate." Nope. And I was disappointed in Belinda.

I guess we don't have to like all the characters.

I'll have to think about the ep more later.

 

[slowpoked]

8 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

I really hated the way he spoke to her.  I don't care if he was right in the end, he was so condescending to his mother.  He also seemed oblivious as to how dangerous Greg actually was, and the risk to his mother's life.  

This. He was the low key villain of the season. All he could think of was the money, and how he would be able to “close the deal.” I also hated the way he was “let’s let the businessmen do the talking, huh?!”

Belinda’s morals went out the window once she saw Gary flinched about giving her more $$$. She put a price on her morals and their lives for 5M. Good deal I guess. But eh, I could have done w/o that storyline.

I’ve always said I would be disappointed if the death wasn’t a hotel guest. I got what I wanted but it’s still not a satisfying payoff. It would have been great if Lochlan died - the one Ratliff who could live off w/o their family’s wealth - was the one who suffered from the materialism of his family. That would have been a real life lesson to the Ratliffs - to their materialistic mother, the asshole father, and two equally shallow siblings. Instead, they get to go home all alive “as a family” but w/o a house and money. Womp womp. I was hoping there would be one more death as Tim chooses to join the waves in his death, as per what he learned from the monk.

This finale is super underwhelming.  1.5 hours of pensive looks, crashing waves, monkeys, but no important time devoted to what ultimately drove the death this season - Rick and his father. Of course he is told he is his father after he shot him. What a very original idea from Mike White.

While the cast was great, this is the worst season for me so far. S2 still tops it for me, despite some equally horrible characters. But at least we got some great acting from Meghan Fahy. Parkey’s over-drawling just didn’t do it for me.

[Chaos Theory]

I don't think Belinda is Tanya.  I think she wanted to get out of Thailand as fast as possible.   There was a gunfight and Greg  would  be fine if she died.   And besides I think that might actually be the point of her story arc.  It really is unfair to expect someone to plan their entire life based on what is promised on a  week long vacation.  

The Ratliffs grew on me.  I liked the conversation dad had with Lochlan and that he seemed to be the one to be fine if they lost all their money.   Even Piper with all her empathy for poor people didn't actually want to be one of them.   Lochlan was the most undefined of the three kids but I think that was because Piper and Saxon were always dragging him along and using him along so they wouldn't be alone.   Saxon cutting off Lochlan because of the incest stuff and Piper not wanting to stay after all forced him to be alone with himself.    I think all the siblings had some character development and they became my favorite story.  

 

[txhorns79]

1 hour ago, snarts said:

The most unbelievable part for me was the stress therapy lady turning Rick away when he was obviously having a breakdown. It surprised me that she wouldn't take 5-10 min to try to talk him down.

I wasn't surprised by that.  I'm sure she could get into trouble if she cut into a paying guest's session to deal with a third party.

[ahpny]

10 hours ago, overtherainbow said:

And I guess Mook likes Gaitok again now that he's shown he's capable of killing someone. 

More like murdering someone. Shooting a fleeing criminal in the back in midflight, while that criminal craddles an innocent victim, is hardly the stuff of heroism. But I suppose that's the point. Mook gets the craven, ruthless, violent guy she wants.

10 hours ago, overtherainbow said:

The three friends ended on a wholesome note. I loved that. Still feel like a lot of their bickering could've been condensed. 

That worked for me as well. Husbands, lovers and hangers-on come and go. But friendship can prove most eternal. Despite their flaws and bickering, they do care for each other and enjoy each other's company. 

9 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Either way, the Ratliff family are all still in one piece (and none the wiser, I guess?  Kind of didn't explain any of that), but I can only imagine what the reaction will be once they realize Tim is possibly going to jail and they may have lost everything. 

This did not work for me. After all the suicidal and murderous ideation, I thought a definitive scene with the family learning the truth and the father accepting blame, or at least being confronted with what he'd done, was warranted. 

10 hours ago, chaifan said:

And Gary lives, along with his $495 million.

