From the opening moments of Episode 4, the characters telegraphed duress via some cellphone calls. No matter Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan) is feeling about her bestie Kate (Leslie Bibb), who could be a Trump supporter, takes a backseat when a name (and textual content) to her youthful husband goes unanswered. In the meantime, Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) connects together with her son, Zion, as he prepares to board his flight to satisfy up together with her: “Please be safe,” she tells him.
Nevertheless it’s when genial resort guard Gaitok (Tayme Thapthimthong) is given entry to a gun and inspired to familiarize himself with it after a theft (and a lecture from his bosses) that the puzzle items appear to start out locking into place.
This episode strikes most of the characters exterior the White Lotus resort. In an effort to maintain from spiraling about her husband, Jaclyn rallies the women for a shift in surroundings. However when one other resort’s pool seems, to Jaclyn’s excessive dismay, to be an oasis for older normies, she insists Valentin (Arnas Fedaravičius) take them on a greater tour. He obliges, main them into the town middle as Songkran, a celebration of the Thai New Yr that includes water fights, is underway. In a second crafted to offer us with infinite GIFs, the chums are chased by youngsters armed with tremendous soaker weapons who hose the ladies in water, however you possibly can’t wash away entitlement. They finally meet up with Valentin and a few of his buddies at a celebration — what occurs subsequent stays to be seen.
Nevertheless, the primary occasion is a ship bash hosted by Greg/Gary (Jon Gries) and Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon), teased in final week’s episode. Regardless of Chelsea’s (Aimee Lou Wooden) preliminary misgivings that one thing dangerous may await her there — “Things happen in threes. The robbery. The snake show. This could be some ‘Final Destination’ s—. Death is coming for me.” — she decides to attend after guilt-tripping Rick (Walton Goggins) into making an look earlier than his flight to Bangkok. On the boat celebration, Chelsea manages to get Rick to share why he’s Bangkok-bound: “The dude who murdered my father owns this hotel,” he says.
Elsewhere, the Ratliff household continues to win the file for probably the most insane tales to share in remedy. Timothy (Jason Isaacs), who’s been self-medicating with Victoria’s Lorazepam, unintentionally flashes Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook) and Lochy (Sam Nivola) earlier than breakfast — let this be a lesson to double-knot your gown belts, folks. However the slip of pores and skin didn’t derail the maritime festivities. On the boat celebration, Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger) continues to be an ick monster and Tim winds up swiping Victoria’s complete bottle of capsules. We additionally be taught that Tim’s grandfather was the governor of North Carolina, his father was a profitable businessman, and each his dad and mom are useless.
The Ratliff household heads to Greg/Gary and Chloe’s boat celebration.
(Stefano Delia / HBO)
Again on dry land, after Victoria (Parker Posey) stresses to Piper how fortunate she is that, in contrast to the lads on the boat, her father is a decent man, Tim’s responsible conscience leads him to retrieve his cellphone from Pam. Messages come flooding in. And one other cellphone name signaling doom takes place: Tim calls his lawyer and learns that Kenny Nguyen, his affiliate within the scandal he’s caught up in, is cooperating with the feds. Tim is suggested to plead responsible to embezzlement and fraud in order that he can reduce a deal the place, if he’s fortunate, he’d solely serve a number of months in jail. “I would rather die. I would rather f—ing die. What am I supposed to tell my family?” he says. That’s when he spots the gun Gaitok left unattended within the close by safety shed.
Earlier than we start this week’s evaluation, we’re saying bon voyage to Meredith Blake, who has departed The Instances after greater than 12 years. Very similar to Tanya McQuoid, we received’t neglect her. Now it’s time for Maira Garcia, this week’s sub-in, Greg Braxton and Yvonne Villarreal, platinum-status members of “The White Lotus” frequent visitor program, to interrupt all of it down.
Who do we predict is the corpse this week? Does the gun that’s loaned to Gaitok give us a clue?
Garcia: As a lot is at it might make sense to place my cash down on somebody from the Ratliff household, figuring out how this present has performed issues in earlier seasons, I’m not sure it’s certainly one of them simply but. Tim is clearly experiencing a disaster, however Chelsea’s speech to Rick is terribly ominous. However that will even be too on the nostril. Chelsea could be very candy and he or she seems to be benign in comparison with everybody else, however sadly, dangerous issues occur to good folks.
