On Monday 17 February 2025, the comedic drama The White Lotus hit our screens again with its third season. And I have three words to say: Patrick Schwarzenegger’s bum. His nudity waiver definitely has full rear in it, and man, writer-director Mike White made good use of it.

It was a strong start to the third instalment that had everything from incestuous tension between siblings to a dangerously superficial friendship triangle on the verge of collapse. So of course, TikTok was flooded with speculation about the upcoming episodes in the days following the premiere. Without further ado, here are all the fan theories about series three you need to know about if you’re a fan of The White Lotus.

But before we get started, a gentle warning that if you haven’t watched season three episode one yet and you wish to remain in the dark, stop reading now, as I’ll be giving you a quick runthrough of the latest season’s main storylines.

Set in Thailand, the opening sequence reveals that one of our guests will be killed amid the gunfire. And these are our new arrivals: we have middle-aged and balding Rick Hatchett (played by Walton Goggins), who has signed up for this wellness trip with his younger and ditzy girlfriend Chelsea, played by the people’s princess, Aimee Lou Wood.

Then there’s businessman Timothy Ratliff (played by English actor Jason Isaacs), who is accompanied by his wife Victoria and their three children Saxon, Piper, and Lochlan, who are giving off serious Lannister vibes.

@justsammorris

I’m…. uncomfortable?

♬ Enlightenment (Main Title Theme) [from "The White Lotus: Season 3"] - Cristobal Tapia De Veer

@sammy.samh

um i’m scared #fyp #foryoupage #thewhitelotus #thewhitelotushbo #thewhitelotusseason3

♬ Enlightenment (Main Title Theme) [from "The White Lotus: Season 3"] - Cristobal Tapia De Veer

And because no wellness trip is complete without a group of quadragenarian white women, who had all their worry lines cosmetically removed, another group of arrivals includes Jaclyn Lemon (Michelle Monaghan), a popular TV actress, and her two childhood besties Kate and Laurie.

In typical White Lotus fashion, there are also two recurring characters: Tanya McQuoid’s widower, Greg, who is now living in Thailand with his much younger girlfriend and Belinda (Natasha Rothwell), a masseuse from season one.

So here’s a look at the wildest White Lotus season 3 theories blowing up on TikTok—because this eclectic group of vacationers isn’t just in for a getaway, but a literal bang.

While Patrick Schwarzenegger’s character Saxon oozes sexual charisma, his siblings Piper and Lochlan seem visibly repressed in that aspect. In one particularly controversial scene, Saxon lies under his covers butt naked, lamenting his sister’s lack of vitality despite being, and I quote, “hot.” Then, he struts around the room in his birthday suit and loads up porn on his laptop to masturbate in the bathroom. As he enters the bathroom suite, his younger brother Lochlan’s eyes are pinned on him and his lips are graced with a gentle smile.

@jaimiesterio

THE WHOLE FAMILY IS SO ???? #thewhitelotus #hbo #hbomax #twl #edit #foryou #serie #tvtok #whitelotus #fyp #patrickschwarzenegger

♬ original sound - eimiaj

TikTokers are expecting the sexual tension between the siblings to intensify as more disturbing family dynamics are revealed.

Meanwhile, content creator Indira Novaa suggested that the siblings could also be the symbolic manifestation of the Japanese proverb “see no evil, speak to evil, hear no evil,” often represented by three monkeys.

“Considering that there are a lot of monkeys in the opening credits, perhaps it’s saying something to us,” she hypothesised.

“Perhaps the children are ignoring the wrongdoings of their father,” who we learn, will be featured in a Wall Street Journal investigation. “Perhaps he’s abusing the mother by drugging her, or perhaps something more sinister is going on, because I mean, we’re about to find out what the article is going to be about.”

@indiranovaa

Replying to @Indira #thewhitelotus #thewhitelotusseason3 #whitelotus #whitelotustok

♬ Renaissance (Main Title Theme) [from "The White Lotus: Season 2"] - Cristobal Tapia De Veer

Other netizens have also started to become suspicious of the ever-present monkeys in the opening credits and in the resort’s jungle-like setting. “I have a theory for the death of White Lotus season 3 that I just have to share,” creator Zoe Cannoli shared. “I think it’s gonna be an accidental death like Tanya’s, and it’s gonna be because a monkey somehow gets a gun.”

Cannoli’s theory highlights how the main deaths in seasons one and two didn’t happen purposefully but through an evil and ironic twist of faith. “Killers. But not really,” she summed it up.

While Jennifer Coolidge’s iconic Tanya might have passed in season two, her impact is still present with the recurrence of Greg and Belinda.

To refresh your memory, Tanya suspected Greg of cheating on her in season two and seemingly uncovered a plot to murder her in the final episode. Now, her widower is at the resort with his much younger girlfriend, who jokingly identifies him as what the locals call “LBH” or a “Loser Back Home.”

It playfully cuts into something the show has always highlighted: the dynamic between vacationers and the locals, during a time when this relationship is being increasingly examined and challenged.

While tourism is credited with contributing billions to economies, it’s also a source of pollution, environmental destruction, overcrowding, the spread of disease, and nuisances that are being perpetrated without a conscience.

The personal damage of this, at times, parasitic relationship was visible through Belinda’s arc in The White Lotus season one. Tanya manipulated the masseuse’s intimacy and attention, only to ultimately shatter her dreams of a better life.

@esra.ggg

#whitelotusseason3 #thewhitelotus #greg #spoiler #whitelotus #hbomax #whitelotusseason3 #tvtok #tvshow @HBO

♬ original sound - esra333

@elizabethm9778

Who else is watching The White Lotus Season 3. I miss Tanya and hate Greg for what happened to her! #thewhitelotus

♬ Renaissance (Main Title Theme) [from "The White Lotus: Season 2"] - Cristobal Tapia De Veer

Thus, multiple fans started to speculate a revenge of the locals and justice for Tanya and Belinda.

Since new episodes are being released weekly, the next couple of weeks will tell which theories are true and which aren’t. I will keep you updated!