The White Lotus Season 3 Part 5

Previous thread.

One thing we learned tonight: Valentin has a fantastic ass.

That he definitely does r2.

And there was finally a non-prosthetic dick. It's always with the bit players instead of the main cast.

[quote]One thing we learned tonight: Valentin has a fantastic ass.

HOLY FUCK he does! I felt a stirring down there that I can only assume must be similar to Momma's mussy in the presence of cage meat!

[quote]And there was finally a non-prosthetic dick. It's always with the bit players instead of the main cast.

Also always briefly seen and from a fair distance. (Plus I was hoping to see Valentin's pinga.)

When the actor playing Valentin dies we’ll post “He had a hot ass but he couldn’t live forever “ and we’d MEAN it.

His ass was definitely the highlight of the episode. Sam Rockwell’s monologue is allready being wildly overpraised on social media. It was a big fat nothingburger.

I will say that last season was more interesting.

I don’t know if it’s because Aubrey Plaza and Will Sharpe were a better pair than this cast, but they held my interest better.

Looks like Sam Nivola's ass will be making its first appearance next week.

[quote]I don’t have my lorazepam so I’ll have to drink myself to sleep.

I find it a bit amusing that both the NYT *and* WSJ had features this weekend about "the dangers of benzodiazepine abuse, as shown on 'The White Lotus.'"

Helen Lawson called to remind them just how long Broadway hasn't gone for booze & dope. (But seriously, this isn't exactly novel news.)

Jake Lacy as the douchbro in Season 1 and Theo James as the douchbro were both way more interesting and complex than Patrick Schwarzeneger.

[quote]Sam Rockwell’s monologue is allready being wildly overpraised on social media. It was a big fat nothingburger.

The DLers on Part 4 of the thread would strongly beg to differ.

Is it just me or is Mike White giving the two nepo babies less screentime than everybody else this season?

It was very hot to see Lochlan caress his brother and then lay back ready to throw his legs in the air and receive penetration. With these two actors, it's easy to picture it.

[quote]Jake Lacy as the douchbro in Season 1 and Theo James as the douchbro were both way more interesting and complex than Patrick Schwarzeneger.

Yeah, I'm thinking next season needs way viewer nepo babies. Sooooo fucking obnoxious.

The way the three blondes got drunk and flirted with having sex, and then one freaked out, and the other snuck behind the back of the others and did it anyway--that reminded me so much of the way friends would act in high school and college.

I wondered if Leslie Bibb's Kate would have still freaked out if the bald guy with the blond eyebrows had been as hot as the two dark-haired guys. the bald guy was pretty much a monster, but she was paired with him that night, so of course she didn't want to have sex.

I'm tired of the blind acceptance of the contrived New York magazine generated "nepo baby" thing, which was as calculated to become a meme as Parker Posey's performance in this season.

I don't care how you get to the role. If you're good, you're good. Just don't put people up on screen who bore me. I don't care where you find them.

I could not wait for Victoria to get off the screen. Terrible writing and acting. I have loved Sam Rockwell forever—he never disappoints. Walton Goggins is more impressive in every new episode. The incest is cringe. Not hot. I don’t know why people on DL support it.

Those poor acting coaches all over the U.S. They'll get so sick of that monologue being delivered by wanna-be actors for YEARS.

[quote]I will say that last season was more interesting. I don’t know if it’s because Aubrey Plaza and Will Sharpe were a better pair than this cast, but they held my interest better.

With the exception of Lil Arnold, this show's problem is definitely *not* talent. Parker Posey is nearly as gifted a comedienne as Jennifer Coolidge – plus they've done a ton of shit together – but she just does NOT have real material to work with. The OTT Southern accent isn't helping, but her character wouldn't be clicking under any scenario.

It's like they wanted Coolidge back, and hired Posey, but then – after realizing that Belinda would need to be this season's "single-traveler woman" (taking over for Tanya, *including* the Greg/Gary surprise) – tried to plug her into Connie Britton's role from S1. (And yeah, Sydney Sweeney handily acts better than any of the under-30 actors this season, plus she had better dialogue. Remember her taunting Steve Zahn after he found out his dad was gay? "It's okay if he was a bottom, Dad. They can be masculine, too!" This line coming from a woman nearly all of my straight friends lust after was also amusing.)

I was hoping Piper’s meditation candle would set the Ratliff suite on fire. But of course it didn’t happen because NOTHING is happening on this damn show this season.

Natasha Rothwell’s acting is very inconsistent. She was good in the scene with Fabian but she played Belinda’s jitters over the lizard and potential sex with Pornchai like she was doing Same Time Next Year in community theater.

[quote]The way the three blondes got drunk and flirted with having sex, and then one freaked out, and the other snuck behind the back of the others and did it anyway--that reminded me so much of the way friends would act in high school and college.

It also made me SO GLAD I'm gay, R15 — the teasing and ordeals I have witnessed straight guy friends go through to get pussy. Including all-night romps like this that end for 90% in a kiss on the cheek and a chaste good-night.

No wonder they're drunk, fat, bald, miserable losers after 35.

[quote]Those poor acting coaches all over the U.S. They'll get so sick of that monologue being delivered by wanna-be actors for YEARS.

This may be a stretch, but did any of you cunts ever see "Your Friends & Neighbors"? (Meaning the Neil LaBute movie from the late '90s, not the upcoming – and wholly unrelated – Apple TV series.) Jason Patric has a similarly creepily calm monologue about a kid he bullied in high school, and nonchalantly describe gangraping him. (His character's straight, and it's depicted as a power thing as opposed to lust – which is of course reality – but Rockwell's monologue may be the starkest I've seen since.)

Season 3 is like your third orgasm during a sex romp. Enjoyable but not nearly as satisfying as the previous two.

I though Sam Rockwell’s monologue was hilarious, made funnier by Walton Goggins’ reaction shots. Both will likely get Emmy nominations, Rockwell for ‘guest appearance,’ or whatever the fuck they call it.

Valentin had a great ass, true, but the little dark-haired Russian with the open shirt is far handsomer and sexier.

It was interesting to learn through the dialogue of Mike White's desire to be an Asian girl.

[quote](And yeah, Sydney Sweeney handily acts better than any of the under-30 actors this season, plus she had better dialogue. Remember her taunting Steve Zahn after he found out his dad was gay? "It's okay if he was a bottom, Dad. They can be masculine, too!" This line coming from a woman nearly all of my straight friends lust after was also amusing.)

This kind of provocative, very-right-now dialogue is one huge element that's missing from this season. Parker — and the actress who plays her wet-blanket daughter who's so uninteresting I haven't even learned her name — are getting so little material to work with, and what they've been given is beyond bland.

[quote]Is it just me or is Mike White giving the two nepo babies less screentime than everybody else this season?

It's just you. You're lusting for them and have a variation of confirmation bias.

This season is a disappointment. Constantly edging the audience and then nothing happens. Mike While has really lost his spark.

I just feel like the characters this season are way less believable. In season one, everyone felt like someone I’d met. I certainly don’t feel that way about the nasty incest brothers - they’re straight out of a porno, not real life. It takes away from the fun of the show.

Sam Rockwell won an Emmy tonight.

The only Emmy this season will get.

What was on Kate’s pajamas? Tractors? Train cars? I couldn’t quite tell.and I want to know.

I agree, R29.

Season 1 was all real people with a touch of camp, and even the campy character (Jennifer Coolidge) was so deeply real in her grief — which manifested in physical pain, which actually happens and hardly anyone addresses in portraying grief — and isolation.

Season 3 is all camp/teasing melodrama, with the occasional drop of reality. It's not working.

Kate’s pajamas had pictures of our lord and savior Jesus Christ.

I’m sick of the incest complaints. What are they based on? Lochie stares at his brother’s ass one morning, a tip-off that he’s gay but no proof that he’s gonna jump big bro’s bones. Any gayling will naturally assess the nude body of any man he sees, including a family member. Big deal.

R34 I mean, they’re probably referring to the brothers making out.

Hopefully now that we’ve reached the end of the 5th episode everyone can finally make a call on this season and those loudly complaining about the shortcomings of the show can throw in the towel and move on to something else so that the rest of us can enjoy it.

Which even that was at the behest of a girl r35. Nothing *that* twisted has happened yet, though it might.

And most of their screen time this season has had nothing to do with incest, though obviously that gets all the attention.

[quote] Any gayling will naturally assess the nude body of any man he sees, including a family member.

As Blanche wisely said, "A man's a man," and they are both adults. Sadly, Sam Nivola tells GQ that Lochlan is only doing what he's doing to get the attention of his brother, which makes no sense.

The White Lotus: After Tonight's Wild Lochlan Episode, Sam Nivola Tells All

link direct to GQ.

He basically had his brother’s full attention for the entire night. It was really just the two of them together, and then the two girls together hanging out separately. I don’t get how the kiss was supposed to ‘get his brother’s attention’ when he already had it.

I liked Chelsea’s sparkly eye shadow makeup. She looked like a cute little bunny with her big buck teeth.

Rick should treat her right, she’s a good egg.

It would be great if this episode provides a catalyst for good looking, slim straight men to acknowledge their secret need to be railed.

A three dick season! So far.

I am still very curious how Rick makes enough money that he and Chelsea can stay at the White Lotus. It seems only millionaires can stay there.

[quote] I thought Sam Rockwell’s monologue was hilarious, made funnier by Walton Goggins’ reaction shots.

OMG, it was hysterical. There were points when Walton Goggins' face didn't move—just trying to keep a straight face. The episode is very layered. We already know Greg is on the prowl and will get away with it: the manager's reaction to Belinda's warning is "we don't bother the rich," and the lizard metaphor. The lizard is not threatened, it's just pointed to the door and helped get there. Greg will similarly slither away.

Victoria is right about Buddhism; it seems to attract unsavory sexual deviants, if Sam Rockwell is any example. But then, what does idiot Piper expect? She got involved with a Buddhist outpost next to a five-star resort. One complete with an Apple laptop. Great juxtaposition between her expectations and reality.

[quote] Hopefully now that we’ve reached the end of the 5th episode everyone can finally make a call on this season and those loudly complaining about the shortcomings of the show can throw in the towel and move on to something else so that the rest of us can enjoy it.

Why does your enjoyment depend on being surrounded only by fellow noncritical Stans? Seems kind of lame.

Do you think this season has been a success compared to the past? Really?

[quote] Victoria is right about Buddhism; it seems to attract unsavory sexual deviants, if Sam Rockwell is any example.

As Piper pointed out, a billion people practice Buddhism. Why would Sam Rockwell's character exemplify all one billion of them?

Try not to be so thick.

The funny thing about Victoria’s rant at Piper was how not wrong a lot of it was. Piper is in blind to the ways she’s part of the bullshit she whines about, and she naively thinks there won’t be any bullshit at the Buddhist temple where the monks all have brand new MacBook pros.

Actually, there are not a billion Buddhists. More like half that.

[quote]The funny thing about Victoria’s rant at Piper was how not wrong a lot of it was.

OK, but could we get some more signs of how ironically enlightened Victoria is? That would make a great show.

Connie Britton got all kinds of cards to lay on the table about her character's complexity in just the first episode of season 1.

Among this season's many flaws: Why doesn't Fabian (this season's Armand) have any storyline to speak of?

It just seems like laziness that he couldn't be worked into plots more actively.

Is Mike White on drugs or ill? Seriously. What is up with this falloff in quality.

Victoria was right last episode when she said Piper was just as judgemental as her, and she was right this episode that Piper is a naive sheltered girl that has no real concept of what she is doing.

Piper is having her little eat, pray love fantasy as a bored rich girl.

R51, Because we have Sritala running around. So really he's second to her.

Also we have Belinda and Gaitok as the main staff people we hear about. We have Mook, Russian Guy, and then Srilalta as people we learn less about but still stand out. Then we have Belinda's man, therapist lady, other booth guy, the phone lady and then Fabian.

I don't know if we need another plot for a member of the hotel staff. He's barely handling the people there already.

Fabian is not this season's Armand R51, Armand was a main character. Fabian is a side character.

The actor, Christian Friedel, is billed as a recurring character and not part of the main cast.

That the resort manager is not a main character for this season cannot be a "flaw", be serious.

The HBO marketing team is running a-Mook on these threads.

We see you, Mark Doumet, and perhaps your husband!

Sorry you spent so much time setting up Banana Republic, Abercrombie, and Bloomingdale's collabs for a fail of a season.

I like tonight’s episode. Finally something interesting after last few episodes’ build up

Half of the episode was just people partying. Filler.

Agreed, R57.

75% of the season has felt like filler.

So the boat ride is now going to span three episodes?

Where’s the pic of said real dick?

If Carrie Coon hasn't been multiply roofied and doesn't end up being dead in the pool, I shall consider Mike White to have ill-used me.

Who all here is happy for Lachy!? He FINALLY scored with his brother!

Greg/Gary's girlfriend said she could see him murdering her.

I'm surprised to see the reactions here, regarding this episode.

As someone who has complained about this season being slow, I actually felt like there was a lot going on this episode.

Before reading your reactions, I was going to say that this episode was excellent because it had the pacing that EVERY episode had in season two.

I think that's the big difference (aside from the bad writing this season) - the pacing.

That said, someone in Part 4 commented:

[quote] Fabian is useless.

I'm starting to think that Fabian is just playing dumb, and protecting Greg/Gary.

