The White Lotus is back for its highly anticipated third season, but one particular storyline is already making fans feel uneasy.
Season 3 of the popular HBO series, which premiered on February 16, takes viewers to a fictional luxury resort in Thailand.
The cast includes Jason Isaacs as Timothy Ratliff, a wealthy businessman who brings his family on the trip under the pretence that his daughter, Piper (played by Sarah Catherine Hook), needs to interview a Buddhist monk for her college thesis.
Timothy’s wife, Victoria (Parker Posey), and their two sons, Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger) and Lochlan (Sam Nivola), round out the family.
After the premiere, fans quickly picked up on some awkward moments that hint at a possible incest subplot.
Early in the episode, the family discusses their home setup, which has only three rooms, meaning two of the siblings have to share.
Piper offers to room with her youngest brother, Lochlan, but Saxon immediately shuts it down, saying it would be “weird” for a brother and sister with “fully grown genitals” to sleep in the same room.
However, it was a late-night interaction between Saxon and Lochlan that caught viewers’ attention.
As they lay in bed in their shared room, Saxon made a comment about their sister being “pretty hot” and speculated about her virginity before asking Lochlan about his taste in pornography.
Later, in a bathroom scene, Saxon undressed and noticed his younger brother staring at him—an exchange that many viewers found uncomfortable.
Following the episode, fans quickly took to social media to express their unease in the potential incest storyline.
“Please tell me there’s not an incest storyline,” one viewer posted on X.
Another wrote, “I’m 15 minutes in and I already sense an incest storyline with these kids…”
“Just saw season 3 premiere of White Lotus. Is it just me or there’s an incest relationship going on between the brothers?” a different user chimed in.
Another one remarked, “What the f–k is up with the incest in the new white lotus season i’m scared.”
Others speculated that the show might take the uncomfortable theme even further.
One person suggested, “Everyone’s talking about the White Lotus brother incest, but I’m pretty sure the eldest brother is sleeping with the father and the youngest has a thing going with his sister.”
Patrick Schwarzenegger, 31, addressed the audience’s reaction in an interview with Decider, admitting the unsettling nature of his character’s behavior.
“I think he defines himself as the one that knows everything and that he’s correct and he’s right, and that his siblings are lost and confused.
He needs to groom his brother before it’s too late,” Schwarzenegger said, further fueling fan speculation.
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