The internet cannot seem to get over the unforgettably awkward conversation between the long-time best friends, Kate, Laurie, and Jaclyn, from the previous episode. After all, these unexpectedly funny moments are what make The White Lotus memorable! Is the new episode equally promising? Let’s find out.
Spoiler Alert
Season 3, episode 4 takes us on a fun cruise ride where the elite White guests of the resort mingle and party. Timothy is struggling to keep his calm, and he has become heavily dependent on pills to deal with his anxiety. Though he started as someone who despised the idea of popping pills, Timothy no longer cared about his ideals as long as he was relieved of the constant fear that he’d been experiencing. The girls’ gang was up for an adventure, and Valentin came to their rescue. Rick had a flight to catch at 7 pm, but he’d promised to join Chelsea for the cruise party organized by Chloe and Greg. As the responsible big brother, Saxon was determined to teach Lochlan how to flirt, and he was convinced that the cruise party was just the perfect place for Lochlan to pick up the basics. The fun and games were overshadowed when a gun went missing. Who stole it and why?
Was Jaclyn’s marriage far from perfect?
Jaclyn claimed that she and her husband, Harrison, could barely keep their hands off each other when they were together. She was aware that their age difference was often a matter of speculation, and she thought it was important to establish between her friends that her love life was picture-perfect. Beauty in show business, especially for women, has always been about looking young; instead of defying the standard, Jaclyn had become a part of the rat race. From a strict diet to rigorous exercise and occasionally cosmetic surgeries, Jaclyn did everything she could to get that youthful glow. She basked in compliments, and it explained why she was upset when Laurie’s result matched hers in the previous episode. More often than not, people tend to be dishonest because they want to believe in their own made-up stories rather than accept the truth. Jaclyn perhaps lied about her marital bliss, not only because she wanted to create an impression among her friends but also because she wanted to convince herself that her marriage was successful.
At the very beginning of episode 4, Jaclyn tried to contact her partner, but her calls went unanswered. Since they were both actors, they were barely together, and the fear that things might not work out even though it was all so perfect on paper started to catch up with Jaclyn. To keep herself busy and not think about the worst, Jaclyn decided they must do something fun and adventurous. Kate and Laurie were on board, and they asked their trusted health mentor, Valentin, for some suggestions. They were recommended a pool by the beach, and they felt a sense of excitement when they stepped out of the resort premises. But Jaclyn soon realized they were surrounded by aged people, and she wondered why Valentin suggested the place. Their idea of fun was not interacting with retirees, and while Kate and Laurie didn’t mind being there, Jaclyn felt deeply repulsed. They stormed out of the place and demanded Valentin plan something better for them. He was not sure if they wanted to explore the island town, but the girls were up for it. Valentin promised to join them with his friends after his shift at the resort was over, and Jaclyn finally felt hopeful.
What does the Songkran scene signify?
As soon as Jaclyn, Kate, and Laurie entered the island town, the locals attacked them with their water guns. Songkran, or the Thai New Year, is celebrated as a water festival, and no one is spared from the one-of-a-kind celebration. Stepping out of the resort meant giving up the privilege that automatically came with booking the villas. Their wealth and societal status mattered within the resort’s premises, but outside no one cared, or at least not on Songkran! The Songkran scene is significant because it underlines the overall themes of The White Lotus—the glaring economic disparity between the locals and the first-world tourists, their need to constantly exercise their privilege, and how out of touch the guests were with their surroundings. Three White women were cooped up in a convenience store, hiding from local kids with a vengeance in their eyes. Even though the scene is funny, the deeper meaning makes it impactful.
Will Saxon and Chloe have an affair?
Saxon is in his element in episode 4 of The White Lotus season 3. He’d been craving some action, and the cruise party was exactly what he was looking for. Since the last episode, there has been a spark between Saxon and Greg’s girlfriend, Chloe. She had heard from Chelsea that Saxon came from wealth, and she didn’t mind flirting with someone her age. Saxon tried his best to teach Lochlan a few tricks to attract women. Even though Piper warned her younger brother to stay away from Saxon, Lochlan cherished the young man and didn’t mind spending time with him.