Maybe Fabian works for him. I'm not sure yet, but Fabian cannot be that stupid, after listening to Belinda's story. No way. Especially since he's so "on top" of all the other matters at the resort. Nothing Belinda said to him about Greg, was registering with Fabian. And I don't think that was an accident. His quick dismissal of her story makes me very suspicious.

As for Gaitok, I seriously give up on him. I think that he is one of the most hopeless and useless characters I've seen on this show. It's just fuck up, after fuck up, after fuck up. I don't get where the story is going with his character.

The three friends' party night out, didn't interest me at all. Maybe it's their age, but they really bore me. Watching three cougars have a wild night out with three Russian scammers, isn't exactly riveting television.

And the only additional thing we learned about them tonight is that the actress is a slut, and she might be into some lesbian action, based on the way she was staring at the three Russian ladies.

I enjoyed the scenes with Lochlan and Saxon. I mean, it was basically a big tease throughout the whole episode, but they neither excite me, nor bore me. It's just kind of there. But since I like both actors, it's quite tolerable.

Honestly, the kissing scene between them didn't interest me nearly as much as the Sam Rockwell scene.

I agree with everyone that it was clearly the best part of episode five. I had no idea where it was going to go when Rick met with Frank (Sam Rockwell), but I had exactly the same reaction as Rick - mouth wide open, thinking "Oh. How nice." It was awesome.

Even better, my curiosity is piqued by the offer for role play when they meet again. I'm really looking forward to seeing what that's all about. Hoping it's some kinky sex.

That would titillate me much more than the brothers hooking up.

Overall, I'd give this episode a 7/10. It was pretty good.

Is Sam Rockwell just really short, or is Leslie Bibb just really tall?

Apparently Patrick was very upset about doing the kiss scene.

It’s in Vulture which has a paywall in their Charolette Le Bon interview.

Taiwan!

[quote] Apparently Patrick was very upset about doing the kiss scene.

I was actually wondering what Mommy and Daddy thought of his gay kiss, and whatever else is to come.

I read it on Datalounge that Patrick tried to come out as gay, and both of his parents shut it down.

Not sure if it's true or not, but that was the rumor here.

Now he's "engaged."

I find this season dark and ominous compared to the previous seasons.

Here's the preview for Episode 6, if anyone wants to watch it.

There aren't any "spoilers," as far as I can tell. In fact, there's nothing much interesting in the preview.

Since they didn't reveal any hints, I'm thinking that either something huge is going to happen, or nothing at all is going to happen in episode six.

The picture at r65 why does she have such a matronly hairstyle? It looks bad.

It pains me to say it, but Parker Posey looked old in episode 5. She’s too young to have so much sagging in her face. Too many years of the Diet Coke and ciggies diet?

[quote] And yeah, Sydney Sweeney handily acts better than any of the under-30 actors this season, plus she had better dialogue. Remember her taunting Steve Zahn after he found out his dad was gay?

That was sitcom-level inanity.

R64, I took the ask for role-playing to be that Sam Rockwell would play a ladyboy to lure the guy Walton is after. It lends credence to the speculation that the hotel owner/hostess is a ladyboy herself, so her husband would be interested in someone like Sam's character.

R19 I think the problem was Parker Posey herself not coping with the dramatic elements as well as Coolidge did. She doesn’t display yearning or fears beyond the stated. And there are lots of clues littered among Victoria’s dialogue about her brother, her obsession with class, her addiction that Posey could play into but she doesn’t. Coolidge did it.

Patricia Clarkson, Julianne Moore, Renee Zellweger, Toni Collette, Kathryn Hahn, Nicole Kidman, hell, even Gwyneth Paltrow or Jennifer Garner could have done it.

[quote]Why are some people so triggered by any criticism of this show?

Oh please. No one gives a shit about people not liking the show. What is tedious is the same old posters saying the same old shit after every episode. If there were posters praising the show for the same exact things after every episode they'd be found similarly tedious. But at least they'd be enjoying the show.

If you find it boring and a waste of time, the obvious question is why are you still watching? The White Lotus has always been a slow burn show. It's like watching It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and then posting after each episode about how you're angry that the characters aren't nice people.

[quote]I'm starting to think that Fabian is just playing dumb, and protecting Greg/Gary.

I think it's more him protecting Sritala, knowing she's into dodgy shit and thinking that if the attention of the police is drawn towards the hotel because of Greg then it could lead to them coming across Sritala's criminality.

[quote]Even better, my curiosity is piqued by the offer for role play when they meet again. I'm really looking forward to seeing what that's all about. Hoping it's some kinky sex.

Probably just going to get him to pretend to be the director or actor or something in the bullshit film he claimed to be making.

So much for the idea that the villas only have tiny little plunge pools.

I thought the three Russian hookers were ladyboys from afar.

R78 it pains me to think of how filthy the water in those pools would be after a night like that

I was so on edge & worried someone was going to hit their head in that pool scene.

R66 Did I misread that LeBon interview or did she say the brothers are obviously not blood brothers? Has that been established in the show? Or was she referring to the actors not being related?

I had the same question R66. The Characters aren’t related? Or the actors aren’t related? They must be referring to the characters because nobody thought Patrick and Sam are brothers irl.

Jaclyn doesn’t have lesbian tendencies. She saw those three women watching them with the hot virile Russians and interpreted their interest as judgey or competitive ( a projection of her own insecurities about aging etc) so she decided to put on a show for them and started dancing sexy with the Russians, to make the women watching jealous.

She felt desirability challenged by the women watching and doubled down on her slutty behavior to prove to them that “she’s still got it”

Weirdly I’m starrinf to like Kate the most of these three. She’s maga and she’s got plenty third wheel insecurities of her own but she’s definitely aging more gracefully than the other two

Lochlan saying he's gonna take Saxon out was probably foreshadowing.

[quote] Valentin had a great ass, true, but the little dark-haired Russian with the open shirt is far handsomer and sexier.

“Alexei” who got in the screaming match, he’ll a little firecracker, no?

So it's the Russian friends who robbed the jewelry store, right?

Likely

Interesting that Mike White would make Trump-supporting Kate the most sensible of the friends.

I'm an Independent!

Maybe Jaclyn wanted to cheat on her husband, but it is also about competing with the Carrie Coon character. He said she was a “sexy dancer”, so Jaclyn had to one up that by getting him to fuck her.

[quote] If you find it boring and a waste of time, the obvious question is why are you still watching?

And the obvious answer is that believing the show is disappointing compared to past years is not the same as finding it “boring and a waste of time.”

Yup, those bitches can’t help but compete. That they all knew each other since they were young (just like the Russian scammers) makes it easier to manipulate

r92 Except there are posters who keep watching episodes and keep coming back to these threads who have used those exact words.

So? Why does that upset you so much?

R66 I’m thinking it’s based on the incest part and not the gay part.

[quote] Apparently Patrick was very upset about doing the kiss scene.

He just wants to quash any gay rumors. Any actor today who says he finds a same sex kiss upsetting has an agenda.

I thought Fabian just didn’t have much confidence in Belinda’s memory of a man she met briefly a year ago.

The monologue should land him an emmy nom. It was that good.

he deserves a nice glass of chamomile tea

I wonder if Sam was there visiting Leslie, and Mike wrote him into the show because he agreed to a cameo/small role. I also wonder if Sam ad libbed the monologue

Because r 95 sometime you want to enjoy something nice, even if it isn’t perfect.

If you’re the kind of person who when watching a 8/10 sunset can’t help from pointing out the ways it misses the mark, go down the beach and sit by yourself.

Cup, not glass.

Perhaps Fabian couldn't be concerned about Greg because Greg is not a resident of The White Lotus?

Who is Sritala?

r75 please no Nicole Kidman, she is already doing too much and I read she wants in next season.

Rick was posing as a producer so I thought maybe wanted Sam Rockwell's character to act like he was in the biz with him. But posing as a lady boy would be interesting.

They seemed to have dropped the plot line that Jaclyn is a famous movie star. Nobody ever seems to recognize her.

At first, that's what I thought was happening when the 3 Russian girls were scoping her out. But....no.

r107 television actress

R106, Nicole Kidman (as well as Julianne Moore, Renee Zellweger, and Gwyneth Paltrow) are too famous for this show. I don't mean it's beneath them, just that their presence would be a distraction.

Rachel Griffiths, Chloe Sevigny, Alison Tolman, Famke Janssen, Janet McTeer, Lorraine Toussaint -- these are all actresses I can see fitting into this series.

LeBon gets lousy billing for someone who has a pretty sizeable role. Her name is buried in the guest starting credits at the end. She needs a new agent.

She was recognized, R107, by the retired widows. And she was also recognized by Saxon, I believe.

[quote] If you’re the kind of person who when watching a 8/10 sunset can’t help from pointing out the ways it misses the mark, go down the beach and sit by yourself.

Get over yourself. This is not a sunset, it’s a TV series. People criticize TV series all the time. Especially here. Some people even “hate watch” if you can’t tolerate any criticism of the show, maybe you’re the one in the wrong place?

Allison Janney would’ve been good in the Parker Posey role.

Too old.

so would have joan allen

Even Meryl Streep couldn't have made Victoria digestible with that script.

I could have

Joan Allen is pushing 70.

OK, they seemed to have dropped the plot line that Jaclyn is a famous TV star.

I agree that the role play Rick mentioned was going to be having Sam pretend to be his Hollywood assistant or something to get a meeting with his father.

It won’t be sex related.

TV stars aren’t necessarily internationally famous. The other guests have recognized her. People who live in Thailand have no reason to. But I do agree that so far her being famous has not really figured in the story. That may change.

the preview for episode six hints at what it is about

R119 she was called out for her tv stardom just a few hours earlier on the same damn day…at the old-age resort. That was the third time in just a couple of days. Do you think a bunch of drunk Russians at a club are going to stop and think, hey that’s Jackie from Hulu?

I wonder what Timothy’s sign from god will be?

I’m starting to think he won’t be the one who dies.

Maybe he’ll put the gun back, because honestly, how long would it be until the other guard notices it’s missing? Not too long…

Oh yeah, I forgot the last 3 episodes have all taken place on the same day.

R98, Fabian wouldn't even look at the article or any evidence Belinda had to send him. He shut that right down.

R101, He and Walton Goggins did, "Cowboys & Aliens" years ago and have been close friends ever since. Apparently someone else was supposed to do the role and when that person dropped out they asked Sam.

R97, I agree. It's just weird Patrick would be visibly annoyed on set as opposed to constantly pointing out he is engaged in interviews when it matters.

I also found myself liking Kate the best out of the three. She may be MAGA but she definitely was more sensible than the other two this episode.

Why doesn’t Belinda leave?

Because she’s literally at work.

Maybe Sam was visiting Leslie on location and, when the role opened up, he agreed to do it. I had no idea Sam and Leslie are a couple. That monologue will probably nab him an Emmy. He was riveting (MARY!)

[quote] Even Meryl Streep couldn't have made Victoria digestible with that script.

That’s bullshit. Victoria is a “type” but Posey is doing nothing with her.

Most of the characters are “types” but the other actors aren’t embarrassing themselves.

I think Jaclyn is supposed to be have an Ellen Page or Sarah Michelle Gellar type of fame.

[quote] Maybe Jaclyn wanted to cheat on her husband, but it is also about competing with the Carrie Coon character. He said she was a “sexy dancer”, so Jaclyn had to one up that by getting him to fuck her.

He also didn’t text Laurie to fuck her, he texted Jaclyn.

I stood next to Sam Rockwell and Leslie Bibb in line for a movie like ten years ago and they were grotesquely pawing at each other making out the entire time

I think Jaclyn staring down those three Russian women wasn't a lesbian thing, I think it was her asserting dominance, which is what she's all about - she could tell they were about to come over and it was her saying "I am still young and hot and I will fuck your men"

Would you call the police on a regular customer named Gary because someone you don’t know very well is convinced that he’s a really guy named Greg whom she met briefly a year ago across the world? I don’t think I would.

Sam Rockwell’s monologue was well written but violated a fundamental rule of good drama-don’t TELL us, SHOW us.

R124, the glimpse that we got of next week’s episode suggests that Greg will try to solve his problem with Belinda the way he solved his problem with Tanya: he’ll look for someone who is vulnerable and force them to act. Tim is vulnerable as hell, plus he has a gun.

r107, a famous TV star- all the Americans (and the Aussies) tell her that they see her on TV. I imagine that Thailand and Russia probably don't get as much American TV.

This season feels like Mike White checked out and delegated creation of the show to someone else. None of the characters except Rick is very interesting or likable.

Somebody upthread mentioned Kathryn Hahn- she would have been great in the Victoria role.

R135 Maybe Greg will ask for Saxon. In the preview didn’t Chloe tell him, ‘he knows about you.’ And Saxon looked surprised.

She could be talking about Lachlan knowing about Saxon, but maybe it’s Greg. And Saxon is eager to help out such a rich dude like Greg.

Mike White is the new Ryan Murphy.

This makes no sense: And Saxon is eager to help out such a rich dude like Greg.

That's sad to read r66. Patrick was being a little bitch on set and Sam Nivola had to lecture him about being a professional and doing his job. Well good for Sam at least.

R142. Team Patrick

Watching the episode a second time, I noticed Fabian referring to Greg as "a guest". He's not a guest at the hotel, he lives in his own house "on the hill".

The writing is poor! That’s for sure!

R141 because Saxon wants to make a name for himself. He’s eager to be successful. He sees rich ass Greg as being successful and wants to learn how to get there himself.

Earlier in the season he said something to his dad about how he wanted to get his own clients and not just take what his dad gives him. Maybe he thinks Greg could be helpful to him.

