‘The White Lotus’ Episode 6: Brotherly Love

This publish comprises spoilers for the most recent episode of The White Lotus, “Denials,” which is now streaming on Max. 

First comes the push, then the remorse. Final week’s episode was simply the season’s wildest, stuffed with intercourse, medication, and Walton Goggins delivering a grasp class in demonstrating that each one appearing is reacting. “Denials” is about the day after a lot of the company partied too exhausting, and now they should reckon with the alternatives they made that night time — a few of which they barely keep in mind. 

Let’s once more take it group by group, beginning with the individuals who had a comparatively mellow night final time in comparison with, say, the Ratliff brothers. 

Belinda 

This ought to be an exquisite day for Belinda, proper? Her son Zion (whom we met within the season’s flash-forward opening scene) lastly arrives on the resort, and is usually simply amused to appreciate that his mother simply slept with Pornchai. And Pornchai means that he and Belinda may group as much as make her dream of operating her personal spa come true. Household, intercourse, potential skilled development, beautiful surroundings… the world is her oyster, no? 

However there stays the spectre of Greg, who approaches Belinda and invitations her to a celebration at his home. Earlier within the episode, we see him inform Chloe that he wants her assist to “take care of one thing.” We all know from the second season how far he’ll go to take care of issues, and Chloe could possibly be a helpful alibi for him relying on his plans. That stated, it feels nearly too apparent for him to attempt to kill Belinda, provided that we already noticed him take out a success on Tanya, so maybe he’s going to strive for the carrot, moderately than the stick? 

Pornchai’s supply, in the meantime, is extra sophisticated than he thinks. It’s not simply that they’ve solely identified one another for a couple of days, solely had intercourse as soon as, and that mixing enterprise with pleasure has a excessive potential for messiness. It’s that Belinda has already had this specific soccer snatched away from her, Lucy Van Pelt-style, as soon as earlier than with Tanya. This isn’t fairly the identical factor, as a result of Pornchai isn’t the inheritor to a household fortune and intends for a extra simple partnership. However Belinda understandably has her guard up, not desirous to have her coronary heart damaged a second time on this topic. 

However simply as Greg making an attempt to kill her would threat feeling like a rehash of Season Two, Belinda going all in on the spa concept and having it crumble may threat doing the identical with Season One. Issues ended effectively for a number of members of the Sicilian employees; perhaps Belinda will likely be equally rewarded this time? 

Tim, Victoria, and Piper

The episode begins with an obnoxious fake-out the place Tim imagines killing himself, earlier than sending a lot of the Ratliffs, save Saxon, off to the monastery so Tim and Victoria can take a look round this place the place their daughter intends to reside for a minimum of a 12 months. Victoria naturally is disgusted by every thing about it, and nonetheless can’t fathom why Piper would topic herself to this way of life — and, for that matter, topic her household to the general public humiliation of figuring out that she has stayed right here. However Tim’s complete world is collapsing, with suicide feeling like the very best end result. So he’s extra open to the expertise than he would have been at every other second in his lifetime. He has a real dialog with the top monk, whose dialogue of why Westerners like Piper present curiosity in coming right here — ”Religious malaise. Misplaced reference to nature, with the household. Misplaced reference to the spirit. What’s left? The self, identification. Chasing cash, pleasure, yeah?” — resonates with every thing Tim is feeling for the time being. He has spent his life chasing cash and pleasure, and inspired his kids to do the identical, and the place has it gotten him, and them? All the pieces Tim believed has introduced him to the brink of destroy, so why shouldn’t Piper strive the other of that?   

The monk’s description of demise as “a contented return,” in the meantime, solely strengthens his resolve within the concept of killing himself — after which Victoria inadvertently places herself in peril by telling him that she doesn’t know if she’d wish to reside in the event that they misplaced all their cash. As a result of Gaitok has retrieved the stolen gun, Tim for the time being doesn’t have a straightforward technique of pulling off the murder-suicide about which he’s fantasizing. However there are nonetheless weapons on the premises, and maybe we’re heading to some extent the place the energetic shooter will likely be him making an attempt to annihilate his whole household, with different company and employees catching strays alongside the way in which. That feels extremely darkish for this collection, although.  

