‘The White Lotus’: Could the Flowers in the Opening Credits Point to Who Dies?
HBO’s The White Lotus presented its central mystery within the first five minutes of its premiere, revealing someone at the Hawaiian resort was killed. Since then, fans have spent the majority of Mike White’s dramedy trying to figure out whose body was being boarded on the plane back in episode 1. There’s plenty of foreshadowing for every character, and some fans have even looked to The White Lotus’ opening credits sequence for clues about who dies. One theory suggests the flowers that accompany Alexandra Daddario’s and Fred Hechinger’s names hold the answer.
[Spoiler warning: This article contains spoilers for the first five episodes of HBO’s The White Lotus.]
‘The White Lotus’ opening credits are full of symbols that could be clues
Since the series premiered, fans have taken to Reddit to discuss The White Lotus and who dies in the show. They’ve used the HBO series’ opening credits to uncover symbolism and hints about the characters. And the images don’t just allude to death.
As one Redditor pointed out, the pictures that accompany actors’ names often represent their characters and their storylines. The most obvious example of this is the “phallic fruit” that appears next to Steve Zahn’s name. At the beginning of The White Lotus, Zahn’s character believes he has testicular cancer, something he later finds out is merely a treatable infection.
Another Reddit user points out that Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) and Shane (Jake Lacy) also receive some foreshadowing in the credits sequence. “Rewatching the opening credits for more clues,” they said. “Natasha Rothwell’s name appears when the paint starts to bleed and Jake Lacy appears next to a changing chameleon.”
For Shane, a chameleon makes sense because, as another Redditor puts it, he’s showing his new bride “his true colors.” The implications for Belinda are less obvious, but hopefully, they don’t bode poorly for her character.
Could the flowers in ‘The White Lotus’ opening credits hint at who dies?
Of all the images that appear next to actors’ names in the opening credits sequence, only one is used more than once: the hibiscus flower. The red flower appears next to both Daddario and Hechinger’s names, which is interesting given the similarities between their characters’ journeys.
As one Reddit user points out, both Rachel and Quinn have gotten clarity since arriving at the White Lotus — something that can’t be said for many of the other visitors. While most of them are falling apart at the resort, these two seem to be learning more about themselves.
“There are two characters that share the same drawing: Rachel and Quinn, and it’s and hibiscus flower,” they wrote. “Maybe because they’re the only two characters that don’t become corrupted and rather evolve positively?”
The theory goes on to suggest that Quinn and Rachel will move on from the corruption of the White Lotus, albeit in different ways. While Rachel will likely end her marriage, Quinn may leave the material world behind:
“I think Quinn’s death would fit the plot perfectly. On the one hand, his death is ironic because he’s the only character who manages to leave his obsessions behind, connect with nature and the people of Hawaii. On the other hand, dying is his way of escaping from a reality that doesn’t suit his identity, just like Rachel leaves Shane to find her true self.”
The waves at the end of the HBO show’s intro don’t just tease who dies, but how
The similarities between Quinn and Rachel’s opening credits aren’t the only clues that point to Quinn as the person who dies on The White Lotus. The sequence goes on to show a boat full of people paddling against tumultuous waves. Fans pointed out how the show continuously uses the ocean to build suspense. For that reason, whatever death occurs will likely happen in the water. Of all the characters, Quinn has spent the most time near the tides.
Not only has Quinn been forced to sleep on the beach — losing all his possessions in the process — but he even went paddling with a group of men.
“At this point, I’m sure the death has something to do with the ocean,” they wrote. “And whose stuff was washed out to the ocean? Who’s bunking on the beach? Who joined the canoe boys?”
Quinn and Mark are also supposed to go scuba diving in the series finale, where something could go horribly awry. The pair’s first discussion about getting their scuba licenses even highlights how dangerous the activity can be.
Fans won’t know for sure if Quinn’s the person in the coffin until The White Lotus finale reveals who dies on the island. Fortunately, the episode is only a day or so away. The White Lotus finale arrives on HBO and HBO Max on Aug. 15 at 9 p.m. ET.