Perhaps he doesn’t want to be a business nepo baby.

Fair enough.

R144 He’s a wealthy neighbor who has an arrangement with the resort to come and go, I expect. That’s equivalent to a guest.

I can attest that it is very common at “luxury” hotels in the south of France,

Can we please see a collective gallery of the cast penises?

This is more of an ass-forward tv series.

He patronizes the bar and restaurant. He is a customer.

As great as Sam Rockwell's monologue was, I think I enjoyed Goggins' reaction shots even more. It was like the first time this season that Rick actually seemed engaged, interested in something, not just apathetic/mildly annoyed at everything. Say what you will about this season overall, I think it's not as strong as the previous two. But that was an amazing scene.

Did Laurie flash her boobs? Somebody said that I must have missed it?

R15 She's a conservative Trumper. And the only one married among them. She wouldn't fuck him no matter how he looked like.

R152 Agree that Goggin's reaction/non-reaction in that scene was both great acting and hilarious.

I wonder if the DL vigilante sleuths can determine if the "the season is SO much more boring than .... etc.etc." are the same two or three posters. Seems like a lot threads in the past which have relentlessly repetitive posts are really just a couple posters.

R153. Yes, in the pool. I think she took her top off . I saw boobs.

This is the one show I look forward to every week.

Thanks r153 I missed it

Coontits.

Does anybody have a link to the gay sex scene in the Episode 5 that everyone is talking about?

His face was most of our faces

Thanks r156 I got a phonecall during the show so going to rewatch

r95 Because, as I said in my original post, repetition is tedious. That's not exclusive to this thread. Find any thread where the same few posters are saying the same thing over and over without anything new or original being added and you'll see the same response. As I'm guessing you have personal experience of.

The Rick and Frank scene was hilarious on its own, but even more so because I went to high school with two very similar guys named Rick and Frank.

R159 it wasn’t gay sex; he was dared to kiss his brother on the lips while they were both fucked up out of their minds.

Some sharp eyed Redditors spied Lochlan spitting after taking the pill and swig.. If that's the case, he's definitely the pervy predator.

So he’s been pretending to be high the entire episode? Nope. Does not compute.

The younger brother may be attracted to Saxon but I think it was more like taking control in the moment.

R64 Why would it be kinky sex? How did you get to that conclusion? It will probably be role playing to get to Sritala and her husband. Rick lied to her about being a movie producer or an agent or some shit like that. So Sam Rockwell's character will probably role play something based on that scenario.

Did Mike White use Sam Rockwell only because he was there, in Thailand, with his wife, at the time of the shooting?

Episode five had a lot more going on than the previous ones, but it was still kind of underwhelming. Sam Rockwell's monologue was crazy as hell, but he nailed it, so he won't be forgotten at the Emmys. Lochlan and Saxon kissing while high on drugs had kind of a "That's it?" feeling. Based on how the episode was going, I was expecting Saxon and Loch to have a foursome with Chloe and Chelsea. Nope.

More than halfway through the season, and it's shaking out to not be as good as the previous two. Season one took some time to get going, but season two hit the ground running. This one feels like it's dragging out its plots to fit a certain episode length. Not helping is the characters this season aren't as interesting (or sometimes even realistic) as those in previous seasons -- this has kind of hurt the series' murder mystery central plot and made it less compelling.

Theory: Chloe is in cahoots with the Russian guys, and they're planning to kill Greg/Gary to get his money. That would explain why she disappeared during the robbery (which the Russian guys did).

Yes.

Likely Yez.

^ in reply to R168

R74 I think that the person playing Sritala is a biological woman. I doubt Mike would cast a woman to play a trans woman.

She is. The lady boy scenario is way overthinking things.

R79 Can white trans women be ladyboys?

r95 wants to repeat the same points over and over about why he dislikes this show, and if anyone objects to how repetitive he is, he repetitively whines.

After Fabian was so flippant about Gary/Greg I hope he gets shot by him

Patrick Schwarzenegger’s acting was his best after this kiss. Bemused, slightly repulsed, surprised that he’s not more repulsed, kind turned on, plastering a grin on his face to stay cool…

R110 Agree. She's plays a main character but is credited as recurring. While we barely see Sritala's character yet the actress is credited as main. But then again, we might see more of her in the upcoming episodes.

I couldn't blame Fabian for not believing Belinda.

Belinda was so rattled by what she discovered she could not tell her story to Fabian straight, so she sounded like a crazy person. I actually thought that was good writing on Mike White's part.

The problem poor Belinda has is she should go right to the police, but she's in a foreign country she has no way of knowing how they will react.

r177 I thought PW projected a lot into that moment too and I wasn't sure how to read his reaction. It weirdly felt like he had a realization? I sort of wonder if Mike White isn't going out of his way to humanize the douchebro (and also the Trump-voting white lady) a little extra and could see Saxon having a real arc this season at this point. Maybe he's the one who leaves Thailand being the most changed by it instead of the sister.

I’m finding this tolerably entertaining. But if this was season one, there wouldn’t have been a season two.

I didn't see Saxon swallow the pill. He put it in his mouth then walked off facing the camera. Remember, he doesn't do drugs.

In real life, especially if she was worried for her life, Belinda would either leave and/or contact the Italian authorities, since she knows that they are looking for Greg.

Also in real life, Gaitok (spelling) would tell his bosses that the American dad stole the gun and it's on video.

These people are not really believable - at all.

R182, I’m pretty sure that in an early episode his Adderall use was mentioned.

So Fabian was okay with Gaitok leaving his booth for who knows how long, but just an episode ago, he wanted to fire him for the robbery and then had a meeting with him and the main guard where he told him that his job is more than just watching the cars go in and out? Makes no sense. Also, who was lifting the security gate arm while he was away?

How many cars do you imagine go in and out of that place?

R12 You're not wrong. They had very little screen time this episode.

R186 One is enough

Anyone noticed the cut from two brothers high on the beach, Lochlan laying down and Saxon looking at him and smiling straight to Piper's worried face for a second or two and then end scene?

The Rockwell/Goggins scene was the only time that this season came close to matching the quality of the first 2 seasons. Unfortunately, it shared the episode with some of the worst writing and character development yet. For example, everything coming out of Victoria's mouth: "You're moving to Taiwan!?" "Charlie Manson wrote a book, Bill Clinton wrote a book, [italic]Hillary[/italic] Clinton wrote a book." I honestly don't fault Parker Posey when given dialogue like that. Also:

Belinda suddenly exhibits all the maturity and intelligence of a 12-year-old, both in her discussions with Fabian and interactions with Pornchai.

Gaitok is beyond hopeless—as a security guard and as a character.

The blink-and-you-miss-it kiss between Lochlan and Saxon may have been the biggest nothingburger yet in a season full of them (with the reveal that Valentin is fucking Jacklyn close behind).

[quote] Because, as I said in my original post, repetition is tedious.

Perfect.

[quote] [R182], I’m pretty sure that in an early episode his Adderall use was mentioned.

And his steroid use.

Belinda ended up with the best guy, Pornchai is handsome and kind.

I like reading gay erotica when I jerk off, and I have to say, in recent years the brother-brother stories and father-son stories have exploded. Incest erotica is all over the place. So I feel White has tapped into something that's in the gay community and gay psyche but it's so taboo that it isn't seen much, esp on a high profile show on HBO. So props to him for that.

Also Sam Nivola is so cute I can hardly stand it. What a lovely kid.

I like how Victoria pointed out the silliness of Westerners adopting Buddhism. It’s like white people getting corn rows or dreadlocks in their hair.

It's not just in the gay world r194. Go to a porn site and look at how much of straight porn is incest themed

[quote]Patrick Schwarzenegger’s acting was his best after this kiss.

According to the actress in that scene he wasn't acting. That was his actual expression.

[quote]In real life, especially if she was worried for her life, Belinda would either leave and/or contact the Italian authorities, since she knows that they are looking for Greg.

I could see her telling her boss first. I can't see her not doing it at all. She doesn't need his permission to contact the authorities, especially if her own life is in danger. Also Fabian giving Greg any information at all is weird.

If a guy has a brother who looks like either Patrick or Sam, I don’t know how they could say they wouldn’t hit that.

Fabian gave Greg information?

R182 and for of the episode we see him high as a kite

[quote] I like how Victoria pointed out the silliness of Westerners adopting Buddhism. It’s like white people getting corn rows or dreadlocks in their hair.

I don’t think we are meant to appreciate her closed-mindedness as insight.

R190 “…close behind” —I see what you did there.

Right r200. Saxon definitely did the Molly, he is completely out of it at the end when Lachlon is going in for the kiss. Honestly it's nigh sexual assault by Lachlon.

I think this series is a gift — it’s rare that one writer/director— one with intelligence, a strong point of view and a gay man to boot— is creatively given his head this way. Will the quality be variable from season to season? Sure, it will depend on things like casting, location and overall theme — “spirituality” is a lot less sexy than — well, “sex,” which was the theme last season.

I don’t find the Thailand location as beautiful or fantasy-inducing as either Kauai or Sicily, the jungle setting seems claustrophobic, damp and too dark to me — every time a character opens a door to their room I’m afraid about what would likely fly or crawl into it (though I loved the little gecko I shared a hotel room with in Venice one vacation).

But I’m not going to make an overall judgment about quality until I’ve seen it all — sticking the landing counts for a lot in television. Even if I decide this season is weaker than seasons 1 & 2, it will still have given me tremendous pleasure. I love looking forward to it each weekend, I generally watch it live, and I love reading comments here as well as on the Vulture “White Lotus” weekly supplements. It is hands down smarter, better-acted and better-produced than 99.9% of any other series streaming. It perfectly hits the sweet spot between prestige and popularity, which is fucking hard to do. And it’s a genuine pop culture phenomenon, one that can sell out a shirt (twice! Pre-order for the next shipment!) just because it gives swagger and glamour to a sweet-looking, geeky boy.

And to the haters — this season you find so dull and weak has been the most popular with audiences yet, and season 4 already has the green light, so just give in, enjoy the cruise and hope for better next season.

You could tell that Saxon was high when he was struggling to process why Lochlan’s lips felt better than any woman’s has or ever could.

I’m loving the fantasy

The cross-cutting between various storylines was really well done; yes, the music does a lot of the lifting but that’s why it’s there. I particularly liked the horror-movie pacing in the scenes with the Russians and the pack of blondes. The three girls showing up to yell at the guys? I bet that was just part of the act these guys regularly put on.

Why would a hotel manager try to set up one of hotel's foreign employees with some old guy that eats there and has a girlfriend?

They spend their life as the help serving rich people r208.

The guy runs a hotel in Thailand, I am sure for him it is normal if a rich guest takes a special liking to one of the workers and he has no qualms about arranging little meet ups.

Because literally everyone there seems to be looking to marry money it’s the culture of the place and he assumes Belinda shares the same values

The gay incest kissing, of course

I'm with R204.

Now that Lochie is feeling horny and emboldened by shocking his own big bro with a passionate kiss, is it too much to hope that when he and Zion lock eyes the next morning, Lochie wordlessly leads Zion into the jungle drops his shorts, gets down on all fours while Zion plows him into a howling, mewling, sobbing orgasm the whole White Lotus resort hears?

Not likely? Maybe not, but I bet something along those lines occurred to Mike White as he watched the two actors on the set . . .

In the after interviews, Carrie Coon basically summed up the prevailing theme of all three seasons of WHITE LOTUS — “Wherever you go, there you are, there is no way of escaping yourself, that’s ‘White Lotus’ to me.”

R208, it’s classic “heroine in peril” trope: no one believes anything bad about a potentially threatening man. “Really, isn’t it great he’s paying attention to you? He’s not stalking you at all!”

Lochlan turning out to be the kinky pervert would be the perfect twist

Belinda should go to the press. She has exclusive firsthand information about an international news story with incredible, irresistible tabloid appeal. She could get tens of thousands of dollars from the UK press. And having the press descend on the resort and its environs would mean that Greg couldn't kill anyone.

R214 WTF are you mumbling about?

R209 He doesn't even know if she is seeing someone or not. And literally said that Greg has a gf. It just seems odd that a hotel manager would play a matchmaker for two people he barely knows.

Really. Weird

Keep an eye on that German.

[quote]] He doesn't even know if she is seeing someone or not.

I think you are looking at it from too much of a normal perspective. Fabian said it himself "he is rich*, who cares if she has some poor boyfriend. From his perspective why would someone not want to entertain someone who could potentially rescue her from their life of being the worker bees.

That whole convo really illuminated Fabian's worldview. Which I think fits someone in his position who runs the hotel he does. Hell some of those Asian women with the men double their age probably used to be his employees at the hotel.

I think I’ve listened to too many podcasts with autogynephiles, that’s all I could think of when Sam Rockwell had his big scene. But yeah, Walton Groggins was at his best here.

The party scenes could’ve been grittier--the cougars had been drinking all day, hadn’t even had a beauty nap, they would’ve been absolutely ragged after drinking til dawn, and the kids would’ve looked more fucked up, too.

I like the arc Jason Issacs is going through—his Catholicism is coming back to him, I wonder if he’ll be the one to have a spiritual awakening rather than the boring daughter.

Remind where he was identified as once-Catholic.

r223 didn't he say he was an altar boy and sang a song in church?

I heard him mentioned singing in church, nothing about an alter boy. And I didn’t recognize it from any Mass.

