Warning: Spoilers ahead from The White Lotus season 3 from this point forward.
Following The White Lotus season 3 finale, which ended on a significantly more deadly note for its series regulars, fans have been discussing and dissecting every bit of storytelling from the jam-packed season. All of the twists and turns are still being put under the magnifying glass as we attempt to extract the meaning behind each moment. But there's one that's still tripping people up.
I don't think anyone will soon be able to forget the incest scene between brothers Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger) and Lochlan (Sam Nivola), a moment that had the internet in extremem discourse mode. After the scene aired, the actors insisted that the incest wasn't played solely for shock value by creator Mike White, and while that's true, the writer-director has now admitted that it kind of was.
While chatting with Howard Stern in the wake of The White Lotus season 3 finale, White had a lot to say (including a response to the composer's abrupt departure from the show) and touched on his intention with Saxon and Lochlan's storyline. He both admitted that the incest was purposefully meant to cause some commotion, but he explained the deeper goal of the story.
Here's what White had to say about the incest via The Hollywood Reporter:
"In the show, it’s a trope where gay sex is like a jump scare. I just felt like we had to build a trope. We had done faux incest [in season two, where two characters turned out not to be related], so maybe we should do real incest. Beyond the shock of it, just to have a character like Patrick[‘s Saxon], who’s all about getting off and just thinks of sex in base terms, what would need to happen to him to where he’d suddenly have to pull the brakes on the way he’s thinking? I was trying to think of a way that would be integral to his character. But it would be a talking point for sure. Once we cast Patrick and Sam [and they saw the script], I told them, ‘You guys can still get out of this, you’re going to be the face of gay incest." —Mike White
Sure, maybe White began crafting that story under the basis of shock value, but underneath, he found an admittedly messed up way to land somewhere meaningful for both characters. It's an extreme wake up call for Saxon that changes the trajectory of his life. From the beginning of the season, he had been fixated on sex, women, and his body. Lochlan attempting to be a "pleaser" was the triggering event for Saxon to change his ways, something Chelsea (RIP!) also helped with.
Are there other ways to accomplish a life change for Saxon? Sure! But The White Lotus is all about the extremes, and it's Mike White's story to tell. He pushes the envelope with this show, a satiric dark comedy about excess and privilege. The controversial scene was also meant to rattle Lochlan, too, who had very clearly been at the mercy of his family when it comes to his future. Whether it's where he goes to college or how he lives his life, his parents and siblings all want something from him.
In the season finale, when Saxon and Lochlan finally talk about what happened between them, Lochlan (before his near-death experience) tells his brother that he's a people pleaser in a "family of narcissists." Through varied means, he tries to define himself based on his family's interests, whether it's with sex or deciding on a whim to join Piper at the monastery. It's unclear exactly what Lochy might have learned from his brush with death or that incest, but he's forever changed.
"But it would be a talking point for sure" is the understatement of the century when it comes to the "jump scare" trope included in the halfway point of season 3. We're all still talking about the incest scene, which seems to mean that Mike White accomplished what he set out to do. He's spoken openly about how The White Lotus is meant as a "rumination-type show," and so many moments in season 3 have left us ruminating for real. Who knows what could be in store for season 4...
Stream The White Lotus only on Max.