This part made little sense to me, for both Greg/Gary and Belinda. For Greg/Gary, what guarantee does he have that Belinda won't take the money and snitch later? Her "word?" That's good enough? He has no enforcement mechanism, short of whacking her. For Belinda, I don't see her accepting the money as completely, morally bankrupt, maybe 75%. I didn't see some bedroom talk about mutual business opportunities as much of a committment or a binding promise - but that still stings for the "jilted" guy. As Zion said, what good would rejecting the money do? And in a way, it's sort of is what Tonya would have wanted, or at least everyone can tell themselves that. But what guarantee does she get by taking the money? How can she live without fear that Greg/Gary won't come after her anyway? There is no honor among thieves. A fraught situation for all that didn't seem to be eased by the transference of $5 million.

[slowpoked]

2 hours ago, snarts said:

 

The most unbelievable part for me was the stress therapy lady turning Rick away when he was obviously having a breakdown. It surprised me that she wouldn't take 5-10 min to try to talk him down. I also thought Zion might say something like "dude, go ahead, you seem like you need this session more than I do" since he was already mentally checked out of the resort. It sucks that Rick tried to get himself help at the last minute & couldn't. Poor Chelsea.

 

It’s the Sliding Doors theory right? What if the therapist did take in Rick, even if only for 5 mins? Then he wouldn’t have been on that bench, he wouldn’t have seen his father taking pictures and Chelsea (and him) would have most likely gotten out unscathed and alive.

Just occurred to me that Saxon thought he was easily going to get laid during this vacation. And the only action he got in the entire week was from his brother. Even sober Frank got more action than him. Poor guy, lol!

Edited April 7 by slowpoked

[Conotocarious]

11 hours ago, Is Everyone Gone said:

FWIW, I always had an off vibe about Belinda. Her blowing off Rachel in S1 never sat right with me. Not surprised that once she got the bag, she became Tanya. 

I ended up liking Tim, Victoria, and the kids. They're not perfect, but you do believe they're a family that loves each other. I'm glad they all survived.

Poor Chelsea. She was too pure for the world.

I don’t think what Belinda did to Pornchai was wrong, so…In fact when he proposed the “let’s go into business together” she looked guarded and nowhere near enthusiastic. They barely knew each other and all of the sudden she’s going into business with him in Thailand? She was there a few days and that’s in no way enough time to know if you want to make that kind of commitment. I don’t know that  would describe her as “off”, I’d describe her as normal. And as for taking the money at all I don’t know anyone at all who would turn it down to maybe pursue some justice (but most likely nothing would come of it and then you’re on a shit list for life). Not a single person. And if you think you do know someone, all you know is someone who hasn’t been presented such an offer.

[chaifan]

25 minutes ago, Chaos Theory said:

I don't think Belinda is Tanya.  I think she wanted to get out of Thailand as fast as possible.   There was a gunfight and Greg  would  be fine if she died.   And besides I think that might actually be the point of her story arc.  It really is unfair to expect someone to plan their entire life based on what is promised on a  week long vacation.  

I agree that the Belinda = Tanya comparison is a poor one.  I said the same earlier.  But the big thing here is nothing was promised to Pornchai.  That's my big issue with this comparison.  It could have been written to make the two plots more comparable, but there was literally a one sentence suggestion/ask by Pornchai, and an incredibly non-committal answer by Belinda.  If they had followed this up with going over spa plans over dinner, or even pillow talk after they slept together, then this would be more of a Tanya-esque situation.  But it's really nowhere near it.  

1 hour ago, SlovakPrincess said:

I had more understanding for Mook and Gaitok’s cynical ending than Belinda, as they were truly trapped in dead end jobs

Mook and Gaitok were not in dead end jobs.  From a Thai standpoint, those were good jobs in a very hot industry.  To be working in not just an upscale resort, but probably one of the most upscale resorts in the country, is not a dead end job.  With TWL on their resume they could get hired at any other resort they wanted, they were not "trapped".  Gaitok had opportunities for advancement - that was Mook's whole issue.  She wanted a guy who wanted to advance in his career.  This is why it also bothers me when people refer to Mook as a "gold digger".  I think the character was poorly crafted, swung from friend zone to mild interest, to interest only if Gaitok would grow a pair, to disinterested again, and then finally, oh, I'm really not sure where they ended up.  If she was a gold digger she would have been going after rich guests, not a mid-level security guard.  

