After a nearly three-year-long wait, The White Lotus is back, and this time around, we’re seeing what I’m guessing is probably going to turn out to be the most fucked-up family dynamic yet. In season three, our rotating cast of insufferable yet fascinating rich people have traveled to Thailand to unwind at the hotel’s premier wellness location. There are still beachfront drinks and endless breakfast buffets, but this time with an extra emphasis on relaxation and spirituality; guests are lodging in private bungalows, giving up their devices for the duration of their stay, and receiving personalized health plans to help them achieve their goals for the week. It’s a Goop paradise!
One group of guests is the Ratliffs, a wealthy family with southern drawls and internal rivalry between Duke and UNC Chapel Hill (it goes so deep that it’s one of the first things they tell staff when they arrive). They’ve traveled halfway around the world for their middle daughter, Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook), who is a senior in college working on a thesis about Buddhism. There’s also the eldest boy, Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger), who works for his father. I immediately clocked the type of guy Saxon was going to be when I first saw him sitting there in his four-inch-inseam chinos and Oakley sunglasses with a strap on the back. My judgments were confirmed when seconds after our introduction to him, Saxon picks a fight with another guest on the boat (Rick, played by Walton Goggins) for smoking near his parents, his Sperry boat shoes gripping the floor with every step he takes. Finally, the youngest brother, Lochlan (Sam Nivola), is very much in the middle, unsure of which side to take: Does he go to Duke and follow in the footsteps of his brother and dad, or attend UNC Chapel Hill like his mother and his sister? And, more pressingly, whom does he give his attention to on this trip, with both older siblings vying for his company?
While a family on the verge of a breakdown is not necessarily new White Lotus territory for series creator Mike White, there’s something extra sinister about the Ratliffs, and their prim and proper exterior helps paint the picture. Much like the boys, Piper’s choice of clothing, including the first white Dôen-esque dress we see her wear on the boat, reminds viewers of virginity. She’s buttoned-up, wearing feminine silhouettes and soft patterns. Unlike last season’s most Gen-Z character, who was deeply into trends, Piper has a more muted sense of style, but still one that is popular among girls in the South. Her clothes look like a mix of Anthropologie and Hill House, and she’s not big on drawing attention to herself.
While we might perceive her outfit as a signal that she’s just principled (or even just a normal college girl), the brothers decide it means something else entirely. Saxon immediately begins to urge Lochlan not to give their sister any attention. He goes on to suggest she has issues: “For one, which I’m sure you’ve noticed, she’s pretty hot … But I don’t think she’s ever been laid before.” Sorry, what? While Piper is the most subdued one in her family, this feels like too wild of a thing for even a fratty brother to say out loud about his sister. I can clearly see who these siblings are individually, especially based on the way they dress, but it seems like The White Lotus is cooking up something much darker beneath the surface. For now, though, let me put my own Nap Dress away and mentally prepare myself for whatever else is in store for next week.
Update: After reaching out for comment, we heard back from HBO about the designer of Piper’s ensemble. It’s a Polo Ralph Lauren cotton voile midi dress, for those who are curious about where to get the same southern style.