Braxton: I’m sticking with my earlier decide of Victoria having a premonition. Though Chelsea’s point out of her potential “Final Destination” worry could ring true. It might be a merciless final result. However these films haven’t any mercy.
Villarreal: I’m going to maintain shifting my reply simply so I can have a greater shot of claiming that I guessed appropriately. With that stated, given all of poor Gaitok’s dangerous luck and this added element concerning the gun, I believed perhaps the useless physique may very well be Mook in certainly one of his blundered makes an attempt to save lots of the day. However with Tim taking possession of it, I don’t assume that’s it. I additionally am skeptical the corpse was a sufferer of a gunshot. Possibly somebody ate the fruit from the pong-pong tree, or suffered a snake chew, or a demise glare from one of many monkeys was additional robust that morning.
It’s made clear once more on this episode that Tim and Rick don’t like one another. Is it simply vibes or do you assume there’s extra to it?
Garcia: You already know, I hadn’t given this a lot thought till you raised it, Yvonne. I feel I’ve been extra targeted on the vibes between Rick and Greg/Gary, however I must know what you assume.
Braxton: Have a look at how Rick treats his girlfriend. Rick doesn’t like anyone except they’re offering him with weed. He’s depressing, and generally distress doesn’t love firm.
Villarreal: Rick could be very a lot the Hugh Grant of this journey — aggravated by every thing round him in a means we are able to’t assist however relate to — so I can see this rigidity stemming from one thing as slight as Tim respiration too loud or speaking by speakerphone on his cell throughout that first boat journey to the resort. Nevertheless it’s apparent we’re alleged to sense it, and I wish to know why!
Candy Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wooden) learns why Rick (Walton Goggins) is so intent on escaping to Bangkok.
(Stefano Delia / HBO)
Talking of Rick, what do you make of the story he tells Chelsea about his dad?
Garcia: It’s heartbreaking as a result of I feel he’s being truthful. As grouchy as Rick could be, he doesn’t appear to be the kind to lie, particularly to not Chelsea. However it’s a must to wonder if his mom advised him a tall story as a toddler to consolation him. Trauma could be unusual like that.
Braxton: That’s a hell of a burden to hold round all of your life. I believe the story is true, however I additionally suspect it goes deeper than that. That might positively be revealed earlier than we attain the top.
Villarreal: To not throw his useless mom beneath the bus, however as a result of this present makes me query every thing it presents to me, I really feel like perhaps his mother advised him that story on her deathbed to make him really feel higher about why his dad wasn’t in his life. Am I being too cynical?
Garcia: No, I’m with you on this.
Do you discover it unusual that Belinda hadn’t recognized about Tanya’s passing till now?
Braxton: What’s bothering me much more is that Belinda acknowledges Gary/Greg from two years in the past. I can’t recall any vital interplay between then. One ingredient of Jon Gries, which makes his performing and his character, is his bodily ordinariness. Gary/Greg is a man who may simply fade into the background in a crowded surroundings — there’s nothing distinctive about his look that will have set him other than the tons of of different ubiquitous bald guys who handed via the White Lotus the place Belinda works. Stroll into any grocery store and also you’ll see at the very least 5 guys who appear to be Gary/Greg. Belinda’s nagging suspicion that she acknowledges him is a stretch for me.
Villarreal: I don’t know that I agree with you on that, Greg. Ladies keep in mind bizarre dudes. And Greg/Gary is a bizarre dude. I do discover it unusual that Belinda wouldn’t have heard about Tanya’s demise via the work grapevine. I additionally positively paused the display screen. And the headlines concerning the demise had been from 2022, however there was one headline from CNN within the combine that was from 2024, which is clearly nearer to when these occasions happen. So roughly two years have handed. And that CNN headline was a few Hollywood manufacturing firm touchdown the rights to Tanya’s story — so I really feel like that claims this acquired sufficient public consideration for that to occur? Possibly Belinda is simply not doomscrolling like the remainder of us. And if that’s the case, I would like her grasp class on that now greater than ever.
Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) learns to doomscroll — she’s identical to us now!
(Fabio Lovino / HBO)
Jaclyn and her friends don’t have a very good expertise once they lastly enterprise exterior the White Lotus. What’s Mike White saying about tradition conflict and sophistication?
