‘The White Lotus’ Finale: Fans Are Disappointed With 1 Character’s Decision
The White Lotus finale aired on HBO over the weekend, finally filling fans in on who died and how. Of course, the central death wasn’t the only surprising aspect of episode 6, “The Departures.” Despite spending a full season getting to know Mike White’s characters, some of them still managed to shock fans in the home stretch of season 1. In particular, viewers expressed disappointment with Rachel’s (Alexandra Daddario) decision at the very end of the episode.
[Spoiler warning: This article contains spoilers for The White Lotus finale.]
What happens to Rachel in ‘The White Lotus’ finale?
Rachel has several powerful moments during The White Lotus Episode 6, finally standing up to Shane (Jake Lacy) after days of putting up with his poor behavior. The entire series seemed to be building toward her decision to end her brand-new marriage. Given how much fans hated Shane’s character, it’s something many were actively rooting for.
Unfortunately, Rachel’s resolve doesn’t last all the way through The White Lotus finale. Many assumed Shane sitting alone at the airport meant Rachel would leave him. However, the series turned that expectation on its head.
The final moments of episode 6 show the couple reuniting at the airport. That’s right, Rachel chooses to stick with him, even after everything she endured on their honeymoon. It seems Daddario’s character went with an easy, comfortable life over her own ambitions and values. Hopefully, she won’t come to regret it.
Fans are disappointed Rachel stayed with Shane in ‘The White Lotus’ finale
Although the finale sees Rachel insisting through tears that she’s happy with her decision, fans of The White Lotus certainly aren’t. Many of them took to Reddit to complain about the fact that Shane saw no consequences for his actions — and that Rachel chained herself to him for life.
“Ugh I don’t want a Rachel-Shane reconciliation,” one Redditor said of the situation.
“I WAS ROOTING FOR YOU RACHEL WE WERE ALL ROOTING FOR YOU,” another fan wrote on Reddit.
One Reddit user even compared Rachel’s character arc to Jaime Lannister’s on Game of Thrones, referencing the about-face he did at the very end:
“Rachel getting put off by Shane, realizing he’s an a–, then staying with him is like Jaime Lannister’s character “arc” but stuffed into one season.”
Despite the general disappointment in Rachel’s actions, though, many felt her choice was inevitable. For one, her character tends to choose the path of least resistance. On top of that, some viewers felt her returning to Shane was the most believable outcome The White Lotus could have given her character in the finale.
[The] worst part is that Rachel staying with Shane is the most likely thing to happen in real life,” one Redditor wrote. “Ugh.”
Will Rachel and Shane appear in the HBO series’ second season?
HBO already renewed The White Lotus for a second outing, but the first season finale will likely be the last time viewers see Shane and Rachel. “The Departures” neatly wrapped up their character arcs, even if fans aren’t fond of where they ended things.
Additionally, Deadline confirms that The White Lotus Season 2 will take place at a different resort and feature an all-new lineup of travelers. While it’s possible characters from season 1 could cameo in the new episodes, the network seems focused on telling a fresh story with the new season.
With that in mind, it looks like fans have seen the last of this couple. The characters introduced in season 2 are likely to be equally as irritating, however — and just as bad at making decisions.