 

[SlovakPrincess]

I'm not sure I buy that Lochlan actually would have been the most ok living without money (especially after the trauma of the whole family dying).*  He might have just given the answer he thought would please his dad.

On some level, even in his insanity, Tim did not actually want his whole family to go down but was grasping at any sign that he could "spare" at least one of them. Thankfully (and possibly because he finally ran out of pills and maybe some logic began to return to his brain), he stopped himself.  

* Also, not clear Piper couldn't, under any circumstances, just because she balked at her first night in the monastery.  If she had been doing it for the right reasons (an actual interest in Buddhism instead of trying to prove she's interesting and not a spoiled princess), or had more thoughtful parents (who might've told her that if she truly wanted something, she couldn't run away at the first discomfort), it could have been a different story.  

Indeed, they're all going to have to figure it out, now.

[txhorns79]

11 minutes ago, ahpny said:

This part made little sense to me, for both Greg/Gary and Belinda. For Greg/Gary, what guarantee does he have that Belinda won't take the money and snitch later? Her "word?" That's good enough?

She's made herself an accomplice to the crime by accepting money to keep quiet.  If she comes forward now, she loses the money and puts herself (and potentially her son) at risk for arrest.  That's a strong incentive to stay quiet.

Edited April 7 by txhorns79

[Harvey]

Mike White, in a recent interview, articulated a deliberate creative choice for this season's structure, explicitly designing it to leverage the anticipation inherent in a weekly episodic release. His primary goal appears to have been the cultivation of a persistent state of suspense, oscillating between nervousness, excitement, and perhaps even frustration, like watching a tightly wound thriller. 

This deliberate pacing culminated in another slow episode, with significant plot developments reserved for the last half-hour. Mr. White's intention, it seems, was not to create a good watching experience, but rather to evoke a specific emotional response in the audience. 

Consequently, for a future viewing of the next season, a complete, uninterrupted consumption upon its full release is for sure a better experience. The entire viewing experience would have been more rewarding when watched in one go without that insufferable weekly wait.

[SlovakPrincess]

12 minutes ago, chaifan said:

Mook and Gaitok were not in dead end jobs.  From a Thai standpoint, those were good jobs in a very hot industry.  To be working in not just an upscale resort, but probably one of the most upscale resorts in the country, is not a dead end job.  With TWL on their resume they could get hired at any other resort they wanted, they were not "trapped".  Gaitok had opportunities for advancement - that was Mook's whole issue.  She wanted a guy who wanted to advance in his career.  This is why it also bothers me when people refer to Mook as a "gold digger".  

 

At the start of the season, it appeared they were both having at least some kind of money problems (or at least she had a non-working old moped).  And his only means of advancement was to change something fundamental about himself - that seemed to be the whole point of his story arc.  

I don't think Mook is a "gold digger," either, I think she was very practical about what it would take for Gaitok to advance and do well, and about what she wanted in a partner.  It was just at odds with Gaitok's principles of nonviolence - and it's not Mook's fault he didn't offer her a better explanation and spirited defense of those principles.  Perhaps if he had, she would have come to admire that - or not.  We'll never know.  

[MicheleinPhilly]

6 minutes ago, Harvey said:

Mike White, in a recent interview, articulated a deliberate creative choice for this season's structure, explicitly designing it to leverage the anticipation inherent in a weekly episodic release. His primary goal appears to have been the cultivation of a persistent state of suspense, oscillating between nervousness, excitement, and perhaps even frustration, like watching a tightly wound thriller. 

This deliberate pacing culminated in another slow episode, with significant plot developments reserved for the last half-hour. Mr. White's intention, it seems, was not to create a good watching experience, but rather to evoke a specific emotional response in the audience. 

Consequently, for a future viewing of the next season, a complete, uninterrupted consumption upon its full release is for sure a better experience. The entire viewing experience would have been more rewarding when watched in one go without that insufferable weekly wait.

As someone who watched the whole thing in a week, I can assure you that the viewing experience was NOT rewarding. 