Whether Lochlan aspired to be like Saxon, or simply thought his brother was an attractive man we’re yet to comprehend. But he had no intentions of upsetting Saxon. He used magic tricks to entertain the young girls on the cruise, and he and Saxon instantly became the most popular duo at the party. Saxon had no idea that Greg was keeping track of his every move. Saxon assumed Chloe’s partner was a harmless old man; he didn’t know he was dealing with a cold-blooded criminal. Even though Greg isn’t concerned about Chloe, he might harm Saxon simply because he can. After Belinda confronted Greg, he was lost in his thoughts. He’d probably already guessed that Belinda had found out about Tanya’s murder online (well, he was right, Belinda had found out the truth and she was terrified), and he was calculating his next move. There was no way he could convince her that he was not the man she’d come across in Maui, especially with his face plastered all over the internet for being the suspect in his wife’s suspicious death in Italy. Belinda is clearly a threat to the peaceful life he’d built in Thailand, and he might go to any extent to protect it.
What was Rick’s plan?
Chelsea was disappointed to see how distant Rick was at the cruise party. She could sense that he was lost in his thoughts, and she demanded to know what was going on in his mind. While Rick tried to keep Chelsea away from his personal problems, he realized there was no way he could travel to Bangkok without telling his girlfriend his true intent. Rick finally confessed that he had planned his trip to Thailand to seek revenge on his father’s killer. When he was young, his mother had told him that his father was killed for supporting local Thai people when the foreigners tried to grab their lands. He was an honest man who was murdered for doing the right thing. From the minute he discovered that Sritala’s husband, Jim, was not living on the island and was admitted to a hospital in Bangkok, Rick had made up his mind to travel to the bustling city. He didn’t care if his yearning for vengeance was silly or immature; he was convinced that it was the only way he would experience a sense of satisfaction and peace. Chelsea tried to reason with him, but she also sympathized with his situation. After everything he’d been through, she couldn’t come up with a reason to convince him otherwise. She could sense that something very wrong was about to happen, and she warned Rick. But Rick refused to listen to her, and he went ahead with his Bangkok plan. Well, given that Chelsea has already had two near-death experiences, perhaps Rick should have listened to her gut instinct!
Who stole the gun and why?
What was supposed to be a relaxing vacation turned into a panicky disaster for Timothy. As he watched his family enjoy their stay at the luxury resort, all he could think about was what would happen tomorrow when they would discover that their husband/father was not the honest businessman he claimed to be. It was not just the shame and harassment that they were about to face that bothered Timothy but also the fact that, after everything he’d been through and all the hard work he’d put into his business, he would not manage to leave any wealth for his children. Their reality was about to be altered very soon (a very “Schitt’s Creek” situation), and they had no idea about it. Timothy didn’t know how to confess the truth; he wanted to preserve the good times, and all he wished for was for them to last a little longer. His decision to stay disconnected from the world was an attempt to freeze time before the approaching storm ransacked their entire lives. He’d started to become heavily dependent on Victoria’s prescribed medication. He secretly stole it so that his wife would not suspect him of having a meltdown, but Victoria had noticed that her pills had gone missing, and she couldn’t understand what was going on. Timothy’s family could sense that he was not doing okay, but they couldn’t put their finger on the problem.
Timothy met several White businessmen on the cruise who had moved to Thailand after they faced trouble with the law back home. The country sheltered corrupt foreign businesspeople as long as they made worthwhile investments, and Timothy figured he had the option to do so as well. But he could not imagine spending the rest of his life like a fugitive. His whole life was in the United States, and he was not ready to uproot his family just because he’d messed up badly. After returning to the resort, he realized he must speak to his lawyer to find out what the situation was.
At the end of The White Lotus episode 4, Timothy’s lawyer advised him to plead guilty to all charges, and he promised to negotiate and bring down the sentence to a minimum. Timothy was furious; pleading guilty was not an option for him. He was ready to kill himself; he thought it was a better option than being handcuffed and dragged to prison in front of his family. His reputation was everything, and now that he was about to lose it, he thought he might as well die. As luck would have it, at that very moment Timothy noticed a gun in the security guard’s room. He grabbed hold of it and walked towards his villa with conviction. Timothy had taken too many pills; he was driven by emotions, and he didn’t know how to deal with the crisis. Whether or not he’ll manage to execute his plan is something we’ll find out in the next episode, but one thing is for sure, the security guard, Gaitok, will be in trouble. After the burglary, the resort management team decided that Gaitok needed a gun to ensure that such an incident never occurred. Gaitok was taking a look at the gun in his office when he suddenly saw Mook passing by. He adored her, and he was distracted by her presence. He left the gun in full display and stepped out of his office to talk to her. If the gun was found elsewhere, he would be directly held responsible, and he would not only lose his job but might also get entangled in legal trouble. Gaitok will have to find the gun before the worst happens, and he has to act fast.