*altar

R222 Frankly I can't quite figure out the daughter's narrative or conclusion. I suppose the "stay in Thailand" and study Truth to find Meaning and Your Self is the point... but the details of it are under-formed... lighting the candle in lotus position while leaning against the bed... is that it? The impatient monk on the Apple laptop? The "depth" of Groggins's therapist was more interesting. I think the odd meeting with Rockwell and the living through past trauma and resolution might actually bring him to a place of peace and resolution... the gap-toothed girlfriend honestly seem to love him. They are my bet for happy-ever-after.

Episcopal churches have altar boys.

Mike White's parents were crazy evangelicals.

Michelle Monaghan has an amazing body.

[quote] Belinda should go to the press.

She's in Thailand, honey. Why would the Thai press care about Tonya McQuoid? They'd bump the story for another one of more interest to their readers: "Princess Angel Distributes Blessings to Crowd."

[quote] Michelle Monaghan has an amazing body.

She has practically no breasts.

R232 I love small boobs. And that doesn't change the fact that she has an amazing body. Especially for her age.

R238 which is not Catholic.

And Victoria took a swipe at Catholics, which an Episcopalian would not likely do.

Many of you seem to want to think of Piper (the Ratliff daughter) as a fully formed human being, but the point is she's still very young and is trying to figure out what and who she wants to be. She just knows at this point she doesn't want to be like her parents, and so Buddhism is an experiment for her to try another way.

Those of you who keep saying Victoria's criticisms of Piper's embrace of Buddhism are correct seem not to be paying attention to the fact that Victoria is a vain, unhappy, selfish, drug-addled mess. Whether Piper's interest in Buddhism is sincere or fully thought out or not, clearly Buddhism has much, much more to offer her than does her parents' snobbish and greedy materialism. Whatever Buddhism has to offer Piper, it's a hell of a lot better than Victoria's way.

R228 ^^

There is constant repetition of criticism of this season because this season is devoid of realistic human behavior. Characters consistently do things that make no sense in order to further the "plot" such as it is.

Episode 5 : Much Ado About Nothing Much.

Very nicely written post, R204, but I still think this season sucks donkey’s balls. And the bad casting of it is the fundamental reason I believe the way I do.

R225, Tim definitely said he’d been an altar boy in last night’s episode. Because I remember immeduately wondering if he’d been sexually abused by a priest (or vicar).

[quote]I think I’ve listened to too many podcasts with autogynephiles

I assume you're referring to big fans of "I Dream Of Jeannie."

I go along with the idea that Piper’s interest in Buddhism is skin deep, simply a reflexive rebellion against her parents’ hypocrisy and materialism, as well as an escape from adulthood. She is very young and callow, and for all we know IS running away from real life (read: men and sex) for reasons we don’t know yet if we ever do.

And I also agree with posters above that her mom Victoria’s warnings have a kernel of truth — this is a country where sex trafficking of young women is rife and she is too dumb, naive and trusting for her own good. I predict she’ll become disillusioned with her shallow interest in spirituality and will wind up going home. Perhaps as her father finds the spiritual strength he needs to face up to his difficulties and the bad choices he’s made.

[quote]But if this was season one, there wouldn’t have been a season two.

If season one had this season's ratings, HBO would have greenlighted a second season even more quickly.

Maybe Tim stays in Thailand and hides out at the monk place

What was Arnold’s reaction to the scene?

Forbes hates S3.

Quiet r246! They’ll hear you!

[quote] I think this series is a gift — it’s rare that one writer/director— one with intelligence, a strong point of view and a gay man to boot— is creatively given his head this way.

Mike White is actually a self-identified BISEXUAL. Not gay.

[quote] But if this was season one, there wouldn’t have been a season two.

[quote] If season one had this season's ratings, HBO would have greenlighted a second season even more quickly.

You realize that Season 3 viewership is based on their love for Seasons 1 and 2, don't you?

This is always the case for hit tv shows.

Seasons 1 and 2 of the Walking Dead had lower viewer numbers than following seasons, but they were responsible for making The Walking Dead such a huge phenomenon.

Ask any of the fans, and they'll tell you they got hooked because of the excellent writing in the first two seasons. Just like White Lotus.

It was when the writing turned to shit in later seasons, that viewership went down.

Mike White really needs to be careful, because if this season doesn't deliver, viewership might decline.

R239 Who is, according to you, a bad cast

[quote] Apparently Patrick was very upset about doing the kiss scene.

I want to see the Venn diagram of the number of people who are made the slightest bit uncomfortable by this scene, and the number of people who are perfectly happy to kiss their dogs on the lips, frequently with tongue.

I’m looking forward to Scott Glenn’s appearance as Jim Hollinger, Sritala’s husband, in the next episode.

R174, not convincing ones. Too hairy.

Sam Rockwell always delivers. Fantastic actor.

The kiss wasn’t even that hot. No tongue or anything.

Not that I’m into brothers kissing, but I thought there’d be more.

R75: Coolidge would have been even more one note than Posey---the writing is terrible, as is the direction.

R190: Piper knows so little about Buddhism--isn't going to make her happy. It's not the point., although staying at a Temple would be no worse than shopping malls amidst the Carolina kudzu.

R242: You know nothing about Thailand beyond stereotypes. For that matter neither does Mike White--the Rockwell speech is really just a take on stereotypes about Thailand. Confessions about gender bending aren't very new or novel anyway.

Dataloungers want everything to be like porn. They think the point of any representation of sex and/or sexuality should be to get them optimally hot and bothered.

R249, the bad casting in this for me are: Parker Posey (all surface level and way too meme thirsty), the one who plays Chloe (totally one note and WTF is going on with her teeth?), the one who plays Piper (absolutely uncompelling-are we supposed to be rooting for her to get what she wants?), Leslie Bibb and Michelle Monaghan (mediocre actresses and dull AF), Walton “Look at ME, I’m acting every goddamn second even when my character isn’t speaking!” Goggins, the old broad playing Sritala like she’s the minor act in one of those Sunday afternoon drag shows down at the Vauxhall Tavern), the limp German dish rag who plays Fabian, the one who plays Gaitok with a perpetually blank smile and the neophyte pop star who plays Mook as a Thai doll with a perpetually blank smile.

Will that suffice? I hope I didn’t leave anybody out.

Does anyone else think it’s possible that Mook is a ladyboy and that Gaitok tries to shoot Mook when he finds out?

[quote]The kiss wasn’t even that hot. No tongue or anything. Not that I’m into brothers kissing, but I thought there’d be more.

r254, an all-night session of extreme hardcore railing begins with but a single kiss.

Who thinks Sam Nivola enjoyed kissing Patrick?

R256 gay sex & sexuality expert

R258 No! That makes zero sense. Also they wouldn't cast a bio woman to portray a trans woman.

R257 So basically, most of the cast. Got it. By the way you are describing them, it sounds more like you just don't like these characters, more than it was a bad casting choice. At least for smaller characters like Sritala, Gaitok and Fabian. Which actors do you think would do a better job of playing those characters with the script and the lines they were given? They don't have to be Thai/German. Also, do you think there were some bad castings in season 1 and 2?

Calling it now, Tim will have an epiphany when he visits monastery and meets the monk Piper is raving about. Will decide to stay in Thailand.

Not calling it, but it could happen...Victoria will be the one that walks into a giant wave, not Tim, like I originally thought.

I'm in love with Sam Rockwell. His monologue about his infatuation with meeting, and then becoming, a ladyboy was so well-played. Only Sam can turn lines like "And then I found a guy who looked like me and he came over and railed the shit outta me" into gold. Had me dying on the couch.

Sometimes he’d get railed three or four times a night! While an Asian woman watched!

That was hilarious.

... and the look on Goggins face as he listened to Rockwell's story. Bwa ha ha ha.....

Tim was all set to shoot his brains out, no one has been more in a prime spot to find himself in a Buddhist temple. Would make sense with his arc.

“Maybe what I really want is to be one of these Asian girls.” By now, Rick’s eyes are wide and his mouth is hanging open. “Really?” he says. Yes, it turns out Frank couldn’t be more serious. Soon, he says, he was dressing up in ladies’ lingerie and bottoming for white guys much like himself in an attempt to feel what the women he hooked up with felt during their trysts. “Then I got addicted to that,” he explains. Sometimes he would hire a local woman to watch. “I’d think: I am her. And I’m watching me.”

Yes, perhaps Tim will have a revelation like Sam Rockwell did. Hit rock bottom and then become a Buddhist and now get railed three or four times a night while an Asian woman watches.

And drink chamomile tea.

I love chamomile tea

R264 - that’s possible given that she’s no longer rich, and she fears people will think she’s a bad mother over Piper’s announcement. Wait til she finds out her sons are in love with each other. Plus she’s out of Valium?! What is there left for her to do but drown herself.

Piper is a dud character.

[quote] Calling it now, Tim will have an epiphany when he visits monastery and meets the monk Piper is raving about. Will decide to stay in Thailand.

[quote] Not calling it, but it could happen.

Then why did you say "Calling it now"?

[quote] Sam Rockwell always delivers. Fantastic actor.

Academy Award winner, Sam Rockwell.

The only one in three seasons of White Lotus.

And he's not even a main character.

R272 In love? Only one of them. Saxon didn't look like he was into it

[quote]Does anyone else think it’s possible that Mook is a ladyboy and that Gaitok tries to shoot Mook when he finds out?

Are you fucking kidding me? Lisa is BY FAR the most famous person in the cast, and certainly so in Southeast Asia. No, there is ZERO chance they'd have a major K-pop star revealed as a ladyboy! (This simply isn't how Korea works, for lack of a better word.)

R274 Huh? Cause I'm calling the first part, about Tim.

The second, about Victoria...it could happen, not it will happen

A few interesting tidbits from a NYT interview with Patrick Schwarzenegger:

[quote]That casting isn’t complicated: Schwarzenegger has wide-set eyes, honeyed hair, a high-thread-count affect. That demeanor ensures a résumé of jocks and pretty boys.

I'm totally stealing "high-thread-count affect."

[quote]Schwarzenegger’s pedigree hadn’t impressed White. “Famous people, sometimes the baggage that comes with that is just a turnoff,” he said. But he liked Schwarzenegger’s approach, mostly because he treated the character with absolute seriousness. “He was just head and shoulders funnier than any of the other auditions,” White said. “It was life or death, the way he played the scene.”

But here's the part I know you sick cunts THIRST FOR:

[quote]The role required nudity and at least one disturbing sex scene. He was OK with it. It was right for the character, he said — so right that he elected to do a scene in the first episode without the boxer briefs that wardrobe had offered.

So: what kind of sex scene – on a show that already featured a straight dude forced to fuck a man introduced as his "uncle," presumably under extreme duress – would truly qualify as "disturbing" in THIS show's context? Try though I might, I can't come up with anything other than what some of the earlier posters on the thread noticed: Lochlan appears to be giving Saxon a blowjob on next week's show.

NYT link.

This episode was one big tease, lots of promised sex but whatever takes place is offscreen. Still we had Valentin’s stupendous ass.

I enjoyed it though. One thing i liked and found interesting was the brothers dynamic. Saxon seems to be the more innocent one and Lachy the calculating one, who bides his time. This is the sort of revelation that has been lacking.

Parker Posey is still the weakest link. Although the character is not very complex, with her lines she could’ve done something completely different. She is playing it tongue-in-cheek and for laughs, which takes the bite off the horrible things she says. She did nail the last scene though, telling her husband he is already sucessful and to come to bed. A rare glimpse of how different her performance could ve been.

Carrie Coons character is completly underwritten.

I think we're going to get more of carrie Coons's character once she finds out Jaclyn slept with Valentin, and the shit hits the fan.

This feel like quite a let down(other than the monologue)

I agree that Tim is Episcopalian. He’s a Republican WASP whose grandfather was a governor of North Carolina and he was an altar boy in a church with a sung liturgy. No other denomination makes sense. And given Mike White’s background as a preacher’s kid, he’d know that.

Did anyone else catch the worried look the Russians gave each other when Laurie drank Kate’s shot? That made me think that they’d drugged the drinks, but then they just seemed normal drunk.

R222, weird that his Catholic Church used a famous Lutheran hymn by praetorius to sing as a kid

It was Lutheran and I missed that?? Oh dear

R284, I wasn’t quite sure what was going on there, but, at the very least, the Russians seemed to understand that Kate was going to be the problem. She wasn’t going to go along with anything.

What about the wife? Having an Episcopalians make a nasty comment about Catholics or silly comments about Buddhism doesn’t ring true, to me. That’s not the way they roll.

R285. Not Catholic.

There’s a difference between liberal northeast Episcopalians and southern descendants of gentry second sons snooty Episcopalians I think.

R286 “es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen”

I see what your saying now.

R2@0 I’ll disagree. We’ve been told they were not deeply faithful, so doubtful they’d be high church or similar.

I’ll assume it’s a point that just slipped through Mikes’s hands. A preacher’s son is not necessarily going to dig deep into Anglican nuance.

For R290

I haven't watched a lot of television in the last 10 years so each of these seasons of White Lotus introduces me to many who I've never seen before, at least among the younger cast: Jake Lacey, Alexandra d'Darrio (sp?), Sydney Sweeney, Fred Hechinger, Will Sharpe, Meghan Fahy, Natasha Rothwell, Leo Woodall, Adam DiMarco, even Aubrey Plaza. Loved them all.

But this season I'm not impressed with any of them. Well, maybe Sam Nivola. Now, I'd be first to admit that the scripts and direction in S3 may have a lot to do with that.

[Quote] I was offered the role of Piper but had to decline when I found out they cast Parker Posey as her mom. Seriously, who would believe Parker as my mother?! Grandmother more likely.

