Fabio Lovino/HBO
This post contains spoilers for «The White Lotus.»
When we see Rick Hatchett (Walton Goggins) for the first time in season 3 of «The White Lotus,» his latent anxiety becomes immediately apparent. As the boat carrying the guests slated to stay at The White Lotus’ Ko Samui branch zooms towards the shore, we notice Rick’s visible discomfort contrasted against his girlfriend Chelsea’s (Aimee Lou Wood) endearing optimism. Rick’s indifference towards the resort’s natural beauty and what it has to offer its guests pervades throughout, rarely budging even when Chelsea gently coaxes him to unwind and have fun. «What kind of chip does this man have on his shoulder?» we are left to wonder, especially when the facades worn by every other guest are in the process of being unraveled.
The first clue we get for parsing Rick’s guarded behavior is his disappointment when he learns that the hotel owner’s husband, Jim Hollinger, is not present at the resort. The owner, Sritala (Lek Patravadi), becomes the center of attention during her short stay as she is a local celebrity who also pioneered the hotel’s health program. Rick’s demeanor becomes especially alert whenever Sritala is around, hinting at some sort of truth that he wants to get to by finding an opportunity to talk to her. Well, this opportunity does arrive in episode 3, where Rick approaches Sritala while pretending to be a producer in the entertainment business who wants to introduce her to a director. A meeting with Stritala is arranged in Bangkok, but Rick’s true intentions are still kept under wraps.
That is, until Chelsea confronts Rick about his impromptu Bangkok trip in «Hide or Seek.» With everything we have learned about Rick’s past so far, it becomes clear that the Bangkok meet-up is a part of a revenge plan rooted in grief. Let’s dive deeper into Rick’s motivations behind visiting The White Lotus, Thailand.
Rick’s sense of self hinges on his thirst for revenge in The White Lotus
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