I sincerely hope this season doesn't hog a bunch of undeserved Emmy nominations, although I'm sure it will. 🙄

Count me in the "Belinda is nothing like Tanya" camp. That's a massive reach and there also isn't any indication that she's given up on her dream entirely. For now, she just wanted to get the F out of Dodge and as she said to Zion, "Can I just be rich for 5 minutes?" The woman is a service worker, servicing rich twats at that. Can she take a damn break? 

The highlight of this episode for me was Victoria asking Tim "Have you ever heard of wine?" I flipping cackled. 

[slowpoked]

22 minutes ago, Harvey said:

Mike White, in a recent interview, articulated a deliberate creative choice for this season's structure, explicitly designing it to leverage the anticipation inherent in a weekly episodic release. His primary goal appears to have been the cultivation of a persistent state of suspense, oscillating between nervousness, excitement, and perhaps even frustration, like watching a tightly wound thriller. 

This deliberate pacing culminated in another slow episode, with significant plot developments reserved for the last half-hour. Mr. White's intention, it seems, was not to create a good watching experience, but rather to evoke a specific emotional response in the audience. 

Consequently, for a future viewing of the next season, a complete, uninterrupted consumption upon its full release is for sure a better experience. The entire viewing experience would have been more rewarding when watched in one go without that insufferable weekly wait.

I don’t mind slow burning series/movies. One of my favorite movies ever was In The Mood For Love, and I know a lot of people who complained that that movie put them to sleep. 

It’s just that you want a great payoff too from all the slow burn. When ultimately nothing happens, then you’re just like, what the heck did I just watch?!

Mook never seemed materialistic to me. Like most observed, if it’s $$$ she’s after, there are a lot of bald, rich guys she can go after, with her pretty face, which Chelsea noted when they first met. There’s nothing wrong with wanting the guy you like to also strive for more in life. I had a boyfriend once whom I loved for his humor and personality, but ultimately I broke things off when I realized he’s the type who wouldn’t get off his couch. 

I wish though that Gaitok had the guts to tell Khun Sritala about the Russians, especially with his newfound good standing with her.

I hope to never see anyone from this group again in the future TWL. Fine, Gary got away with murder, it is what it is. That shit happens in real life. Leave him in Thailand to die. Same with Belinda, leave her in Hawaii. The one person I would have been interested in seeing every season as the thread that binds TWL together was already offed in S2. So I hope Mike White has something more in him to write more compelling characters next time.

Edited April 7 by slowpoked

[ahpny]

1 hour ago, txhorns79 said:

She's made herself an accomplice to the crime by accepting money to keep quiet.  If she comes forward now, she loses the money and puts herself (and potentially her son) at risk for arrest.  That's a strong incentive to stay quiet.

This is not correct at least under the law of most states in the US. see  https://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/misprision-of-felony.html. She does not "know" a felony has been committed, and merely has suspicions. She will not necessary "lose" the money even if her actions were a crime because she could spend it, or park in a jurisdiction that's inaccessible to US or Italian authorities. What proof would there be that the $5 million was in exchange for "keeping quite?" Greg/Gary and Belinda (and her son) could concoct some ostensible business proposal to cover the financial transfer, like Greg/Gary investing in her business proposal. In short, though she is clearly morally compromised, she is not clearly criminally compromised.

But it is certainly conceivable that she could end up being charged with some crime somewhere. And it does follow that that could be enough of a motivation keep her quiet. But from Greg/Gary's perspective, that wouldn't seem to be enough of a guarantee.

Edited April 7 by ahpny

[bosawks]

I actually don't think the Russians got away with it by that tracking shot at the end showing Valentin doing the same song and dance for the next crew.  Never able to go home and not being able to leave on the hamster wheel jus going around and around and around ad nauseum. 

The Ratliff's go from water being signified by the destructive power of a tsunami to it being a connection to the divine and greater consciousness for Lochlan in the pool and Tim finally ready to be honest about the repercussions of his actions as signified by the waves harking back to the monk's speech and his being just "a single drop of water" made the lack of direct fallout for the viewer okay for me.

