What Sibling Rivalry In Episode 1 Of ‘The White Lotus’ Might Foreshadow About The Finale

The third season of The White Lotus, which aired its first episode on Sunday, February 16 on Max, transports us to the lush landscapes of Thailand and introduces us to a fresh ensemble of affluent guests and of course, a death at the end of the series.

In the premiere episode, “Same Spirits, New Forms,” creator Mike White intertwines themes of spirituality, privilege, and underlying tensions, which set the stage for a season rich in suspense.

What really stood out to me in episode one was the Ratliff children, Saxon, Piper, and Lochlan, who from the start, brought an unsettling dynamic to The White Lotus Season 3. Their interactions are full of competitiveness, privilege, and deeply buried familial tensions. As the season’s first episode unfolds, it becomes clear that their relationship is more complicated than a standard sibling rivalry.

Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger), the eldest, is the most outwardly obnoxious of the three. Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook) stands in stark contrast to Saxon, though her self-righteousness is just as strong. And, Lochlan (or “Lochy”) (Sam Nivola) is the youngest and the most reserved of the three. He seems the most impressionable and most trapped in his own thoughts.

Lochy’s interactions with his siblings carry an eerie tension, whether it be Piper suggesting that he can share a room with her instead of Saxon or Saxon lecturing him on taking what he wants, at any cost, and using whatever or whomever he needs in the process. There is also one scene in Saxon and Lochy’s shared room that already crosses a weird line between siblings. In this scene, Saxon walks nude to the bathroom and Lochy watches him… their eyes meetings before Saxon closes the door.

The Ratliff siblings have the makings of an uncomfortable mystery, one that might unravel over the course of the season. There’s a strong possibility that something happened in their past, something they either don’t fully remember or have chosen not to talk about. This dynamic suggests that there is going to be a slow-burn of tension and it’s all going to fall into flames by the time of the finale.

Either way, their strange dynamic is one of the most intriguing elements of The White Lotus Season 3 so far, and it’s likely to get even more uncomfortable as the season progresses.