The White Lotus Review: Departures (Season 1 Episode 6)
The Pineapple Suite has been Chekhov’s gun, or in this case knife, all season. It finally goes off on The White Lotus Season 1 Episode 6, “Departures.”
It always seemed like Armond would be the one to die given his downward spiral, but his death is a different type of accident than I was expecting. The fact Shane’s obsession with getting the Pineapple Suite ends up killing Armond takes their feud to the extreme.
After finding out he’s going to be fired, Armond decides to “crash and burn,” in the most dramatic fashion. He goes on another drug-fueled bender, parties with the bellhops, and then finally decides to take his revenge on Shane.
That revenge, which involves him defecating in Shane’s luggage shown in graphic detail on the screen, is short-lived.
Mistaking him for a burglar after hearing about the break-in in the Mossbacher room, a drunk Shane takes the suite’s pineapple slicing knife and jams it into Armond, and kills him.
The White Lotus’ central conflict comes to an end in a horrifying way. Shane destroyed Armond like he wanted but neither of them really wins.
Armond’s speech to the bellboys about how the hotel exploits him and then he exploits them is telling and sets up the idea of the hierarchy he exists in. Armond is just another replaceable cog in the machine, and by the end of the series, he is indeed replaced.
The finale examines the cyclical nature of the resort and the privilege that drives its existence. Armond’s ending isn’t even the most tragic of the series because at least he’s free. Everyone else is still stuck.
The confrontations and epiphanies packed into the finale satisfy in the moment but end up amounting to little in the end.
Take Rachel, who finally stands up to Shane and calls him a “baby man,” while explaining how their whole marriage was a mistake. Shane listens enough this time to feel threatened, which is probably the best reaction Rachel could hope for from him because at least it’s real.
Alexandra Daddario has been perfect as a woman on the edge all season. Watching Rachel take that final step is deeply satisfying but only for a short while.
This outburst and moment of clarity make it even more haunting when she returns to Shane at the airport and tells him she promises to be happy, looking absolutely dead inside. Every emotion and regret she has goes back in the bottle just in time to catch their flight.
Paula has a similar confrontation with Olivia, telling her she’s just like her parents and thinks everything belongs to her. It’s cathartic to watch Paula put into words all of the gaslighting she’s endured.
Again, the catharsis is short-lived. By the end, she’s back in Olivia’s arms and the last we see of them they’re reading side by side in the airport, a spitting image of them by the pool.
Paula tried to do the right thing and ruined Kai’s life instead. For all her rage, she goes back to what’s easy, and that’s sidling back into her old life.
What does it say when two of the more sympathetic characters leave the resort the way they came? It’s an ending that prioritizes reality over some hopeful message or ideal.
Oh, and then there’s Tanya who finds love or something like it with Greg even though he’s dying. There’s a cruel irony in Tanya telling Belinda she can’t fund her wellness center because she’s trying to not use her money to control people anymore, something she only realized with Belinda’s help.
Tanya finally finds the strength to let her mother’s ashes go, but it comes at Belinda’s expense. Belinda does all the emotional labor with none of the payoffs.
Natasha Rothwell spent so much time in smiling silence as Belinda and now all we see is her silent heartbreak as Tanya crushes her dream. Belinda later dismissing Rachel, another maudlin white woman seeking her help, should feel triumphant but just feels exhausted.
Belinda: You want my advice? I’m all out.
The White Lotus didn’t intend to punish any of the loathsome guests it spends its time with. They either get their happy ending or mournfully retreat to their privileged yet unhappy positions.
If you expected a traditionally satisfying ending to The White Lotus, you’ll be greatly disappointed. If you were expecting an ending just as harsh and as unforgiving as the rest of the season, then “Departures,” delivers beautifully.
Even the one arguably bright spot of the episode fails to feel truly happy. Quinn choosing to stay behind in Hawaii so he can go on a Hōkūleʻa with his new friends should feel satisfying but is so out of place you’re still left uncomfortable.
Don’t get me wrong, I found Fred Hechinger’s performance as Quinn quite endearing. There is something very heartwarming about this weird teenager embracing nature and finding peace. It just feels too good to be true.
Right before the final scene of Quinn out on the water, we see a brand new group of guests greeted by the staff, including Armond’s replacement. It’s an uncanny recreation of the premiere, showing just how little changes even after a guest kills an employee.
Quinn may have extracted himself from the cycle, but he didn’t dismantle it. It’s still there, thriving and waiting for his return.
HBO plans to bring The White Lotus back as an anthology series with new guests and a new location, but this finale leaves you wondering how anyone could be convinced to watch more. Maybe like the guests, viewers will just want things to stay the same.
After saying “Aloha,” to The White Lotus, you might feel like you need a vacation of your own just to recover.
What did you think of this episode of The White Lotus? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Critic Rating:
User Rating:
The White Lotus airs Sundays at 9/8c on HBO.
Follow us on Twitter and on 
Instagram!
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
Breeze Riley
Breeze Riley is a pop culture enthusiast who decided to turn her love of watching too much TV into a hobby writing about it. Although she's a convention-going sci-fi and fantasy nerd, she's just as likely to be watching an off-beat comedy or period drama. She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic.
2 comments
I do not believe that Shane and Trophy wife reconciled at the airport. It amazes me that so many people are assuming that just because they hugged and made peace for the flight back.
How are the daughter and her friends, easily a pair of hateful bitches, even remotely sympathetic? The sad par\t of the season was that it wasn’t Paula who got killed.
Comments are closed.