The ying yang imagery for Rick and Chelsea floating in the water was a little on the nose but I still really liked it.

[Pi237]

11 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Personally, I'm pulling for something like the Scandinavian Mountains, because I want the next resort to be family-owned and all of the employees are played by all of the Skarsgards

Yes, please! 
 

I dont know if Mook is a ‘gold digger’ but she’s manipulative as hell.  As soon as Gaitok said he was going to find a different job, she was suddenly too busy to see him. Then, he shoots a man in the back, and ends up the bodyguard, and she wants him again because he proved his worth, I guess? That’s messed up. Not sure I bought him riding off in sunglasses feeling like a badass. He wasn’t engaged in a shootout or really saving anyone’s life. It’s wasn’t an honorable kill, and he seemed like the type who was big on honor. But I didn’t see it coming, so that’s good.

I also think there were shades of Tanya in how Belinda peaced out of her spa agreement. I don’t see her opening one now. Like someone else said, I think next seasons finds her a guest at the next White Lotus.  Although, how do they keep getting guests when there’s always so much Murder happening at their resorts? lol

I enjoyed the season, but it definitely dragged at times. 

11 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

 

11 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Edited April 7 by Pi237
Reply tripled for some reason.

[SG429]

6 minutes ago, ahpny said:

What proof would there be that the $5 million was in exchange for "keeping quite?" Greg/Gary and Belinda (and her son) could concoct some ostensible business proposal to cover the financial transfer, like Greg/Gary investing in her business proposal. In short, though she is clearly morally compromised, she is not clearly criminally compromised.

Aren't deposits >$10K (to legit banks) subject to reporting requirements?

[skotnikov]

I really want to go to Thailand now, where nature is beautiful and nothing  really serious can happen to you after you've got bitten by a cobra or drunk poison.  

15 minutes ago, Pi237 said:

 I think next seasons finds her a guest at the next White Lotus.  Although, how do they keep getting guests when there’s always so much Murder happening at their resorts? lol

This is exactly what I've asked after the 1st episode already. This chain should have a horrible reputation already after first two seasons.  

[RedHawk]

12 hours ago, NeenerNeener said:

So Scott Glen WAS Rick's father. How "TV Trope". 

And how weakly and stupidly revealed. 

12 hours ago, edhopper said:

I am not happy Gary is left unscathed.

Not happy at all.

Not unexpected by me. Greg/Gary is the Devil. 😉

[peeayebee]

 

22 minutes ago, Pi237 said:

I dont know if Mook is a ‘gold digger’ but she’s manipulative as hell.  As soon as Gaitok said he was going to find a different job, she was suddenly too busy to see him. Then, he shoots a man in the back, and ends up the bodyguard, and she wants him again because he proved his worth, I guess? That’s messed up.

I agree. She's not a gold digger. She wants a man who's an alpha male. That's not who Gaitok is. He's sweet and gentle and doesn't want to hurt anyone, either physically or emotionally. Mook is like Lady Macbeth, pushing her guy to do things he really doesn't want to do.

 

11 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

All that being said, I still had a fun time and I can't wait to see what insanity Mike White comes up with next.  I'm down with the speculation/wish of maybe being set in the mountains somewhere next time, because a season in a colder location could be fun.  Personally, I'm pulling for something like the Scandinavian Mountains, because I want the next resort to be family-owned and all of the employees are played by all of the Skarsgards!

I read that Mike White doesn't like the cold, so it's doubtful they would film anywhere snowy.

There were parts of this season I liked, but overall I think this was the worst one. However, I'll definitely watch S4. There are always actors I like, and it just might be ... good.

[Marley]

Why is everyone thinking Belinda owed the guy in Thailand so much. She just met him & they had sex once not like they were in some long term relationship. Starting a business with him wouldn't be the best idea.

Timothy not instantly rinsing the blender was so stupid. Why would the son use a crusty blender anyways. I'm sure that sick family will be fine anyways rich ppl always seem to just bounce back & are never really poor.

I'm glad the blonde trio made up & had a moment. Sometimes friends fight.

I knew that was Rick's father since he said the story his mom had told him. No surprise there.