Interesting, sort of. I just learned that White went to Pasadena Poly, one of the elite prep schools in the L.A. area, and traditionally the home for Pasadena’s and San Marino’s snobbiest. The ones I knew at Berkeley were barely sufferable.

Tim decides to stay in Thailand and this happens.

[quote] I agree that Tim is Episcopalian. He’s a Republican WASP whose grandfather was a governor of North Carolina and he was an altar boy in a church with a sung liturgy. No other denomination makes sense.

Anglican could also work.

The party scenes were weirdly dated and prolonged.

I can't take much more of Jason's dithering. His character as written sucks and that's why he wants to kill himself.

I agree Piper is a dud. She has 3 expressions and not one of them conveys a soulful seeker. Victoria was onto something with the clash of civilizations warning, even though it was coming from ignorance. Buddhism has long been concerned and disturbed by Westerners taking elements of the religion that suit their individualism and rejecting what they don't like.

I remain a Posey fan. She's goofy and fun as if she knows we know the family is ridiculous.

The series is built on a conceit that isn't working this time around although a Mike White failure is still enjoyable and worth watching.

[quote] What about the wife? Having an Episcopalians make a nasty comment about Catholics or silly comments about Buddhism doesn’t ring true, to me.

Wow, you don't know your moneyed mid-Southern Episcopalians and Anglicans. They can be HUGE snobs, and can consider Catholics lower class and Buddhists "other."

I haven't seen any interviews with Patrick or Sam in which the interviews asks the most obvious question, which is, did they ever develop any sexual feelings toward each other while filming the show. I'm sure they would say no, but the question needs to be asked.

R301 I don’t buy your post for a minute. Anyone who types “…Episcopalians and Anglicans…” as if they are different denominations goes to the back of line.

R299 I hope you’re joking—otherwise go to the back of the line with r301 (or are you one & the same).

I wonder if the actors for this season thought that they would all get Emmy nominations. That’s not going to happen.

R301, pretty much

If the biggest debate today is about Tim's religion (after the 5th episode!), you know this season is a stinker.

R127 she is staying because God wants her to get on my last nerve

It’s not the biggest debate. It’s a minor sidebar, or subreddit if you will. Over and out.

R305, I think Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood will likely get Supporting Emmy nominations, with Goggins having a good chance at winning, while Sam Rockwell has an Emmy in the bag for Best Guest Appearance or whatever the fuck that category is called.

Less likely but possible are Emmy nominations for Jason Isaacs and/or Carrie Coon, but let’s see how they finish out the season before mkimg the final predictions.

I like Sam Nivola in this a lot, but it’s hard to imagine him playing any role other than “awkward, shy teenager” or “awkward, shy college twink.” I wonder what roles he’ll end up taking in the future.

R307, even if this season were as good as the first two, we’d still be fixated on petty shit. It’s what we do here.

R310, Emmy voters have an unfortunate tendency to just vote for a ton of people from the shows they like, and I don’t see them turning on the show even despite the dip in quality.. I agree that Goggins and Wood will get nominated, but I doubt they’ll be the only ones. I think Isaacs is likely, then maybe two or three of the women (Coon, Rothwell and maybe Posey), mostly because Severance doesn’t have as many actresses to fill out the supporting categories as it does actors.

R312, I think Parker Posey’s performance has been too divisive to get her a nomination unless her character arc has a big finish with unexpected pathos. Which could happen.

You are right about block nominations, so Leslie Bibb and Michelle Monaghan are possibles depending on future Big Scenes. I like the group dynamic of the three women friends, and they are all good, but Coon is a noticeably better actor than the others, which gives her an edge.

I may be in the minority but I find Natasha Rothwell and her earth mother character to be a bore. She was nominated for season 1 but so far I see no reson why she would be up this year. But we’ll see.

I’ve never really understood how constant meditation is supposed to help a person solve their problems.

Meditation seems like running away. Problem solving requires engagement and trial and error.

I saw myself in Kate this episode. I’m the one against inviting strangers back tomorrow the hotel to party and who stays clothed while everyone around me gets naked. Yes, I’m boring.

Back “to the” hotel

For Emmy nominees, at most, Walt and Sam. The others don’t deserve any attention.

I think Aimee Lou is fantastic. Very funny, very sweet, feels totally like a real person - she's the heart of the season.

[quote] I’ve never really understood how constant meditation is supposed to help a person solve their problems.

Buddhist practice is not supposed to be about "solving your problems": so, as they say on "The Simpsons," "There's your problem right there!"

Leslie Bibb and Michelle Monaghan have both had bad plastic surgery. Neither of them looks like a real person. that's good for the show, but I worry they'll have trouble getting other good roles since they're older now.

(Carrie Coons, by contrast, has not had major work done, and should have no trouble getting parts.)

Her tits need work

[quote]Buddhist practice is not supposed to be about "solving your problems": so, as they say on "The Simpsons," "There's your problem right there!"

Yet this is the reason Piper gives for wanting to live at the meditation center for a year.

Not solve her problems, but rather to learn what type of person she really is…or something like that.

Piper is young, and may not be realistic about what she can get from Buddhism because of her naivete.

Even so, she'll likely be much happier than her mother.

Piper states she wants to stay at the meditation center to “get away from the bullshit,” apparently referring to her family (approximate quote). She wants to run away.

I dont understand what Carrie Coon has done to deserve Emmy predictions, I’ve never seen her in anything else but I understand that she’s been good in some other costume drama show. However based on what has happened on white lotus she is giving the least interesting performance of the three friends. at this point I completely understand who Jaclyn and Kate are- Leslie Bibb In particular is doing a great job- Laurie is still kind of a dud.

Carrie Coon gave superb performances in "Gone Girl," "Fargo," and "The Leftovers," and won praise this last year (and another Emmy nomination) for "The Gilded Age." She is famous for her work on Broadway and at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre.

Carrie Coon OWNED The Leftovers

I’ll check some of those out but as someone coming into this with no previous knowledge of her or her work, she’s very much overshadowed by her costars on this show

[quote]I’ve never really understood how constant meditation is supposed to help a person solve their problems. Meditation seems like running away. Problem solving requires engagement and trial and error.

R314, I get that. Meditation doesn’t solve problems directly but it just clears mental clutter so you can think more clearly. It’s like wiping a foggy windshield; it won’t drive the car for you, but it helps you see where you’re going. Meditation might help Rick find the clarity that his girlfriend can't impart on him.

[quote]I think Aimee Lou is fantastic. Very funny, very sweet, feels totally like a real person - she's the heart of the season.

Rockwell is a clear frontrunner for Guest unless something wild happens, and yeah, Goggins and Wood (loved her on "Sex Education,") are giving the performances to beat. Isaacs is definitely in the conversation, but I wouldn’t be mad if the Academy shook things up a little.

Parker Posey's, Victoria, is camp, but if they give her the space to evolve Victoria beyond a walking meme, it could be something special. That line to Tim ( "There’s no reason to be stressed, Tim, you’ve already succeeded in every way.") had a weight to it, like she’s seeing the cracks forming before anyone else. I think she's becoming less oblivious the less she medicates herself and her dream episodes ago signaled that.

And Coon? She’s killing it over in The Gilded Age, which only makes it more obvious how underutilized she is here. So, I'm not sure she'll make it. She's not standing out vs. the other women at all. They each have their own thing.

Overshadowed by Michelle Monaghan and Leslie Bibb?

Really?

Carrie Coons is the star of one of HBO's hits right now (The Gilded Age), and has Two Emmy nominations and a Tony nomination.

R331, I said what I said.

Mike White isn't giving Carrie Coon enough to do here. It's obvious because of how much she shines in other performances including on The Gilded Age which is also an ensemble.

She'll likely get nominated for this upcoming season of The Gilded Age (as she did last year) instead of this.

This isn't her fault. Mike just hasn't done much that is compelling with the character that he didn't do with the Bibb and Monaghan.

It occurs to me that Gary/Greg doesn’t have an outside world blackout like the people staying at the resort, so he may know all about Tim’s legal problems.

r332, something tells me Carrie will have more to do in the next three episodes. Given how well she's doing professionally right now, I doubt she would have taken this role had it not been juicy overall.

R327 put your crack pipe away. She has all of two (2) Broadway credits:

1. Who’s Afraid….

2. She Married Tracey Letts (that’s what she’s famous for)

R333 ding ding ding

I’m surprised no one is talking about my inevitable Emmy nomination and win.

R317, Oh, honey, Sam Nivola is fresh and adorable but saying he will get an Emmy nomination for his acting in this so far just proves you’re thinking with your cock.

Sam ROCKWELL

[quote]I’m surprised no one is talking about my inevitable Emmy nomination and win.

[quote]—Patrick Schwarzenegger

Well, I am, honey.

And to prepare you for your acceptance speech, I'll even take you to my very favorite face sharpener.

When will the monkeys get the gun and start shooting people?

r341, it's not going to be monkeys. It's going to be the lizards.

Buddhism isn’t about solving problems. It’s about getting over them.

[quote] a straight dude forced to fuck a man introduced as his "uncle," presumably under extreme duress.

Really? While probably not his most preferred activity, my impression was that Jack understood the arrangement, and was quite comfortable with it. From all other indications, he and Quentin had a good, even loving/caring relationship.

I'm enjoying this season the most. It's dark and steamy with a slow build-up of intensity.

I wonder if Sam Rockwell was just hanging out on location while his wife was working, and Mike White decided to put him to work, writing the role of Frank for him mid-season, and that then unexpectedly turns out to be a major highlight of the show.

Someone posted the Sam Rockwell scene on YouTube.

Love it!

The comments under the video at R347 are amusing:

[quote] @k1ttyn0carbs55

[quote] rick’s face 😭 that man did not want to know all that 💀💀

[quote] @kimhaas7586

[quote] Rick’s face was priceless. Like he was watching a train wreck but couldn’t look away.

[quote] @robstein1313

[quote] the eye acting shown here is seriously award worthy

[quote] @tomassoejakto

[quote] Wouldn't be surprised if the director's instruction to Rockwell for this scene was simply "make Goggins as uncomfortable as you can" and Rockwell proceeded to improvise the whole thing.

[quote] @JC-lc5fo

[quote] This was acted to perfection, you expect rockwells character to maybe smirk and laugh but it never comes 🤣🤣🤣

[quote] @gregb9730

[quote] best scene in the entire White Lotus history.

[quote] @akiraperu1

[quote] Surprise that this time goggins is not playing the weirdest guy in the room

[quote] @Sahwin

[quote] This scene is just so incredibly written and acted. One thing I do not quite agree with in the audience response is the interpretation that this scene was supposed to be completely comedic and absurd. I think this scene is acted out as an extremely honest conversation between two long-time friends (and business partners?) about, at its core, the nature of identity. Sam Rockwell's delivery was not really overly comedic; it was genuine. I really loved that. Yes, it is a rather bewildering admission. But it is genuine.

[quote] @starvedrock314

[quote] Walton Goggins just sat there flabbergasted for five whole minutes lmao

[quote] @tjhall9377

[quote] 4:00 I just love how casual he says "i realized i had to stop the drugs, the girls, the y'know...trying to be a girl..."

[quote] @drbrunch

[quote] Rick: 👁👄👁

[quote] @pedrol.p.carvalho8605

[quote] “I thought I looked pretty hot”

[quote] @romanxxxxyoutube

[quote] This was one of the most surreal, most wtf moments on The White Lotus ever

[quote] @KiafryKyle

[quote] I love how they did the contrast of how these two are on completely different pages. They pretty much are never shown in the same shot outside of the stablishing shots, isolated by themselves. Rockwell is saying the most outlandish monologue while keeping his tone sincere and serious while Goggins is barely saying anything but his face comically bewildered.

[quote] @SafeWorkouts

[quote] bloopers, now! cause ain't no way these two kept straight faces the whole time. It's so uncomfortable yet the reactions make me come back every so few hours

I'm sure it's been posted before, haven't been on DL in a while, but here's the actor who plays Gaitok singing.

Actress playing Mook apparently had to help him with his Thai because he's lived in England for so long. The Thai accent when he speaks with Tim in the bathroom was also put on, he has a strong English accent in real life.

I agree with r331 that The Coonster can't be beat, talent-wise, but people elsewhere are also complaining that she's not been given nearly enough airtime as she should have been, given that she's clearly the best actress in that trio. On the other hand, I also understand it's an ensemble project. Plus, look how much airtime Coolidge got, but for wholly different reasons.

Weirdly enough, Sam Rockwell and Alessandro Nivola look alike to me. At first glance, I couldn’t tell which actor was playing Frank.

Maybe the Buddhist monks will get the gun and start taking guests down.

r349, it's weird to think about playing some ethnicity that you were born to but have to "code switch " to for a role. showbiz i suppose

Parker Posey is southern, but had to co a “different” southern accent than the one she normally has. This is supposedly difficult (see also Julia Roberts terrible “Steel Magnolias” accent.)

I’ve seen hundreds of comments insisting Parker poseys accent is terrible and hundreds more defending it as very specific to the characters region and class and claiming they know many upscale southern women who talk just like her

Which is it?

Both.

I enjoyed the wheel of lust and suffering kaleidoscope in this episode.

The problem with Piper is that as far as the audience can tell she neither lusts nor suffers even without Buddhism.

[quote]I wonder if Sam Rockwell was just hanging out on location while his wife was working, and Mike White decided to put him to work

Leslie Bibb tells Entertainment Weekly that she actually had nothing to do with Rockwell's casting.

