That all changes in our recap of The White Lotus Season 3 Episode 6, “Denials.” Spoilers ahead! Fans can hardly believe their eyes at the jaw-dropping twist with Ratliff brothers, Saxon and Lochlan. When their behavior is exposed at a raucous Full-Moon Party and rumors of an incestuous rendezvous fly, the young adults’ actions have dangerous consequences. Chloe, one of the lead characters in the series, maintains that what happened was a “threesome” — something that Saxon is adamantly opposed to. The last episode of the season keeps viewers hanging, wondering if the brothers are indeed guilty or not.
Saxon Ratliff, played by Patrick Schwarzenegger, is depicted as visibly disturbed throughout the episode, avoiding his brother Lochlan after seemingly recalling something that crossed a line into incest. Chloe’s confident memory of the event lends those unproven accusations the weight of certainty. Her one very clear memory is of feeling that what the brothers were doing was much worse than just kissing. Lochlan, played by Sam Nivola, mostly can’t recall what happened at first, but as the documentary goes on, he looks increasingly horrified as memories come back to him.
“The ambiguous nature of what happened, it’s hard to summarize because we don’t know exactly what did happen,” – Patrick Schwarzenegger.
Patrick Schwarzenegger told DECIDER in an exclusive interview that he hasn’t seen the episode yet either. This surprising twist only heightens the suspense as this drama continues to unfold. As Sam Nivola, who plays Lochlan Nivola, said, “With all these revelations, Lochlan’s very much feeling alienated from both his siblings. Quiet reparation Lochlan accompanies his sister to beautiful Word of Life Meditation Center, tucked away in the Ozark woods. Together, they find refuge from an increasingly polarized world.
Of course, the movie goes further into controversial territory when Saxon begins to masturbate with Chloe and Lochlan, adding even more unwelcome confusion to the narrative. Chloe's retort to Saxon during their confrontation is particularly jarring:
“I didn’t force him to jerk you off,” – Chloe.
This climatic revelation throws Saxon into an existential crisis, raising questions about how this incident has affected their family unit. As noted by Sam Nivola, this moment serves as a turning point for Lochlan’s character arc leading into Episodes 4 & 5.
“I think Mike White wrote it in that specific way to have that conversation at home and to leave it up to the audiences to interpret it how they how they want.” – Patrick Schwarzenegger.
With the episode’s cliffhanger ending, viewers are left unsure of what this staggering reveal means for future episodes. As the series heads toward its finale, the ramifications of this incident are expected to unfold dramatically in the remaining episodes. The cast’s ability to navigate and give insight into such complex and controversial themes has raised questions and re-invigorated debate among fans and critics.
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