Gaitok

One other White Lotus staffer seemingly having fun with a terrific day that by no means really feels that nice. Whereas the Ratliffs are on the monastery, Gaitok searches their villa and finally finds the pistol, and he’s so beneath the discover of the rich company that Tim and Victoria don’t even clock him as they move one another on the way in which again inside. And when his boss takes him to the capturing vary, Gaitok proves an excellent shot. However the boss’ query about whether or not Gaitok has the “killer intuition” portends bother. As a result of this isn’t a man with a killer intuition, neither is he somebody who looks as if he ought to ever be trusted with a loaded weapon — particularly since his major objective stays making an attempt to impress a girl who appears to have friend-zoned him. 

Rick and Frank

There’s no follow-up to Frank’s monologue about his former fascination with Thai ladyboys. As a substitute, our temporary glimpse of the outdated associates is simply setting us up for no matter’s coming in subsequent week’s episode, when Rick will lastly get an opportunity to confront Jim Hollinger. We do a minimum of lastly hear Scott Glenn’s voice on the very finish of the episode. And earlier than that, Rick insists to Frank that he doesn’t really wish to kill Jim, however, “I would like him to know the way unhealthy he fucked me up.” We nonetheless don’t know if that’s what he actually needs, nor will we but know if Jim is his father’s killer or simply his father, although I’d place my wager on the latter. (And if I’m flawed, then Glenn and Goggins have to play father and son in another challenge, ASAP.)  

Jaclyn, Kate, and Laurie

And right here’s the place the denials and recriminations actually are available in, because the outdated friends go from passive-aggressive sniping to full-on hostility. Kate assumes that Laurie will likely be amused to study that Jaclyn had intercourse with Valentin, as a result of earlier within the journey they each mocked their well-known pal’s hyperbolic descriptions of her new marriage. Laurie, although, is simply damage. She could by no means have really believed that Valentin would sleep along with her — could not have even wished it, a minimum of not within the sober mild of day — however she let herself consider that Jaclyn was being honest in her makes an attempt to assist her have a trip fling with a scorching youthful man. As a substitute, as has been the case with them a minimum of because the tenth grade, Jaclyn takes the most important prize for herself as her birthright, leaving Laurie as soon as once more feeling just like the loser Jaclyn solely retains round so she will be able to really feel higher about herself as compared. Jaclyn is caught between guilt over dishonest on Harrison — who lastly returns her many calls and acts as hopelessly in love along with her as she claimed he was with the opposite ladies — and defensive indignation at being known as out for her standard habits by little Laurie. And Kate — who has at all times been the least comfy of the trio of speaking behind the others’ backs — finds herself catching strays, with Laurie calling her a faux, whilst Kate insists, “One individual’s faux is one other individual’s good manners.” The White Lotus as a complete is usually on the aspect of honesty over feigned politeness, however Laurie goes so nuclear, so rapidly, that maybe this may become an exception. Or perhaps it is going to be Laurie snapping and capturing at everybody in her sight? 

Saxon and Lochlan

By way of present-day motion, the brothers don’t do a complete lot on this episode. Lochlan accompanies the remainder of the household to the monastery, Saxon hangs out by the pool, and each of them nurse horrible hangovers from all of the booze and medicines they ingested the night time earlier than with Chelsea(*) and Chloe.

(*) Rick’s aspect quest in Bangkok has left Chelsea a bit adrift as a personality. She’s a enjoyable foil for Saxon, given her full disdain for a younger man she dubs soulless and unhappy, however most of her battle so far has revolved round her love for an older man who’s intentionally so unlovable.  

But their dawning realization of what they did collectively is definitely the episode’s most memorable growth. At first, evidently Saxon was merely handed out close to subsequent to Lochlan and Chloe as that they had intercourse. Then, the flashback evolves into Saxon masturbating proper subsequent to his brother having intercourse. And at last, every of them realizes that Lochlan was the one giving his brother a hand. It’s a pure extension of the creepy incest vibes established between the siblings within the season’s early chapters, with the medication being the factor to lastly break down the barrier between thought and motion. On a collection that has already featured Armond pooping on digicam, Tanya capturing all of the gays, and Portia strolling in on Leo having intercourse along with his “uncle,” competitors for the Most Stunning White Lotus Second Ever is stiff, however this growth is unquestionably up there. 

Will the nightmarish reminiscence of being gratified by his child brother be sufficient to make Saxon snap and begin capturing everybody in sight? Most likely not. However this can be a present the place a whole lot of unusual issues occur.