The White Lotus fans are convinced that a very subtle reference to the Simpsons has revealed the killer twist in season three – and it’s not an April Fool’s Day joke.
The third series of Mike White’s iconic drama transported the star-studded cast – including Carrie Coon, Jason Isaacs, Parker Posey and Patrick Schwarzenegger – to Thailand, where they enjoyed the lap of luxury at a swanky resort.
Ahead of the finale on Sunday, viewers have been flooding social media with speculation over who the mystery shooter is, and who will get gunned down, and a new theory about the Simpsons is picking up speed.
Eagle-eyed fans spotted that Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon) previously rocked a necklace adorned with the face of baby Maggie Simpsons, who famously shot Mr Burns – and questioned whether this could be a nod to the identity of the killer.
Reddit user _minion_ posted: ‘I’m pretty sure this is a reference to the Simpsons episode named “In Who Shot Mr. Burns?” where basically a wealthy and cruel owner of the local Nuclear Power Plant, Mr Burns, is shot in a crowd after making enemies across town because he blocked out the sun, polluted the town, and basically made his money very suspiciously.
‘Then the town attempts to find the shooter, with many suspects since the shooting happened very quickly in a rlly big crowd before it’s in the end it’s revealed that Simpsons family baby Maggie Simpson “accidentally” pulled the trigger while trying to pry a lollipop out of Mr burns’ hand.
‘And since Maggie is just a baby, the police chief Wiggum basically just lets her go and everything goes back to normal. So back to white lotus, I think this is a subtle Easter egg where Chloe is the shooter who accidentally kills her husband gregary or something [sic].’
While many followers in the sub joked that the theories had officially gone too far, and reminded the user that Mr Burns ‘survived’ the incident, others saw the vision and were convinced that Chloe is connected to the shooting.
Lazarchdog replied: ‘In that episode of the Simpsons, Maggie accidentally shoots Mr. Burns. A rich old man… could be Gary?’
TheDeadlySpaceman commented: ‘Holy s**t I noticed she had a Maggie pendant and thought it was weird, this actually makes sense.’
‘Her wearing a Maggie necklace is pretty random so this is a very plausible theory for me,’ Known_Ear_6012 agreed.
Zealotstim wrote: ‘Lmao, that would be the deepest reference ever. I am so glad you noticed it.’
‘Sometimes you don’t know the answer until you see it, and this is one of those times. 100% has to be it,’ HeretoFore200 suggested.
The Simpsons connection also popped up on Twitter, after some users also spotted Chloe’s unique jewelry.
Lost Kings tweeted: ‘Lotus white lotus prediction Chloe has a Maggie Simpson necklace on Maggie kills Mr burns in the Simpsons Chloe def killing old guy this season [sic].’
Anjuluah added: ‘Is Chloe’s necklace supposed to be Maggie Simpson or am I missing something? #TheWhiteLotus.’
Someone get Mike White on the phone, immediately.
The two-part Who Shot Mr Burns special served as the season six finale, and season seven premiere, with both episodes airing in 1995.
They followed a whodunnit taking place in Springfield after Mr Burns was shot and collapsed on the sun dial in town, with a string of residents in the frame as the possible shooter.
In the premiere, it was eventually revealed that the billionaire businessman fought with Maggie over a lollipop and the baby was somehow the one to pull the trigger.
Things took a turn in a later instalment, Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Three Times, when Homer appeared to confirm that he actually shot Mr Burns and framed his baby daughter.
Thankfully, viewers don’t have to theorize on the White Lotus for too much longer as the finale airs on Sunday, meaning we will finally get answers over who pulled the trigger, and whose holiday came to an untimely end…
The White Lotus is available to stream on Now in the UK and HBO in the US.
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