"No, they came to me and they were like, 'We're going to offer this to Sam,'" Bibb tells EW. "I was on the treadmill and [producer] Dave Bernad came to me. But I was like, 'Sam is wild as a buck. Listen, I don't know what he's going to do. He's doing a movie in South Africa, he likes time to prep.' And he was very nervous about that prep time."

^^And getting her real-life partner to come join her on the set of The White Lotus was a treat, even if Rockwell got a truncated experience. "It was really fun," she says. "We don't have any scenes together, and he did all of his stuff in eight days. We were there for six months, Sam was there for eight days — Sam did not the same experience in eight days. He got The White Lotus light

Bibb and Rockwell are an odd couple.

She’s odd; he’s not.

r275 .... so you think Sam Rockwell is the ONLY Oscar winner to appear on "The White Lotus?"

How sad for you.

Bibb has the hottest partner, Coon the most influential, and Monaghan has been with some normie graphic designer cum skincare shill since before 9/11.

Is it just me or has Sam Rockwell never looked hotter? Perhaps it was just that warm lighting that did the trick, or maybe it was him talking about getting fucked up the ass. The FAS facial features have subsided a lot since his youth, which is a rare thing from what I've observed over the years.

I don’t see FAS- just thin upper lip with too- big teeth.

Maybe he fixed his teeth?

I liked him best in the movie The Way Way Back. He was adorable

[quote]I don’t see FAS- just thin upper lip with too- big teeth.

Big flat philtrum and under-eye folds, for sure a case of FAS.

Rockwell's character is about desire and suffering, and Buddhism is about how to let go of desire so you don't suffer anymore. Rick's character is all about desiring to meet the man who supposedly killed his father, which makes him suffer. I'm guessing that Rockwell's character reminds or talks him out of wanting to kill his father's murderer.

Apparently Rockwell's character was cast with someone else, and they dropped out at the last minute, hence the lack of prep for Rockwell. He looks great with a close cropped head.

Natalie Cole, Mike's Survivor castmate, will make another appearance this season, this time with speaking lines.

[quote] Cole, who was on White's original Goliath tribe, tells Entertainment Weekly that White didn't like her on Survivor, and that he only invited her to appear on The White Lotus this season after she broke the ice first.

[quote] "The fact that he could look beyond the way he felt about me in Fiji and ask me to come do a part speaks volumes about him as a person," Cole tells EW. "Initially, he thought he was never going to speak to me again."

[quote]I wonder if Sam Rockwell was just hanging out on location while his wife was working, and Mike White decided to put him to work

Other people have explained this, thank you R358, and here is her explaining it. (About 1 minute in.)

That interviewer is awful-sit still and don’t talk over.

[quote] Sam Rockwell and Alessandro Nivola look alike to me

Did Sam Nivola ever call Sam Rockwell "Daddy," while on set?

[quote] White Lotus Brothers KISS! Patrick Schwarzenegger and Sam Nivola React to Incest Storyline

-Entertainment Tonight

[quote]Buddhism isn’t about solving problems. It’s about letting go.

R204 Season 1 was in Maui, not Kauai.

Buddhism is not about solving problems.

But, Buddhism is not synonymous with meditation. And I think we all know Western “meditation” is often used to quiet snd clear the mind so problem solving can take place. That is, meditation is very goal oriented in the West.

Is this healthy? Probably not. But one wonders how much Piper would be aware of this difference.

Leslie Bibb isn’t my physical type (I like more voluptuous), but damn if her ass isn’t a work of art for a 50-year-old! She must take all the hormones.

[quote] ‘The White Lotus’ exec producer explains that bizarre incest twist: ‘Not just for shock’

“The White Lotus” executive producer David Bernad revealed if there was any behind-the-scenes discussion about whether an incest plot was going too far.

“No, in terms of that — that’s all [creator Mike White]. Mike is brilliant, and I think those big story turns are not just for shock,” he exclusively told The Post.

Bernad added, “There’s a specific reason in terms of the narrative storytelling, and the larger thematic idea Mike is trying to get across.”

He explained, “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.”

During a preseason HBO press conference, Schwarzenegger teased that his real-life family — including famous dad Arnold, mom Maria Shriver and brother-in-law Chris Pratt — are “super excited” to watch him in “The White Lotus” and “don’t know anything” about what was in store, including the incest plot.

He also said that there are some scenes that are “uncomfortable to watch with your family.”

“Maybe I won’t watch that episode [with my family]. I don’t know, we’ll see,” he said.

During the same press conference, Nivola said about the Ratliff family, “We’re not necessarily that close with one another, at least the three siblings going into this vacation. And then it’s really like a sort of petri dish. You just plop us in where we have to be so close.”

Referring to Saxon and Lochlan, Nivola added, “We’re literally sharing a room.”

Schwarzenegger chimed in and quipped, “We share more than a room!”

Over the course of filming, he and Nivola “became really great friends — which almost made it a little bit weirder.”

[quote] I’ve seen [bold]hundreds[/bold] of comments insisting Parker poseys accent is terrible and [bold]hundreds more[/bold] defending it as very specific to the characters region and class and claiming they know many upscale southern women who talk just like her

But you exaggerate. No one believes you saw "hundreds" make such claims.

THAT was the incest event? Pft.

[quote]I may be in the minority but I find Natasha Rothwell and her earth mother character to be a bore.

Agreed. I assume they brought her back because some of the fandom – particularly Black women – were unhappy with how S1 ended for Belinda with Tanya screwing her over, plus plenty of fans in general weren't pleased by Greg getting away with it twice. So: two birds, one stone. (And I'm guessing at least one fatality, probably Greg.)

[quote]Meditation seems like running away. Problem solving requires engagement and trial and error.

It's not "running away," but Mike White was clear well over a year ago – before they finalized Thailand as the location (btw in case no one's mentioned it, their first choice was Japan, per a New Yorker article with Mike, but HBO basically cheaped out after getting a production incentive from the Thai government) – that the season would be focusing heavily on Eastern religion. Meditation has been a core aspect of Buddhism since its inception around 3,000 *years* ago, and since it's almost entirely absent from the type of Western religion Americans grew up with, I see why it's there.

The problem, rather, is that exploring Buddhism & becoming a monk is boring as fuck on a show built upon mystery & murder, but it's like Mike somehow felt "obligated" to include it as a storyline to tether it in a bit more reality. (In a sense this is similar to the three Italian guys visiting Sicily to check out their roots last season.) This may also be why they had the yacht-to-nowhere thing last week: it served no plot purpose, and seemed to be there solely to show off Thailand's best beaches and karst formations.

But, again, we've established that the show simply *is* more boring this year; this is just another reason behind it. The characters, writing, acting, and everything else just isn't working, for no immediately obvious reason (and few plausible ones aside from "Mike is overworked AF & dealing with a breakup, and was too distracted to write quality shit this season" and the like.

The only Thai-specific thing that's *truly* worked is the thing everyone's raving about: Sam Rockwell's depiction of sex addiction and a not-unrealistic depiction of how he got savagely fucked when he tried out being a ladyboy. Btw while I agree that bringing in Rockwell – as noted, the show's only Oscar winner – for the role was smart, this was in part to deflect from criticism of introducing a more "traditional" one. And yes, they're nearly all as hyperfemme as stereotypes suggest (though some are exaggerating or faking it), but most still have intact cocks, so yes, white dudes with either extreme kinks or closeted homosexuality can easily get railed by horny old fucks – except IRL they're the geriatric version of incels, and in most cases can only fuck "hot bitches" in Thailand vs. the frauen they'd pull back home.

[quote]Really? While probably not his most preferred activity, my impression was that Jack understood the arrangement, and was quite comfortable with it. From all other indications, he and Quentin had a good, even loving/caring relationship.

Undecided if this is a troll post, but WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK? It was *extremely* obvious that their "relationship" was one entirely under duress. Jack was a straight chav from Essex, and the only happiness we saw from him the whole season was the time he spent with Portia – his means of escape from the epically fucked-up mess he somehow got himself into.

And did you forget that Quentin ordered him to MURDER Portia, and that he almost did so solely out of fear of Quentin killing him if he failed to do so? That's not demonstrative of any "loving & caring relationship," but *you're* certainly letting your geriatric mind lead you to delusion. No, hot 25-year-old straight dudes don't "have a secret fondness for older men" blah blah blah. He was literally risking his life by letting her go, which is why he was so insistent that she leave Sicily immediately AND without being seen. He was scared shitless.

Quit fucking deluding yourself cunt.

[quote] THAT was the incest event? Pft.

I've read reviews implying that the next episode is where it will be consummated. And that it'll go somewhere never done before on TV.

[quote]THAT was the incest event? Pft.

Try reading the thread next time, cupcake. Lil Arnold already told the NYT in an interview yesterday that there's an "extremely disturbing" sex scene coming up, and basically the only plausible thing more disturbing than kissing your onscreen brother is getting blown by him.

It's either that or anal. (I'm guessing Mike wanted it, but the network might think that's a tad too far, considering Lochlan's a high schooler.) But no, that was NOT "the incest event."

[quote] as noted, the show's only Oscar winner

No I’m getting pissed.

I thought it unbelievable that Piper told her parents she lied about writing a thesis to get them to Thailand. Why not just be honest?

Lied to them about writing a thesis for a college program? The parents had no reaction to that at all. They were betrayed by a manipulative daughter and had not issue with that. Any normal parent would be aghast, shocked, and disappointed they had such a sneaky child.

It could have been a family adventure to take that trip in support of her true dreams. If she decided to stay at least they would know where she was. Once free of school, she'll do what she wants anyway.

Regarding Belinda, I don't find the affair with her co-worker/host believable. Sleep in the room, yes, but sex under those circumstances? Perish the thought.

The monologue in Bangkok was riveting. Great scene.

The same sex kisses not so sure. Could have been the drugs and alcohol and showing off. We shall see.

Copied from a very astute Redditor:

I think people have learned to worship mediocrity and / or are reading way deeper into each episode which isn't living up to the hype. That, and most people in this sub adore TWL so they don't have a life outside of this show lol. This is the best thing on television for them. Season 2 was miles better. The only thing this season did right was cast Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Patrick Schwarzenegger and Aimee Lou Wood. And having Sam Rockwell's hilarious monologue. 90% of the shots in the episodes are filler. It's so shallow compared to the first two seasons. In the first ten minutes of season 2, you already have Lucia and her friend, the DiGrasso boys, and then the quadruple squad and their dynamics introduced + Tanya and Greg. It was interesting. We watch what could be one scene stretched out an entire episode. Like why couldn't Piper's conversation with her parents be a one scene deal. She's not interesting enough for me to care about her little white lie. Lochlan and Saxon have NO tension of fighting or bond as a result of their time, Victoria's just being all kooky, Tim's just zoned out from stress and shows no signs of growing a spine, and the trio with Jaclyn is so boring. You get snippets of each character and the episode ends. And Sunday's episode? Let's show people dancing and add suspenseful music so everybody knows something ominous can go wrong? Surprise! Nothing goes wrong. It's trying way too hard to be deeper than it is which is amateur. The only pleasant surprise was Walton and Sam together. The yacht episode itself was a MASSIVE wasted opportunity. You have all major characters on one ship and nobody really interacts. I'm all for tension building and slow pace, but give us scenes with a lot of subtext. Each conversation is shallow and there's nothing below the surface. The whole episode is just Victoria cribbing about her Lorenzapam, and they drag Tim's addiction for 2 episodes and 4 scenes total. Tim acts stressed, Victoria is zapped out Piper finds her parents weird, Saxon's horny, and Lochlan's a weasel. Cool! They do nothing to expand the dynamic afterwards. It's entirely static. I'm all for a gradual buildup of tension but this isn't even doing that. It's like being in a wave pool when the waves are already dissipating and they're turning off the system. People are acting like there's so much tension already, when you can tell all you need to about Jaclyn and her friends from the first episode. Like we get it, they're Just jealous bitches. And why cast Lisa if she's just there to be eye candy? It's all gloss no substance so far. They had all the ingredients but they don't really make it a memorable season. It's just meh. Mike White just keeps edging you when all the characters besides Rick and Chelsea maybe are going through any semblance of change or high stakes.

[quote]Any normal parent would be aghast, shocked, and disappointed they had such a sneaky child.

Is it your impression that the Ratliffs are normal parents?

R385 Agree that "lets take the whole family to a remote luxury spa in southeast asia so one kid can do research to write a thesis" made absolutely no sense.

Maybe I misinterpreted, but when the dad first learned he was in financial trouble it appeared he was betrayed by his friend tricked into a dirty deal. It sounded to me that he had not intentionally committed a crime. Was I wrong? If that's case why not come clean and face the consequences? Be honest with his family. He'd have choices, return home and face the music or stay in Thailand and fight from there or become a fugitive. At least it's better than death. Unless he's completely broke he could hire a good attorney.

Maybe you did.

No. It was intentional. He complained that all he got for his end was $10 million.

Still, I can’t imagine the penalty for one instance of money laundering would be all that severe. His business may be screwed. Indeed he might lose his license, but he would probably not go to prison. His despair would make more sense if his entire business had been some kind of fraud or continuing criminal enterprise, but one shady investment for a friend? Not clear even that the national media would be all over it.

LOL R387, in my experience there is no such thing as a normal parent, but even terrible people don't like to be lied to.

