The White Lotus Season 3: Top 3 Easter Eggs You May Have Missed, From Sam Rockwell's Cameo to Poisoned Piña Coladas

As The White Lotus season 3 characters leave Thailand in body bags in the season finale, the episode brings viewers easter eggs galore. From poisons to the Season 2 death of Jennifer Coolidge's character Tanya, a lot went on in the chaotic and twisted third season of the show.

The season reintroduces the comfortable blend of opulence, deception, and impending death—this time set at a serene Thai wellness resort. From repeat characters to surprise cameos, the show is filled with references to earlier seasons and hints at its most jaw-dropping moments.

One of the dominant storylines revolves around Belinda (Natasha Rothwell), who comes back with Zion (Nicholas Duvernay), her son. A flashback to her season one unfulfilled aspirations, Belinda gets paid this time by Greg (Jon Gries) to keep her mouth shut about Tanya's suspicious death. Her son, a shrewd business student, brokers the sale, insisting Gary can pay more.

The notorious "suicide tree" of episode one also turns out to be more than a local touch. Timothy (Jason Isaacs) almost kills his family with its poisonous fruit in a dark comedic surprise, subtly foreshadowed from the beginning by resort employee Pam (Morgana O'Reilly). When Patrick Schwarzenegger’s Saxon asks of the tree, "Could it kill you?" Pam responds, "Yeah, it could actually. It’s very poisonous."

Another surprise gem is included with Sam Rockwell's cameo as Frank, Rick's enigmatic Bangkok friend. Frank's emotional history and duffel bag gift—later found to hold a gun—contribute to the season's building tension.

A close friend of Rockwell, Walton Goggins, who stars as Rick, said Rockwell joined the role at the last minute, bringing an off-screen real-life friendship to the show. He gushed to Vanity Fair, "Sam is my hero. He’s really one of the guys in my generation that I look up to, and he knows that."

"We talked a lot right before he got there about what that relationship symbolizes, where they fit into each other’s lives. And the very first day on the set, there was a comfort and a level of listening and respect and genuine love and affection for each other that permeates their entire friendship," Goggins added.

Their scenes were mostly improvised, with Goggins hailing the freedom and richness of their dynamic.

All episodes of The White Lotus season 3 are available on Max.

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