The Ratliff brothers continue to accentuate the tension, but in the fifth episode of The White Lotus, do they take it too far? It’s been theorized that they represent the proverbial “see no evil” and “speak no evil” monkeys, with their sister, Piper, being “hear no evil.” Where Saxon is easy to pin down (as most misogynistic, sex-obsessed young men are), Lochlan is prepubescent in comparison: a high-school senior, clearly unsure of who he is and what he wants. But that’s not surprising; he’s just being a typical 18-year-old. So far, Lochlan has blended into the background, wearing more muted colors and remaining quiet alongside his family.
Lochlan’s siblings’ clear distaste for one another puts him in a weird middle ground, but in this episode, he seems to be drawn toward his older brother. Instead of joining his family for dinner and backing up Piper when she tells their parents the real reason why she wanted them to travel to Thailand — she wants to join a monastery and is not there to write a college thesis — he decides to stay on the yacht with Saxon and head to a festival in town. Saxon has been pushing very hard for Lochlan to have sex for the first time, and he clearly thinks this night out should do the trick. While that isn’t anything out of the ordinary for a 20-something bro on vacation, it seems that Saxon’s harmful and gross tactics to win women over might finally be seeping into his innocent little brother.
Lochlan’s rebellion seems to scare Saxon. He’s drinking too much, taking drugs without thinking, and he’s even the one that Chloe and Chelsea seem more interested in being around. You can see Lochlan’s appearance shifting, maybe from the combination of newfound confidence and the posture workshop he received earlier in the week. For the first time, Lochlan’s outfit sets him apart from his family. He wears something bold, a white button-up shirt with blue flowers and blue crocodiles all over. It immediately caught my attention. It’s worth noting that the shirt, a $138 button-up from the brand Tombolo, is called “Reptile Dysfunction.” That sounds awfully close to another phrase that Saxon might throw around, not to mention there has been so much reptile imagery so far in this season (in the opening title sequence, in the snake-charmer pit, in the stolen piece of jewelry from the hotel boutique). If we know anything about the way Mike White writes this show, chalking these sorts of details up to “coincidence” is not his style.
At the end of the episode, a hazy red light fills the yacht as Chelsea, Chloe, Saxon, and Lochlan play a silly little game of truth or dare. Saxon wants the two girls to kiss (to which Chloe retorts, “What are you, 12?”) before the dare gets turned back to Saxon and Lochlan. The girls giggle, insisting that it would only be a quick peck, and the brothers accept the challenge. They’ll do anything to get into bed with these women, even if that involves reframing the meaning behind their self-described “brotherly love” for a moment. After more insisting, the two share a proper kiss, with Lochlan so blissed out he doesn’t seem to know where he is and Saxon is visibly distraught. Well, I am too! This is not the type of “brotherly love” I signed up for when I started the season. Should I be scared about how far this little party trick goes?