In comparison to some families I know of, the Ratcliff's are somewhat normal. I'm particularly fond of the dad. Victoria, however, seems emotionally detached from her kids, coasting on the surface in a drugged haze. Not like the mom who's in the news where I live, arrested for embezzlement at her workplace to support her kid's private school tuition. That she took a pile for herself just makes it better. Now that's a mom!

R388, I agree to agree.

r383

[quote]I'm guessing Mike wanted it, but the network might think that's a tad too far, considering Lochlan's a high schooler.

...who they've made clear is now 18.

R390 & R391, thanks for clarifying. I missed that. Now I think he should stay in Thailand and become a monk. Hide out in a monastery or care for rescued elephants. Pretend he's an Asian whore and forget his nutty wife.

Time to up your mood stabilizers, r381.

R391, the facts are vague at this point. We know that Tim claimed that he was only doing someone a favor, but we don’t know that was true. Tim, we now know, is a crook and all crooks downplay what they have done and blame other people. The repeated calls from reporters, the office raid and Tim’s overall demeanor suggest that whatever was going on was pretty bad.

He was talking to the guy he did the favor for, so presumably he is not lying about it. Obviously, if he was paid $10 million it was more than just a favor. If think he meant that he took the risk as a favor.

Yes, clearly the plot is presenting whatever happened as a complete disaster, and we’re supposed to believe he is ruined. I’m just saying that as presented (admittedly vague), it’s not like he’s been exposed as Bernie Madoff or Samuel Bankman-Fried.

Bottom line—it’s just a plot device, but I don’t think White is realistically depicting the consequences for what sounds like an isolated violation. Likely to only be noticed by people with some awareness of white collar crime penalties.

People like Greg!

I think Tim will be let off the hook. MW loves to let rich characters off the hook.

Tim’s attorney wouldn’t even have enough information to tell him to plead out (at the time he had that conversation with his attorney.) Unrealistic writing.

I bet his attorney will have worked out a deal, and Tim may find his being out of communication was to his advantage. He’ll then wonder if he should embrace this as an opportunity to change his life.

[quote] Likely to only be noticed by people with some awareness of white collar crime penalties.

Will white collar crimes even be prosecuted under Trump's Justice Department?

White collar crime is the whole point for the Trump Justice Department.

Fortunately, for a while at least, there is this artificial world of entertainment where the Trump movement hasn't poisoned absolutely everything. Yet.

[quote] Will white collar crimes even be prosecuted under Trump's Justice Department?

Yes. Against Trump’s political enemies only. His friends can do what they want.

The Ratliffs - at least the parents - do not present as anti-Trumpers.

The two big Ryan Murphy-level inexplicable plot points:

1. Lorazepam is an incredibly addictive drug and Victoria is on it all day. The disappearance of her stash would have sent her into hysterics, she would have had withdrawal symptoms, and her only concern would be getting the White Lotus doctor to give her more. Instead, she shrugged it off.

2. There is no way the White Lotus would give an employee like Belinda that suite and had her eating with the paying guests, much less for a whole month. She'd be staying offsite with the other workers and shuttled in to work every day.

Where my gun at?

Why are straight people so clueless about the gay kiss? It's obvious Lochlan is a closeted gay who is experimenting with his brother. Saxon is close, safe and it's convenient. He just wants dick, he doesn't care that it's his brother. He is horny, young and figuring himself out. He will probably come out as gay before the end of the season.

Nutz. No.

R404 Maybe that's why this new episode got terrible reviews. I kinda agree with this one. The incest plot was a big fat nothingburger. They could have done more with it. I was underwhelmed.

R404 I was expecting Victoria to lose it while going through withdrawals, but she seems totally normal? It's such bad writing.

How do we know Victoria didn't have another bottle of pills that weren't stored in the purse she so blithely left on a lower deck of the yacht for anyone to steal?

Also, if it's explained too explicitly what Tim's shady business dealings are about than it would have to be explained in the final episode how he survives said shady business dealings.

Another inexplicable plot point for me is that the oldest son would have heard something about what is going on the office, not just a simple call from a friend. we are supposed to believe that Saxon would have had his phone and not heard anything????

R383 That sucks. A bj is good, but anal would have been better. You're right though, the network would never allow it. Americans are still prudes. If this was a European show I think we would have seen it. I mean, even the kiss was terrible. The angle made it so you couldn't see shit until it was over. It was a cop out.

In one of the American Horror Story seasons they had Evan Peters fucking Colton H from behind. That was pretty explicit. Anyone remember that?

I think they should have Lachlan do that to Saxon.

R385 Did you miss the part where her father is a suicidal trainwreck and her mother was shocked by jer confession?

R410 An addict with her needs and resources would absolutely have a hidden stash somewhere. The pills in her purse were not all her supply.

R411 Remember as the crisis was unfolding the father got ALL the family to turn in their phones... precisely because he wanted no news leaking on his son. Sorry, I meant leaking TO his son.

R411 do you think he told his son along the way: hey I’m doing shady shit outside the family business. Shhh!

Of course not.

[quote] I remain a Posey fan. She's goofy and fun as if she knows we know the family is ridiculous

Winking at the audience is a sign of bad acting

What happened to Tim's new found pill addiction? First few episodes were build on that

Did you not see him at dinner? It’s now only a morning after he stole her pills.

Do we think they will be found out and that's how Lochlan or Saxon loses it? What if someone sees the bj or there are hidden cameras? Maybe Greg heard Tim is rich and tries to blackmail him, then Tim has no choice but to come clean about losing everything.

[quote] What happened to Tim's new found pill addiction? First few episodes were build on that

He took two Lorazepam pills in episode 3, and then a lot of pills on one day in episode 4 (which showed the events of the next day). It was likely not enough to make him addicted since it was just over the course of two sequential days.

And, even if he did get addicted in one day, we've still only moved in episode 5 to the night of that day in episode 4, so there would be no reason for him to take more pills that day.

[quote] Another inexplicable plot point for me is that the oldest son would have heard something about what is going on the office, not just a simple call from a friend. we are supposed to believe that Saxon would have had his phone and not heard anything????

Saxon gave his phone and computer to Pam in episode 3 when his father insisted and gave her his own phone. Saxon wouldn't know his dad asked Pam for his own phone back in episode 4. His dad only did it when he got back to the White Lotus from the yacht, and Saxon has not been back to the hotel yet since leaving the yacht for the town and then going back to the yacht.

Saxon's phone and computer are still with Pam.

Victoria explicitly states that as she has no Lorezepam she’ll have to drink herself to sleep… while holding a large glass of wine. She doesn’t have another stash. No, it’s not realistic. She’d be in withdrawal and majorly freaking out by now.

I think the part about Saxon and the news not being realistic is that the young’uns text; they don’t phone. The plot point about Tim insisting Saxon give his phone to Pam before having the opportunity to call back makes no sense because people in their 20s don’t call.

But they text [italic]on their cellphones,[/italic] no?

r420, Chelsea still has her phone, and in the previews, it looks like GaryGreg is telling Chloe to blackmail Saxon.

Yes, but his cell phone was ALREADY blowing up with phone calls before Pam took it. It’s unbelievable that he wasn’t getting “dude, the FBI are here, what did your Dad do?” Texts.

The raid wasn’t necessarily his office. The dirty deeds likely are separate from his own workplace.

The raid was in the office. They said so.

His. I said not necessarily his.

I’m gonna guess Saxon s about to ride the Baitbus, fueled by drugs. Maybe Chloe will end up using that for blackmail per GreGary.

I imagine they all work in the same office which was raided by the FBI. Saxon’s phone would indeed have exploded. Locking away the phones and computers is a lazy plot device.

I wanna see Saxon ride the baitbus. Or whoever's in the bait bus.

Now they need the brothers bj otherwise it’s going to be a letdown.

The breeders are at it again, thinking Lochlan making a move on his brother is a power thing. It's not. Lochlan is discovering who he is. He is a gay kid. He just wants dick.

The premier episode (and arguably its best) of "Midsomer Murders" revealed an incestuous sibling relationship back in 1997 and the series is still on-air to date.

Unsettling, but the world appears to have survived.

And also Game of Thrones.

We have to see if any incest is while they are high or later. The kiss last week wasn’t incest it was joking around.

It was a dare.

is it just one small office? I got the idea that Timothy owned or co-owned a company, and though it employed Saxon, he was not high up in the company yet.

Boardwalk Empire had creepy incest vibes between Michael Pitt and his mother and eventually the two characters had sex. Mother and son, even grosser then brothers.

It's definitely nothing new for HBO.

[quote]The breeders are at it again, thinking Lochlan making a move on his brother is a power thing. It's not. Lochlan is discovering who he is. He is a gay kid. He just wants dick.

I believe that's based on how the actor interpreted it. He also said that he just wants his brother to like him. Since his brother has spent all his time try to make Loch more like him, he is now behaving more like him. He is the one pushing his brother and calling him "weak" in a way. Lochlan is not the "bitch" anymore who can't hang, after this Saxon will be.

The actor did question the method Lochlan used to do this.

Apparently, in these last few episodes, the character will be behaving very differently than he has prior to them. Again, that's according to the actor.

There'll be a lot riding on E6!

^^Sybil the Soothsayer or Cassandra? Your guess is as good as mine.

Yeah r442, didn't Lochlan say something like that he was going to own Saxon?

I think Saxon is going to attempt to fuck Chloe, but can't get it up, Lochlan finishes the job...brotherly dynamics shift.

How many more episodes ARE there? When is something going to HAPPEN?

Leslie Bibb on Watch What Happens Live now. I hope they ask her about Sam's ladyboy scene.

Who could forget "Wiseguy's" infamous incestuous siblings Mel and Susan Profitt (Kevin Spacey and Joan Severance)?

🙀

Lochlan said he was going to take Saxon down, maybe he isn't as good natured as he appears?

R450, he took those drugs and had NO problem being the aggressor in the kiss. You’re on to something.

It's always the quiet ones.

I can't find the clip now, but someone on twitter posted that Lachlan was seen spitting out the pill.

r453 I rewatched it and they don't actually show him spitting it but the way he moves his mouth maybe implies it?

Leslie Bibb in R450's linked clip - from CNN, not Watch What Happens Live - is much more attractive than she is on The White Lotus.

[quote]Didn't Lochlan say something like that he was going to own Saxon?

He said, "One day, I'm going to take you down."

And it seems like that's what's going to happen between the two.

Saxon told Lochlan to let the girls get messed up while they stay sober but then Lochlan does drugs with the girls and peer pressures Saxon to.

Saxon doesn't want to kiss Lochlan but Lochlan kisses a very out of it Saxon anyway.

Now I know where I saw the Lochlan actor, he was in the terrible Netflix series (and will be in the 2nd season) The Perfect Couple

As every bi-curious man knows, all Lochie or Saxon has to do is the next morning say, "Dude, i was sooooooo wasted last night... I don't remember a thing that happened!" and that's that.

Call the Midwife had an incest baby at least twice.

It's estimated that over 20% of births in England were the result of incest during the mid 1960's.

r454, he does spit something out, but it was after a few lines of dialogue, which I find weird- the girls and Saxon walk ahead, and he definitely spits.

R460 Making things up is fun, isn't it?

On the UK soap Hollyoaks one of the biggest storylines last year centered on twin incest. The male twin had been sexually abusing his female twin and was eventually prosecuted and given a prison sentence. The actor who played him is cute as hell and hopped right onto another soap (Coronation Street).

Also an episode of Heartbeat with young Hugo Spear and John Simm. Not together.

R460 that explains the teeth thing —finally an answer.

A two second kiss for a dare is hardly incest.

R458 and then talk about something manly. Like football.

S: See the Bears game last week?

L: Hell of a game. Hell of a game. Bears got a great team this year. They’re gonna go all the way.

They wouldn’t be Bears fans, dummy.

[quote]I believe that's based on how the actor interpreted it. He also said that he just wants his brother to like him.

I wish that Mike White just told Sam that to string him along and then in the edit room put it together to create a Sam lusting for his brother narrative.

[quote] There'll be a lot riding on E6!

Chloe riding Lochlan, Jaclyn riding Valentin, Belinda riding Pornchai, Frankie riding Rick?

R466 I was waiting for a train with a female classmate, her Dad and brother were dropping her off. When the train arrived she kissed both of them good-bye on the lips. It threw me, and I eventually asked her about it. She looked at me like I was crazy, giving me that withering schoolgirl scornful glance. I agree, incest requires more than a kiss. Even if there's intent.

R468, they prefer to be Philly sports team fans, i.e the city of brotherly love.

R442 Sounds like I won't like these last few episodes. I wish Lochlan was just gay, experimenting and coming out.

If Mike White writes yet another crazy gay guy, he's got some serious issues. All gays on White Lotus are crazy, yet the lesbians are perfect. It screams internalized homophobia.

Jason at his funniest. This is conspiracy fever dream.

I challenge Mike White to include a normal gay male couple next season (well, normal for White Lotus standards). But we know that will never happen. He writes gays as sick and twisted people. He has some serious issues.

[quote] yet the lesbians are perfect

I wouldn't describe Valentina as perfect.

Me neither, she was a neurotic fucking mess, trying to fuck employees.

R467, right. Name one normal character

He writes gays like that because (we) regular gays are fucking boring, and this show doesn't deal with boring characters. Just look at all the comments this season about Belinda being boring and not contributing much, for example. People tune into this show to watch over the top caricatures like Armond and Tanya and Victoria. There's a reason there's a popular post on the show's subreddit at least once a week about Armond being the best White Lotus character. Would a normie earnest gay character get that kind of adoration? I don't think so, honey.