Gaitok should've said see ya bitch to Mook.

Unsatisfying finale for me tho.

Will still keep watching with season 4 when it comes out in 2030 probably lol.

[slowpoked]

36 minutes ago, RedHawk said:

13 hours ago, NeenerNeener said:

 

And how weakly and stupidly revealed

And that was my main beef of this season. You have a 1.5 hour finale and you BARELY ADDRESSED the singular issue that drove the death in the hotel, which is really the singular selling point of your entire TV series?! 

Notice how we even don’t get a call back to the present scene time of Zion discovering that floating body, who will all now know is one of the security guards.

Edited April 7 by slowpoked

[KittyQ]

11 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

I had a similar thought.  That stuff had been sitting there all night!  At least rinse the thing out before using it.  

I agree - I said as much to my husband when we saw it. If it had been shortly after the failed Pina Colada drinks and everyone else had gone to bed. I could imagine Lochlan taking the chance to make his own semi-alcoholic drink. But the next day?? 

It was a disgusting thing to do, and he could have gotten sick from drinking something made from leftover, icky, dregs. You'd think that wouldn't taste good, either. 

Also, I wondered why no one else even seemed a little under the weather. They didn't drink very much, but you'd think that the poisonous seeds would have some kind of effect. Instead, they all seemed pretty perky the next morning. 

[LotusFlower]

I thought it was ridiculous and unbelievable that Tim wouldn’t think to rinse the blender after throwing all the drinks down the drain.  But Lachlan making the smoothie with a dirty pitcher didn’t seem as unbelievable.  The show made a point of showing Lachlan wanting to try a pina colada (more than once, in fact), but his father telling him he’s too young.  So while it might have been gross, I think he just wanted to try the drink.

Re: the Belinda/Tanya throwback - “my circumstances have changed.”  Were those Tanya’s exact words?  Or is that too on the nose?  Curious if anyone remembers. 

[Ms Lark]

Five bodies in a Thai morgue!

[slowpoked]

14 minutes ago, peeayebee said:

11 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

I read that Mike White doesn't like the cold, so it's doubtful they would film anywhere snowy.

I read on that extensive Hollywood Reporter article that Mike White originally wanted Japan as the location for S3. It would have been a really interesting backdrop with Tim Ratliff’s storyline considering Japan is known for Harakiri and Sepukku - committing suicide when one has lost his honor, shame and dignity. 

[KittyQ]

11 hours ago, Blakeston said:

I assumed that he and Frank were hitmen in this life, and that's where they got the money to live the way they do. Frank provided the gun off for Rick in a very professional way that made it seem like they were used to that kind of thing.

I hadn't thought about that. "This and that" indeed!  

I was happy that Frank recovered from his lapse and went back to his healthier lifestyle.

[SlovakPrincess]

20 minutes ago, LotusFlower said:

I thought it was ridiculous and unbelievable that Tim wouldn’t think to rinse the blender after throwing all the drinks down the drain.  But Lachlan making the smoothie with a dirty pitcher didn’t seem as unbelievable.  The show made a point of showing Lachlan wanting to try a pina colada (more than once, in fact), but his father telling him he’s too young.  So while it might have been gross, I think he just wanted to try the drink.

Re: the Belinda/Tanya throwback - “my circumstances have changed.”  Were those Tanya’s exact words?  Or is that too on the nose?  Curious if anyone remembers. 

Yeah, I think Lachlan stubbornly wanted some of the drink he'd been denied.

As I recall, Tanya came up with some self-serving BS about how she realized she'd become too emotionally dependent on Belinda and it was best for both of them if they didn't go into business together (this was a lie, she really just wanted to move on with Greg and lost interest in a business venture with Belinda).

Not that that justifies Belinda ultimately accepting hush money to help Greg evade authorities for Tanya's death!   But it was certainly far worse than Belinda dumping Pornchai ... although for him, I think he was more sad that there wasn't a real romantic connection for her, after their night together.  

Edited April 7 by SlovakPrincess

[chaifan]

34 minutes ago, RedHawk said:

13 hours ago, NeenerNeener said:

So Scott Glen WAS Rick's father. How "TV Trope". 

