“It Culminates In A Very Satisfying Way”: A “White Lotus” Producer Defended That Incest Scene — And I Truly Don’t Know What To Think
Between the incest and that wild sex monologue, it’s gonna take me a while to recover from Episode 5.
Warning: This post contains spoilers for Episode 5 of The White Lotus Season 3.
If you’re all caught up with The White Lotus, you’ll know there was a lot to process in Episode 5, from Sam Rockwell’s surprise appearance to that incest scene on the yacht…
Courtesy of HBO
Since the Season 3 premiere, it’s been clear that some seriously weird vibes have been brewing in the Ratliff family — particularly between the two brothers, Saxon (played by Patrick Schwarzenegger) and Lochlan (played by Sam Nivola). And so, after some suggestive glances and creepy conversations throughout the first four episodes, the tension between the bros culminated in Sunday’s installment with a kiss scene.
Fabio Lovino/HBO
Whether it was a result of their drug taking or the encouragement of their fellow partyers, the moment between the Ratliff brothers certainly left viewers with questions — particularly when, upon a rewatch, you’ll notice that it’s Lochlan who goes in for a second kiss.
Needless to say, the whole thing is suuuper weird. And although The White Lotus is no stranger to a scandalous scene — please see last season’s “So you fuck your Uncle?” storyline — this is the first time the show has fully ventured into incest territory. So, as you’d expect, the reactions have been…a lot.
HBO
However, those on the show have defended the moment, with executive producer David Bernad denying that the kiss was written into the show purely for shock value. “That’s all [creator Mike White],” David told the New York Post off the back of the latest episode. “Mike is brilliant, and I think those big story turns are not just for shock. There’s a specific reason in terms of the narrative storytelling, and the larger thematic idea Mike is trying to get across.”
Giving viewers a taste of what’s to come for the Ratliffs, he added: “As the season wraps up, you’ll see the purpose of that story turn. The show goes there for a larger thematic idea. I love that family storyline, especially the brother story — and, it culminates in a very satisfying way.”
HBO
For what it’s worth, the actors involved in the scene have been equally cryptic. Patrick, who plays Saxon, told Today that he thinks creator Mike White intentionally left the kiss “open-ended for the audience to try to decipher.” “He wants to leave that up to the interpretation of the audience of what is happening,” Patrick said of the incest twist, hinting that Episode 5 is when “everything starts to unravel.” “Was a power shift happening? Is there a different power dynamic between him and Lochy? Is Lochy coming on to him? Is it the drugs? Is it the girls pressuring him? What is it?”
John Nacion / Variety via Getty Images, Fabio Lovino/HBO
Elsewhere, Sam, who stars as Lochlan, suggested that the moment might have been reflective of his character’s internal struggles. “He’s just an incredibly insecure guy, a real people pleaser who needs something from the people,” Sam told the Hollywood Reporter this week. “He’s not very self-sufficient, he needs love and support from the people around him in his life, and I think he’s willing to go to all the lengths to find the people he loves.”
Maya Dehlin Spach / WireImage, Stefano Delia/HBO
“There’s a push and pull between sex, and then Piper trying to control his future,” he continued, referring to his character’s sister, played by Sarah Catherine Hook. “But for me? I don’t think Lochlan really gives a shit which path he goes down. I think it’s more that he’s going to choose whichever path feels like it’s with the person who loves him the most.”
But, as with any White Lotus storyline, no matter how weird, there’s been no shortage of memes about the incest kiss — so much so that Patrick has even gotten involved.
Stefano Delia/HBO
On Monday, the 31-year-old actor reacted to a viral X post jokingly comparing the kiss scene to Call Me By Your Name, the 2017 gay romance starring Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer, who actually don’t look too dissimilar to Sam and Patrick. “Call Me By Our Same Last Name,” the post read, shared alongside a photo of the brothers. Patrick reposted it with a ton of laughing faces, garnering over 71,000 likes.
I, for one, am so intrigued as to where the heck this season is taking us. And with only three episodes left to go, we’ve not got much longer to wait. In Mike White we trust!!!
You can watch the preview clip for Episode 6 here.
