This post contains spoilers from The White Lotus season 3 episode 2 from this point forward.
Well, The White Lotus season 3 sure started with a bang, didn't it? Everyone couldn't stop talking about the premiere episode with its trio of best friends who seem to possibly hate each other, the slight tease of sibling incest, and the traditional season-ending death we're working our way up to. But we're still getting to know this new batch of guests and employees in Thailand, and they're really giving us a good start.
The second episode opens with Jaclyn and Kate chatting after hours about Laurie. Their initial gushing, which had a tinge of fakeness, turns into gossip about her divorce and her palimony payments. They then turn their gossip to Laurie's daughter Ellie and her acting out, criticizing Laurie's choice to raise her in New York City, and then to Laurie's career... and her drinking... Ironically, she drunkenly sneaks up on them.
In the morning after their awkward encounter, Lochlan wakes and looks over at Saxon sleeping on his side, his bare butt outside of the sheets. That's quite the image to wake up to after that. The Ratliff family keeps things awkward during breakfast when Kate recognizes Victoria from a mutual friend's baby shower in Austin. Victoria doesn't reciprocate Kate's friendly banter and it is wonderfully difficult to watch.
The guests begin to tackle their various spa and wellness treatments with their personal concierges. Jaclyn and Kate push Laurie to pursue their hunky concierge Valentin (Arnas Fedaravičius), and Belinda seems to have some sparks with hers, Pornchai (Dom Hetrakul). Saxon enjoys his massage a little too much (he's so gross). Meanwhile, Timothy's way too preoccupied with his business mess to care.
Based on the results of their tests from Valentin, Jaclyn and Laurie compare notes and he said the same things to them, but not to Kate. Maybe that's telling of his interest. Jaclyn talks about her husband Harrison, a fellow actor who is 10 years younger than her, and once again, things get slightly awkward between the friends. Later on when Jaclyn goes to bed early, Kate gossips with Laurie about her. Sneaky, sneaky.
Saxon walks by Chelsea and Chloe as they lounge by the pool, but they're not buying what he's selling. Lochlan joins Piper on the hammocks in the ocean, and — shocker — their conversation turns, you guessed it, awkward. Lochlan mentions what Saxon said about her being hot but probably a virgin. Why Saxon would say that and why Lochlan would bring it up out of nowhere are both great questions without answers.
While Chloe and Chelsea shop in the hotel boutique with Greg's ("Gary's") credit card, there's a robbery. An SUV pulled into the front gate while Gaitok was talking to Valentin. A masked man exited the SUV and entered the boutique with a gun, breaking the glass display cases and stealing fine jewelry. Chelsea and the employee are shaken up, but Chloe was in the changing room while it happened.
As the robber and his companion attempt to leave through the front gate, there's a struggle with Gaitok, who fails to fight them off. He's hit in the head with the gun before the robbers speed off. The authorities assess the stolen property while Gaitok receives treatment. Rick also shows Chelsea rare affection after her brush with death. Unfortunately for her, that doesn't continue through their dinner date.
Chelsea and Rick have dinner with Chloe and "Gary" and talk about the incident, which got Chelsea and Rick's room comped. Rick tries to make conversation with Greg, but they give each other nothing. The Ratliff family dinner turns tense when Piper calls out Saxon for a transphobic joke, and Victoria unites them in her unique way. During dinner, Belinda see "Gary" and seems to recognize him. Well, well, well, it's about to get tricky for our surprise returnee.
What else happened in The White Lotus season 3 episode 2:
- Rick opens up during a therapy session about his drug addict mother who died when he was 10 years old. He also never knew his father since he was murdered before he was born. He's sorting through some real trauma. Now, he's planning to go to Bangkok to "deal with something."
- Gaitok and Mook eat lunch together, and he tells her that he likes her. He asks her out on a date, but she doesn't entertain his invitation just yet. Mook checks on him after the robbery and calls him brave. Still no date though. Rooting for this friends-to-lovers story!
- Timothy calls his associate Kenny and he learns that FBI agents raided his office. The FBI has everything, and Timothy has been implicated for making $10 million in Kenny's financial scheme. Thus begins the Ratliff patriarch's inevitable downward spiral.
The White Lotus releases new episodes Sundays on HBO and Max.