Braxton: Though the ladies the trio meet on the different resort they go to are well mannered, they and the opposite visitors are depicted as unattractive, nearly grotesque. “Something is off,” Jacklyn whispers to her buddies. They’re means “above” these people and may’t wait to get away from them. To me, it speaks to the elitism and shallowness of the trio that they’re repelled by people who usually are not as upscale as they’re — they’re repelled by “the great unwashed.” Their discomfort will increase once they enterprise into city for Thai New Yr. The native youngsters sense their discomfort and escalate the watery assault, sending the ladies working for canopy. Their horror signifies to me a rejection of the tradition they’ve 1000’s of {dollars} to journey to. They’re extra comfy being across the rich white vacationers on the resort.
Garcia: And that scene on the different resort additionally displays their ageism, a subject that got here up in Episode 2 when Laurie and Kate talked about Jaclyn’s “waxy” face. We additionally know Jaclyn married a youthful man, and he or she appeared aghast at being amongst older frequent people. There are a number of layers at work right here, in fact. These scenes had been a vivid reflection of the present’s examination of race, tradition and sophistication.
Villarreal: Contemplating how a lot time White spent finding out Thai tradition and observing the sorts of vacationers that go to, it’s precisely the depiction I’d count on of privileged vacationers who need the photograph op greater than they wish to discover the island and expertise its choices. They don’t care to truly perceive one other tradition or actually delight in its environment, they only wish to really feel sufficient tradition to publish Instagram tales that may make you envious when you’re caught at house.
Kate (Leslie Bibb), Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan) and Laurie (Carrie Coon) drenched in privilege.
(Fabio Lovino / HBO)
Kate’s tight smile whereas being questioned about politics in final week’s episode was a masterclass in facial performing. However Chelsea’s unhappy face work with Rick over breakfast was simply as inspiring. Do we have to begin handing out Finest Facial Expression awards?
Garcia: Provided that I can provide one to Mook for when she politely friend-zoned Gaitok.
Braxton: My candidate could be Amrita (Shalini Peiris), the non secular counselor who at all times seems to be at Rick with curiosity and concern whilst he’s horribly impolite to her. And when she tells him her story has touched his coronary heart, it’s nearly like she is smitten. If I had been Chelsea, I’d maintain a really shut eye on her.
Villarreal: Chelsea’s pout to Rick was top-tier. However the one which had me cackling was Victoria’s response in taking inventory of the odd couplings on the boat — the raised eyebrows, the sucking of her tooth and the sigh was an beautiful show of refined judgment.
Greg/Gary one way or the other manages to really feel much more darkish and menacing. Why do you assume he was Belinda’s Instagram?
Garcia: OK, this gave me the heebie-jeebies. There was additionally that ominous shot of him on the boat trying down on the celebration. Dude’s nefarious and slimy and something shady appears to need to do with him. With that stated, Jon Gries’ expertise is on full show on this function.
Braxton: Evil folks usually do analysis on their victims earlier than laying the entice.
Villarreal: He’s positively as much as no good, looking for her weak spot to maintain her from gabbing to authorities. To cite Belinda, motherf—!
Who will celebration more durable: our girls Kate, Jaclyn and Laurie, or Saxon and Lochy?
Garcia: Nothing offers me extra pleasure than seeing middle-aged ladies have enjoyable, so I can’t wait to see how they celebration with Valentin and his crew.
Braxton: Women simply wanna have enjoyable. They simply wanna, they only wanna …
Villarreal: Let’s take notes for our subsequent work lunch. Additionally, talking of Saxon, how has Erewhon not introduced a ridiculously priced smoothie in his honor by now?
Garcia: I hope you get a fee for this million-dollar concept.
Whose storyline do you discover most compelling 4 episodes in?
Garcia: I’m going with Rick. He stays an enigma, although his revelation to Chelsea offers us extra to sit up for. I wish to know what he does, who he is aware of and whether or not he meets Sritala’s husband, who we’re being led to imagine killed his father.
Braxton: I vote for Gaitok. He’s such a very good man, however a darkish cloud is following him. The theft of the gun whereas he was out of the guardhouse can be one other black mark. Issues is not going to finish effectively for him.
Villarreal: I’m with you, Greg. I wish to shield Gaitok in any respect prices. However Rick’s troubled aura has me so intrigued. I need him to get the solutions he wants to maneuver on in life, however I fear he’ll get solutions that may solely do extra to harden him.