And how weakly and stupidly revealed. 

 

14 minutes ago, slowpoked said:

And that was my main beef of this season. You have a 1.5 hour finale and you BARELY ADDRESSED the singular issue that drove the death in the hotel, which is really the singular selling point of your series?! 

Yes.  This.  It would have been more impactful if Rick had lived after realizing he killed his dad.  OR, if Jim had lived, knowing that he fucked up his kid so much that Rick tried to kill him, then died as a result of it.  Both dying, with a one line reveal that this was Rick's dad, was pointless.  

 

[iMonrey]

I guess this show is sort of interesting as a quirky character study but a lot of it never went anywhere.

The three gal pals, for example, mostly just sat around and talked. One would see the other two talking and get jealous, then another would see the other two talking and feel jealous, then another would see the other two talking and be jealous. Then they get in a fight then they make up. The end. 

And really? The Ratliff family - this never went anywhere either. The mom's quirky and goofy, the kids are messed up and the brothers get into some kinky sex stuff but nothing ever really comes of it. Tim spent eight episodes spiraling out in a daze and popping pills right and left, fantasized about killing his family, put a gun to his head but didn't pull the trigger, almost poisoned his family but backed out of it, Lochlan almost died but didn't, then they all got on a boat and went home. We didn't even get to see their reactions to finding out Tim was probably going to jail and they'd probably lost all their money. I'm not sure what the point of any of this was.

The only stories that really went anywhere were Belinda's, Gaitok's and Rick's. And Rick's felt especially unsatisfactory. We never learned why he thought that guy killed his father or how or why that guy turned out to be his real father. It was just seven episodes of this guy obsessing over something.

I dunno. Like I say, quirky character study and that's about it. I'm not going to pretend it's high art though.

[MollyB]

12 hours ago, truthaboutluv said:

I'm not sure why some are saying Belinda did to that guy what Tanya did to her.

One reason may be the end scene where the hotel employees are waving goodbye to Belinda and Zion.  It is the same scene that was in TWL #1 when Belinda is standing, heartbroken but forcing a smile as Tanya leaves.  I agree that there was no reason for Pornchai to believe she was going to go into business with him.  When he first brought it up I was disgusted with him because I thought he was just playing her (with the sexual encounter) to find a way to have his own spa.  Maybe he thought she had money or something.  It did seem that she liked him a lot when he stopped by at breakfast so I don't understand why she didn't invite him along on her new journey of wealth.

 

12 hours ago, bosawks said:

I’m not saying Lochy deserved to die for making a protein shake in that crusty ass blender, but, c’mon man!

I doubt he's ever made anything in a kitchen that didn't say 'this side up' on the bag.  And certainly never washed anything used for food prep.

[KittyQ]

5 hours ago, Madding crowd said:

I also don’t believe a high end resort would have hanging poison fruit trees in front of peoples rooms. I get it that poison plants are everywhere but guests aren’t crunching random leaves, fruit is another matter.

It isn't the fruit that is poisonous, it is the seeds. Most people would never consider eating the seeds, and it would take more than one seed to kill you. That's why Tim collected all those fruits and pulverized the seeds for his toxic Pina Coladas. 

There are other fruits with poisonous elements. Peach pits, for example, have a compound that turns to cyanide when digested, but no one worries too much about it. You'd have to deliberately choose to eat a peach pit, which I think wouldn't be that easy or tasty. 

[slowpoked]

1 hour ago, bosawks said:

 

I actually don't think the Russians got away with it by that tracking shot at the end showing Valentin doing the same song and dance for the next crew.  Never able to go home and not being able to leave on the hamster wheel jus going around and around and around ad nauseum. 

 

But what is so bad about their current life right now?! They, or at least Valentin, works in a fancy resort where he meets hot girls. He can then have his friends tag along, and because they’re attractive enough, they can all easily get laid with tourists who are looking for a good time. They party and drink hard, have pool parties. And if they get a gullible enough tourist, they can also get money. If that’s the hamster wheel they’re trapped in, I’m not sure why they would even want to leave it.