The White Lotus Season 3 is overflowing with gripping character developments and unexpected turns — but if you’ve been observant, you’ll realize that many of the season’s most significant events were hinted at from the outset.

Consider the Ratliff family, for instance. One of the most unsettling aspects of their plot involves the perilous fruit of the pong-pong tree, which serves a crucially dangerous purpose in the season finale. However, this wasn’t a last-minute revelation — the threat was hinted at right back in Episode 1.

In the season opener, we are introduced to the Ratliffs as they tour their villa with Pam (Morgana O’Reilly), a hotel employee who dubs herself a “health butler.” While the family gets comfortable, Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger), visibly frustrated by the hotel’s no-phone policy in common areas, strays off and grabs a peculiar green fruit from the ground.

“What am I supposed to do all week without my phone?” he grumbles. “Eat a bunch of fruit?”

Pam promptly cautions him: “We do have an abundance of wonderful fruit here, but I wouldn’t eat that. That’s the fruit of the formidable pong-pong tree, and the seeds are toxic.”

Saxon presses her further: “Really? Could it kill you?”

“Yeah, it could, indeed. It’s highly poisonous,” she responds.

The fruit isn’t referenced again until the finale, yet this initial interaction exemplifies showrunner Mike White’s skill in planting a subtle yet crucial clue regarding the Ratliffs’ destiny.

Another early warning sign? When the family is determining sleeping arrangements, Saxon asserts that Lochlan (Sam Nivola) can’t share a room with his sister Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook) because “that’d be odd.” It’s a seemingly casual remark — but in retrospect, it suggests underlying tensions that unravel later in the season.

The White Lotus Season 3 is currently available for streaming on Max, and if you’re revisiting it, stay alert — the hints are present right from the beginning.