"There’s always room for more murders": Everything you need to know about The White Lotus series 4

*Contains series 3 spoilers*

If, like us, you've just finished watching the third season of The White Lotus, you're probably still reeling from that devastating finale. Of course, every season of the dark satire so far has ended in death and the series did open on a scene involving a floating body, so it shouldn't have been a surprise to most viewers. But to see Chelsea, played by break-out star of the show Aimee Lou-Wood, meet her demise was a huge blow to viewers and made for an explosive finale.

As the dust settles, we're already looking ahead to the next series of the show, as a fourth series was confirmed to have been commissioned earlier this year. The White Lotus creator Mike White has teased that, "there’s always room for more murders" so it looks like we can expect to see more characters meet a terrible fate in series 4. While we know Mike is back on board, will any cast members from previous series be joining him? Which luxurious location will the next set of wealthy but potentially ill-fated guests end up in? And what twists and turns could the series 4 plot have in store for them?

The White Lotus series 4

Here's everything you need to know about The White Lotus, including what's happened so far...

What is The White Lotus about?

The White Lotus is an award-winning drama which, each series, follows groups of guests at a luxurious holiday resort in different locations. Series one took place in Hawaii, followed by Italy in series two and, most recently, Thailand for series three. While the wealthy guests - a mix of couples, friends and families - appear to be on a dream holiday, cracks begin to appear in the veneer of their perfect lives, leading to deadly consequences for at least one guest person series.

The victim of series one was hotel manager Armond (played by Murray Barlett), while in series two it was guest Tanya (played by Jennifer Coolidge). We first met Tanya in series when the rich holiday-goer arrived at the Hawaii resort with her husband, Greg. In the series, Tanya befriends Natasha, who works in the resort spa, and promises to help fund her business venture, only to back out at the last moment.

Jennifer's portrayal of Tanya became iconic, and fans were thrilled to see her return in series two, delivering more fantastic lines such as, "These gays are trying to kill me!" Unfortunately, she was right, as her husband Greg had set her up to be murdered. While she manages to evade her attackers, Tanya meets her end anyway when her heel gets trapped in the railings of a boat mid-escape, causing her to fall overboard. Series three then saw us not only reintroduced to both Greg and Natasha (who find themselves at the Thailand resort together), but also facing the loss of the new viewers' favourite character from this series.

What happened in The White Lotus series 3?

In series 3, Natasha arrives in Thailand, keen to learn from the White Lotus team there and enjoy time with her son, only to see Greg with his young new girlfriend, pretending to be someone else. Meanwhile, brand new guests are arriving on the island, including a very troubled family of five (the sons of which ending up in a compromising situation with Greg's new girlfriend) and three very toxic 'best' friends.

But the star of the show is Chelsea, played my Aimee Lou-Wood, the young girlfriend to Rick, a secretly scheming middle aged guest. While Chelsea thinks they're simply on a happy holiday together, brooding Rick is plotting to kill the man he believes ruined his life, Jim Hollinger who is the hotel's owner. Rick eventually succeeds but, devastatingly, a kerfuffle with Jim's guards leads to multiple shots being fired and Chelsea being tragically struck. Rick himself is then shot while carrying her body.

The first episode began with gunshots before a floating body was revealed, so an impending death had been foreshadowed throughout the series, although we don't know who it is - the trademark White Lotus structure. Sadly, this time, it's Chelsea who meets her end in series 3 which was a major blow to viewers who got behind her character. Fans had speculated throughout the series about who might be the target of the series 3 death, with various clues pointing towards Chelsea (she wore a necklace with the words 'Stay Gold' on - the final words of a character's famous death in The Outsiders, for instance) but her demise in the dramatic finale still hit hard.

Where will The White Lotus series 4 be set?

While the location of the next series' resort hasn't yet been confirmed, there is plenty of speculation about where the show could be staged for series 4. After the previous two seasons featured floating dead bodies, it appears the show's creator is keen to shoot somewhere away from the water.

"For the fourth season, I want to get a little bit out of the crashing waves of rocks vernacular but there’s always more room for more murders at the White Lotus hotels," Mike White told Deadline. So, while there might not be a floating body, it sounds like there definitely will be a body - or even multiple bodies.

Luxury locations and dramatic backdrops are part of the blue print of The White Lotus, so we know wherever series four is set will be home to breathtaking views. The current front-runner according to The Mail on Sunday is the Four Seasons in Marrakesh, Morocco as the publication was told producers were looking into the hotel chain's locations in Africa and Australia. Other rumours point towards a potential safari destination but, while nobody is yet certain, the general consensus is that the series will be set somewhere warm, so it seems we can rule out cold places like Antartica, however beautiful they may be.

Who is in The White Lotus series 4 cast?

The official cast for series four hasn't been released but, as previous seasons have seen characters like Greg, Tanya and Natasha return for to further develop their storylines, we're expecting to see some familiar faces back again. With each series taking place in a new location, we can be sure they'll be a whole host of brand new cast members playing wealthy guests with hidden secrets, and the staff tasked with managing them (who often find themselves entangled in the messy lives and dark deeds of their patrons).

Where can I watch The White Lotus?

The White Lotus is available to watch on NOW TV and Sky. Series four is expected to be released in 2027.