With Two Episodes To Go In The White Lotus Season 3, I Have A Theory About Rick And His Father

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for The White Lotus through the “Denials” episode. If you’re not caught up, please return after doing so to prevent anything from being ruined.

While the world seems distracted by that wild brotherly love storyline or everything happening with Jason Isaacs’ character on The White Lotus, there’s one storyline from the show’s third season that I’ve been drawn to ever since it premiered on the 2025 TV schedule. Of course, I’m talking about Rick Hatchett, Walton Goggins’ scene-stealing character on a mission to get revenge. But… I don’t think things are how they seem with his journey to confront the man who killed his father.

Instead, I am beginning to think there is more to Rick and Jim Hollinger's history than the show is letting on. I have a theory that Rick might be closer to Hollinger than he suspects. If you’re all caught up as we head into the final two episodes with your Max subscription, come with me as I break down a theory that may or may not come true. We shall see...

Rick talking to Sritala at restaurant in The White Lotus Season 3 — (Image credit: HBO)

Hear Me Out, I Think Jim Hollinger Is Actually Rick's Dad

Throughout the first six episodes of The White Lotus Season 3, Rick has been elusive about his father. In Episode 2, “Special Treatments,” he reluctantly opens up about his past (to an extent) during a meditation session, where he reveals that he never met his father and that he was murdered before Rick was born. Then in Episode 4, “Hide or Seek,” he says that Jim Hollinger murdered his father when Rick was a child, making it hard to follow what really happened.

Though I’m not totally sure what’s going on in this storyline, I do believe that Jim Hollinger is Rick’s long-lost father. A revenge plot seems too straightforward for a show like this, and with so many unanswered questions up to this point, it feels like something more is in store. With Jim’s identity being guarded until at least the penultimate episode (we didn’t see his face in “Denials”), anything could happen, even in this scenario.

Rick sweating inside Snake Show on The White Lotus Season 3 — (Image credit: Max)

However, I Wholeheartedly Believe Rick Thinks His Father Is Dead

While I do think that Jim might be Rick’s dad, I wholeheartedly believe that Hatchett thinks his father is actually dead and that Jim Hollinger is responsible. But Jim being Rick’s dad and having killed Rick’s dad could both be true in this situation. Similar to Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, another great father-son story, where it’s revealed that Darth Vader was Luke Skywalker’s father after the young Jedi thought the masked villain killed his dad long ago, we could see a reveal where Rick’s father faked his death and adopted a new name (it’s not uncommon for characters on the show). Or else, maybe Rick was told a lie about what happened to his father to spare him from the truth.

Walton Goggins on The White Lotus — (Image credit: HBO)

I Don't Think This Meeting Will End In Bloodshed, But I Could Be Wrong

So, do I think Rick and Jim will have a happy reunion and run along the beaches of Thailand as they make up for lost time if my theory is right? No, but I also don’t think their long-anticipated meeting will end in bloodshed. Yeah, Rick is packing a gun, decades of suppressed trauma, and some anger that’s boiling over, but we’re talking about a show that is full of red herrings.

However, I could be wrong about the bloodshed, about Rick and Jim’s relationship, and the direction of this incredibly intense and engaging storyline. I guess I’ll just have to tune in and watch the final two episodes of The White Lotus Season 3 to find out. But hey, that’s not so bad…

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Philip grew up in Louisiana (not New Orleans) before moving to St. Louis after graduating from Louisiana State University-Shreveport. When he's not writing about movies or television, Philip can be found being chased by his three kids, telling his dogs to stop barking at the mailman, or chatting about professional wrestling to his wife. Writing gigs with school newspapers, multiple daily newspapers, and other varied job experiences led him to this point where he actually gets to write about movies, shows, wrestling, and documentaries (which is a huge win in his eyes). If the stars properly align, he will talk about For Love Of The Game being the best baseball movie of all time.