The narrative of the Ratliff clan has been utter turmoil.
The White Lotus
season 3
,
but concluded with Timothy Ratliff ultimately admitting his financial downfall
after
a failed murder-suicide attempt and an accidental near-fatal incident) as his children look at their phones for the first time since returning from vacation.
The audience isn’t privy to how Lochlan, Saxon, Piper, or Victoria respond to the news. However, creator Mike White did hint at what occurs with the family—and particularly Victoria—after the series ends.
It’s a mix of joy and sorrow at the end,” he remarked. “Life continues beyond this individual low point, yet how will things proceed without those familiar supports? I doubt Victoria would thrive in difficult circumstances. She likely has alternative plans.
He mentioned that Victoria “exhibits a sense of superiority which she has passed down to her children, turning their circle into something akin to a cult where everyone feels no one else measures up, leading them all to focus primarily on themselves.”
Meanwhile, Patrick Schwarzenegger told
Variety
Mike desired an element of uncertainty when the family switched their phones back on: “Do we immediately learn all there is to know about our father once our devices are powered up?” he clarified. “Mike appreciates ambiguity,” he added. “His aim is to encourage such discussions.” According to him, Mike filmed around two and a half hours for the final episode but condensed it into just ninety minutes. This runtime adjustment was quite generous from HBO. The script remained as originally intended throughout this process. Additionally, Mike expressed his preference for showing me glancing at my father post-phone activation—since I collaborate with Saxon, the implications would be far-reaching.