I wanna eat Valentin's taut Lithuanian toosh!

i agree

Yes nothing screams "engrossing drama" like "normal people" - just like all of the other normal heterosexuals on this show who aren't at all fucked up

One of the problems with this season is Mike White dropped the one episode=one day structure of the previous ones. That format forced him to trim the fat more, which improved the pacing. This season has had one episode cover a certain time instead of one whole day, so it feels bloated and like it's spinning its wheels.

I’m not so sure about that. Are you?

I wonder how many of the 'this season is so boring' posters binged the first two seasons on streaming rather than watching them week by week when it aired.

I think MW will try to give Rick a redemption arc. So, Rick and Chelsea won’t be dying.

Are we sure anyone is going to die? Maybe this will be the year no one is killed.

On the other hand, why even bring GregGary back if not to kill him off? The only thing we need from GregGary is for him to die.

Maybe Rick will off GregGary?

There was a body floating in the water during the flash forward at the start of the series. So someone is going to die, yeah.

R447 - "How many more episodes ARE there? When is something going to HAPPEN?" - the entire world

Funny, R447, that's exactly what the entire world has been asking about your sex life.... "When is something going to happen?"

Obviously, you haven't been paying attention. Sad. Plenty has happened.

Jason Isaacs should win an Emmy for trashing Trump on MSNBC while promoting the show. Bravo.👏

Hilarious that Jason is playing Duke Dad as Dukies are likely Trump’s biggest fans.

R487, I legit can't see GregGary lasting another season. He has been stretched out enough.

Eww phrasing r492. He's not Sam Rockwell

R492, he is pretty long....

R480 But the gays are treated differently than the lesbians. That's my issue. The gays are always freaks. The lesbians last season were relatively normal. They even got a lesbian coming out storyline, something I thought we were gonna get this season with Lochlan, but now it seems unlikely. It's disappointing and I don't think it's fair. The gays should get a good storyline too, but they never do. It's always OTT and crazy shit.

Why didn't Gaitok just take the footage of Tim entering and exiting the guard shack/post to management or the police right away? Why bother confronting him when he could have let the video speak for itself? This doesn't make sense.

I am enjoying this Season of WL more than the other 2. It has a certain sense of dread and foreboding I didn't experience in the others.

Those white privileged women are gonna go DOWN ... at least 1 of them is

r495 Every time you whine about this you change the goalposts.

r496 Because bringing attention to the reason why the gun was left alone probably wouldn't be great for his career?

R498 I think it looks worse that his superior left a gun there, in the first place. Gaitok obviously isn't ready for the responsibility.

Alone, unlocked and in full view of anyone passing by.

While presenting the video might get the gun back it would only make Gaitok appear more irresponsible for leaving it out to be stolen.

He’d be fired on the spot. Fabian already doesn’t think he’s doing a good job. I’m surprised he let Gaitok stay and watch Mook’s performance when he was supposed to be manning the guard shack.

He tried getting the gun back on his own, now he may ask for help. Probably from Mook.

r499 How? His superior left the gun in a locked drawer. Gaitok left it on the desk and then abandoned his post to walk with Mook allowing it to be stolen.

Besides, it was Fabian's idea to have security armed. So he's not going to fire the supervisor.

It was the perfect situation for Gaitok to use the line, “Is that a gun in your pocket, or…”

R499 I didn't remember the part about the supervisor locking the drawer and Gaitok taking it out. Thanks. Still, I'd rather get fired and report, than be responsible for a loose gunman at the resort.

Well, you should have. The rest of us remembered it quite easily.

Sam N. In an interview since the season has aired, inadvertently gave a clue as to the longevity of the Lochlan and Patrick characters, saying that they leave with a relationship that has evolved in an interesting way.

Patrick achieves the wisdom of Frank's erotic journey, foregoing the 1000 women, by being topped once by his younger brother.

[quote]saying that they leave with a relationship that has evolved in an interesting way

Translation: the brothers will continue sucking each other off on the DL for the rest of their natural lives.

Remember Gaitok is madly in love with Mook, who also works at the resort. If he got fired he would not only lose her esteem, but he would also not get to see her every day.

r505, just because you'd rather get fired doesn't mean this character would.

I have it from someone who has seen Episode 6 that Lochy comes close to blowing Sax.

I’ll have what he’s having.

Cop out

The whole switching back to the monkeys every time humans do something crazy .... was driving me crazy but now I'm thinking...

The guns shots we heard in the beginning -- I bet you that it's the monkeys who somehow get a hold of the gun, and shoot people randomly.

Metaphor for... everything....

As others have said, a monkey would fire a gun once then run away from it, spooked by the noise. It might then try again but it would have to screw up its courage. It wouldn't be like the constant firing we heard

I loved when Gaitok returned to the guard house and discovered the gun was missing. He immediately started searching the room for the gun. I guess he figured that while he was away, someone came in and hid the gun.

R491 Not to bring the collegiate conversation back up (I know DL loves threads being sidelined with college chatter) but UNC alumni would be much more likely to be Trumpers than Duke alumni.

🤔

r516 And the thought of checking the CCTV only occurred to him by chance when he sat back and looked at the monitor. He's so awful at his job.

Jesus Fucking Christ can we leave Trump and politics out of one fucking thread please?

I have no interest in what president a bunch of fictional characters on a tv show may or may not have voted for.

You do realize, R520, that the politics of Trump was something that was injected into the storyline, don’t you?

So what r521? This thread doesn't have to turn into yet another tedious political discussion. Some of you are totally obsessed.

r522, You're making it one, just drop it.

Let me guess, R522. You’re an independent, aren’t you?

r522 there are numerous posts already.

R524, i am, and I go to church every Sunday with my husbear

The only thing worse than off topic comments about Trump are the tedious "no more Trump threads!!" posters. Both the MAGA politics and the relative status of the two NC schools are part of the White Lotus story this season.

But that doesn't mean we have to obsess over the politics of the characters r527

Lochlan is obviously a cock hungry bottom. It would be a shocking twist if he topped Saxon.

In Austin, R526?

R529 In that 2nd kiss, Lochlan clearly connected with his inner dom. And the revelation to the buzzed Saxon was that he was the one who enjoyed being used.

Like a Thing!

[QUOTE]Academy Award winner, Sam Rockwell. The only one in three seasons of White Lotus

[QUOTE] Btw while I agree that bringing in Rockwell – as noted, the show's only Oscar winner – for the role was smart, this was in part to deflect from criticism of introducing a more "traditional" one.

As has already been noted, this is wrong. F. Murray Abraham (Oscar winner) was in Season 2. And Academy Award winner Ke Huy Quan gave a voice performance earlier this season.

That would make Sam Rockwell, the third Oscar winner to appear on The White Lotus.

And I just remembered Academy Award winner Laura Dern who provided the voice of Michael Imperioli’s wife last season. So that’s actually four.

He's a power bottom, r531.

Wish list for next season:

Setting: Iceland

Cast:

Phylicia Rashad (mysterious grandma with a past) Riley Keough, Simon Rex ( uptight professional couple) Chloe sevigney, Mia Farrow, Toni Collette. (Terminally ill mother and two rival daughters) Sam Neil. Courtney Love (older swingers) bill hader, Jeanine garafolo ( NPR anchors/couple on vacation after he had a humiliating public nervous breakdown) Martin short (bitchy concierge) Mia goth and gabriette (hot jet set lesbians)

Oooh there's some head bobbin' going on!

But who will be next season's Oscar winner, r536?

I’m still waiting for this season’s “These gays are trying to murder me”

Just keep waiting, r539.

I don’t know about the possible head bobbing. Piper looks so immediately horrified, I think it’s a life or death situation, not incest, that she witnesses

R520 is the death of any party.

[quote] As others have said, a monkey would fire a gun once then run away from it, spooked by the noise. It might then try again but it would have to screw up its courage. It wouldn't be like the constant firing we heard

Also: a monkey would hardly know how to release the safety catch before pulling a trigger on a gun, and even if it somehow did it by accident once, it wouldn't be intelligent enough to do it a second time.

R541, either it's a dream or my guess is Victoria finally is going through withdrawal and she runs into someone helping her while she is passed out or Tim overdosed on lorazepam and Lachlan or Victoria found him passed out. Something horrified her but not enough to run.

[quote] The lesbians last season were relatively normal. They even got a lesbian coming out storyline, something I thought we were gonna get this season with Lochlan, but now it seems unlikely. It's disappointing and I don't think it's fair.

Please. Valentina was a mess.

Called her wealthiest client Peppa Pig? A late-40s single lesbian in a cosmopolitan job like hotel management who hadn’t come out? Treated her male employees like shit because she wanted to fuck their girlfriends? Bought gifts for female employees because she wanted to fuck them? Fucked a female prostitute and gave her a job?

Relatively normal? Emotionally she’s a tween and sexually, she’s practically Trumpian.

[quote] Remember Gaitok is madly in love with Mook, who also works at the resort

No there’s a boring storyline.

R535, you omitted the hot gay, the douche bro, and the cute twink from that list.

Wish list for next season: a "normal" gay male married couple. They can have issues, like all the other characters. But please no incest gays or murder gays.

Next season needs to cast Blake Lively and Amber Heard. Reddit would self destruct and DL would be throwing itself in a grease fire.

I'd put money on the next season's cast including Lily-Rose Depp. She has a certain WL vibe.

So Mike White just hired Lisa to bring in KPop fans? She has barely been in it and just seems to be there to look pretty.

I’m still rooting for Salma Hayak and St. Barts.

Go to Kenya for an African Luxury Big Game Safari and bring back Jennifer Coolidge in leopard-print.

This series was made for Sharon Stone.

Hi Sharon!

r551 Guess he's taking lessons from The Idol

I’d love to see Patsy and Edina check in

Or Lucy and Ethel in search of Evelyn Holmby, ax murderess.

I hate to say it, but Blake Lively would have been perfect prior to… you know…

“ The premier episode (and arguably its best) of "Midsomer Murders" revealed an incestuous sibling relationship back in 1997 and the series is still on-air to date.”

One of the incestuous siblings is played by Sam Nicola’s mother, Emily Mortimer.

So I guess they're keeping incest in the family!

Please clap

I gave you an FF for unnecessary self-congratulations.

But I laughed before I did it.

Incest Kiss...suddenly this get interesting! PIPER NOOOOOOOO

Patrick Schwarzenegger’s White Lotus Costars Thought He Was Going to 'Throw Up' While Filming Incest Kissing Scene

Oh my

yeah right

So I think it turns out Saxon bottoms for Lochlan

Chill, Patrick. It’s not like Sam is your real brother.

There wasn’t even tongue.

R566 It won't be anal, only a bj.

Honestly it just comes out as homophobic. What exactly was he freaking out about, having to kiss a male actor? Not a good look.

It was probably more a cringey method actor thing, bonding with his co-star like a brother, etc

sorry not sorry I rly wanna see them bang

What do we think Piper's crying about in the trailer?

R564 Me thinks Patrick doth protest toro much.

I need to see Jason Isaacs bang his sons!

You know it will be revealed someone is adopted so they are not real brothers.

R574 I've seen a couple recent interviews where he's still playing coy about his prosthetic, even saying it is sexist to ask. I hope he got to keep it.

Ha! He’s an adorable flirt

"and then I was really grossed out when he fucked me!"

Patrick is - how to say it - me doth protest too much?

Anyone who says that they wanted to throw up after filming a gay sex/kissing scene probably had the exact opposite feeling about it.

I didn't get that impression about Chris Potter 25 years ago, just pure bigotry-fueled homophobia.

Is it possible Lochlan will hook up with a guy other than his brother? Maybe Zion is gay? Or what about Sam Rockwell's character? He liked ladyboys, so probably twinks too.

R422 He didn't do it after he hot off the yacht. He got his phone back when he was having a dinner with his entire family. The day before the yacht thing

R474 There was exactly one lesbian on White Lotus and she was far from perfect. So who are all these perfect lesbians that you are seeing? And what show are you watching?

R495 There was only one lesbian last season. What are you on about?

R496 Cause he would get fired for leaving his booth and the gun on the table

What a boring episode.

This show always cracks me up with what it thinks is so subversive. Oo! Prostitutes in a hotel! Clubbing! It actually seems kind of reactionary.

I know one of the Russians. He’s actually Bulgarian.

R514 monkeys can't shoot a gun. Even if they accidentally fire one bullet, the sound of the gun would frighten them and they would run like hell away from it. If that actually happens and a monkey fires a whole round of bullets this show will not jump a shark but a whole shiver of sharks

Watch the movie Monkey Shines to see what monkeys are capable of.

Part 6.

[quote]I know one of the Russians. He’s actually Bulgarian.

And Valentin is Lithuanian. Vlad is the only one played by a Russian (and Canadian) actor.

This was very much by design because originally Valentin was supposed to be played by a Serbian Russian actor who is a big Putin supporter and had to be recast due to the public outrage HBO received over that casting. I made a DL thread about this at the time and a couple of posters were unfortunately – but wholly unsurprisingly for DL – defending the actor.

I know it's too cheesy & a serious auteur like Mike White would never do it, but I'd love the ghost of Tanya to make an appearance. Maybe playing with the mind of Greg/Gary.

Patrick is in the closet, so clearly he was acting upset for the benefit of his costars:

How would the general public have heard about the casting of an obscure Russian actor (Putin supporter or not) and have protested enough to have him recast? That makes no sense to me.

Pay more attention!

Whether or not it makes sense to you really isn’t terribly interesting.

I like the Valentin that we got.

let's

close

this

out

BAJOUR

You’re not the boss!