‘The White Lotus’ Episode 3 ‘Mysterious Monkeys’ lays down the physical desires of both men and women chronicled in the show. It begins with Olivia waking up at dawn and finding Paula missing from the room. Paula’s strange absence makes Olivia suspicious of her encounters with a mysterious waiter Paula met at the resort.
A new day breaks out with a worried Mark, who is still struggling with the fact that his late father was a heterosexual. The revelations prey upon his peace and sanity. On the other side, Tanya, already dealing with the pain of her demised mother, decides to finally spread out her ashes and part ways with her memories.
A new seed of doubt grows between couple Rachel and Shane. Rachel doubts whether Shane’s monkey-like desire is the foundation of their marriage or there is some emotional substance between them. To prove his affection, Shane arranges a surprise for his lovely wife.
Resort Manager Armond overdoses on Olivia and Paula’s stash. He relies on the drugs to deal with the new guests who have become a real nuisance, especially Shane. Armond slyly arranges a candlelight dinner for Shane on a resort boat. However, he holds back that an extra loud and emotional Tanya will be on the same ship to pay last tributes to her mother and scatter her ashes. Shane’s candlelight dinner with Rachel turns out to be the least romantic, filled with Tanya’s howl and sniffs. Armond’s prank gaslights his relationship with Shane.
The guests’ lives intersect as different characters go through a similar conflict, doubt, and tragedy. Mark, who tries to understand physical desire in human beings, lectures a newlywed Rachel about the spark in marriages. While the whole intimate conversation makes Rachel uncomfortable, Mark’s point of view gives the episode its title, suggesting that men are still inherently monkey-driven by their base instincts.
‘The White Lotus’ Episode 3 ‘Mysterious Monkeys’ Ending
A somber Mark meets a stoned Armond on the bar table. Mark tries to share his grief with Armond, who doesn’t seem interested. However, later, the two drunks share an airy intimacy where Armond reveals he is gay. Indirectly, he hits upon Mark, but Mark remembers his father’s encounters and quickly takes a leave. In the end, Mark tries to lure his wife but meets a dead end. The complete void may push him to try out new things that may lead to a physical relationship with Armond in the upcoming episodes. Falling prey to his father’s genes will be a unique trait to his character.
A mourning Tanya spoils Rachel and Shane’s romantic candlelight dinner. Belinda expects Tanya to scatter ashes in the end. Still, at the brink of the moment, she refuses to part away with her mother’s memories. Her personal conflict will take a toll on her in the further episodes. Whatever the case may be, Tanya’s agony brings her close to Belinda, and it will be interesting to see how their relationship will turn out.
At the end of Episode 3, Olivia pursues Paula as she sneaks out of the room. She finds Paula with a strange man inside a romantic cabin house. Rather than being happy for her friend, the disclosure breaks Olivia’s heart. It may be speculated that Olivia has a crush on Paula, and seeing her with another man tormented Olivia.
The White Lotus Episode 4 will bring about new problems and conclusions to screen. Mark will explore his further drift towards Armond. At the same time, Tanya gets a new man in her life, a deep-sea fisherman who asks her out (it could be a miscommunication, but it fills the void in Tanya’s life). Episode 4 will also bring Shane’s mother to the island. The misogynist mother-son duo will try to crush Rachel’s desire to work and become independent. The layer may conflict with their relationship and become a reason for their separation. The upcoming turn of events will be able to translate better.
The White Lotus is a six-episode miniseries created, written, and directed by Mike White for HBO.
Read More – ‘The White Lotus’ Episode 2 ‘New Day’ Recap & Ending
