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HBO‘s The White Lotus ending and season finale aired on Aug. 15, 2021, but many viewers thought it was predictable. Although, it wasn’t a terrible thing that [spoiler] died because the series continued to showcase the privilege of the wealthy characters on the show. How did he die, and why wasn’t the person who killed him arrested?

[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers from The White Lotus Episode 6, “Departures.”]

The White Lotus Season 1 Episode 1 on HBO with actors Murray Bartlett, Jolene Purdy, Natasha Rothwell, and Lukas Gage waving
‘The White Lotus’ on HBO actors Murray Bartlett, Jolene Purdy, Natasha Rothwell, and Lukas Gage | Mario Perez/HBO

‘The White Lotus’ Season 1 finale episode recap and ending: ‘Departures’

In The White Lotus Episode 6 ending, resort manager Armond (Murray Bartlett) continued his bender of drugs and alcohol. The self-absorbed newlywed, Shane (Jake Lacy), finally spoke to Armond’s superior. The conversation resulted in Armond losing his job, so the manager continued to get high and drunk. Later in the episode, he’s partying with Dillon (Lukas Gage) and Hutch (Alec Merlino) when he replays his interactions with Shane. The resort guest gets in his head, and Armond decides he must retaliate. 

So, Armond uses his master key to enter Shane’s suite. He finds the young man’s suitcase and defecates in it. HBO shows the entire pooping scene from only a short distance away. Then, as Armond is peeing in the suitcase, Shane returns to his room. The guest sits down on his bed and begins to smell something. After calling the front desk to report the poop, he hears someone in his room. So, Shane grabs the pineapple knife and finds the culprit. Before he knows what’s happened, Shane stabbed Armond. 

The resort manager stumbles backward and into the soaking tub. In the following scenes, viewers find out that Armond died. However, Shane suffers no repercussions. In The White Lotus ending, Shane heads to Honolulu on the same flight as Armond’s body with his wife, Rachel (Alexandra Daddario), who shockingly stays married to him. Fans have so many questions.

How did Armond die in ‘The White Lotus’ ending?

Some of The White Lotus cast around the reception desk in episode 1
HBO’s ‘The White Lotus’: Jolene Purdy, Murray Bartlett, Alexandra Daddario, and Jake Lacy | Mario Perez/HBO

Many viewers want to know why Armond died. It looked like a minor stab wound, and he fell over into the bathtub after. However, Shane’s knife might have struck his heart or an artery. The drugs and alcohol that Armond consumed before the stabbing also probably played a role in his death.

Why wasn’t Shane arrested?

In the ending to The White Lotus, Shane talks calmly with the police at the resort. He is a wealthy white man who thought someone was in his room to hurt him. Shane likely told the police it was self-defense. Although Armond didn’t have a weapon, he did enter a guest’s room without permission (and pooped in his clothing). Shane probably gave a statement, and that’s all the police needed. 

“In this show, we are really seeing people living in their own understanding of what their lives are. Each of these characters live in the bubble of privilege,” Connie Britton explained in an HBO exclusive ‘Inside the Episode’ interview. “The commentary of that privilege, I think, is going to be very impactful for audiences.”

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It’s evident that Shane benefits from his “bubble of privilege,” and Armond’s death at his hands is yet another way to show how their lives are so different.

Why did Shane and Rachel get back together?

At the beginning of The White Lotus, Rachel discusses her journalism career with Shane and Nicole Mossbacher (Britton). She’s not happy with where she is in her career and thinks about making a change. However, her mother-in-law, Kitty (Molly Shannon), shows up and complicates matters further. Rather than continuing to attempt to talk to her husband about her feelings, Kitty escalates things. Rachel sees that Kitty and Shane are entirely on the same page, and Rachel feels defeated. However, the incident with Armond happens after Kitty leaves the resort. 

After the ending of The White Lotus, viewers are led to make their own assumptions about what happened between Rachel and Shane after the stabbing. Shane’s all-consumed with his personal feelings and well-being, so he probably called his wife to tell her what happened. Rachel evidently felt terrible for what happened to him, and the incident brought them back together. Will the couple stay together? Hopefully, we get to see what happens with the newlyweds in The White Lotus Season 2.

All six The White Lotus episodes, including that ending, are available for streaming on HBO and HBO Max.

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