The White Lotus season 3 saw one of the show’s most controversial storylines, involving incest between the Ratliff brothers. Life & Style takes a deep dive into what happened and the motivation behind the plotline.
Why Did the Ratliff Brothers Kiss?
Patrick Schwarzenegger‘s Saxon Ratliff ended up on the receiving end of a kiss from his younger brother, Lochlan Ratliff (Sam Nivola), after a night of drugs and partying in Thailand at the end of episode 5 of season 3.
After Charlotte Le Bon‘s Chloe and Aimee Lou Wood‘s Chelsea shared a kiss while on a yacht, they encouraged the brothers to do the same. Lochlan initially gave Saxon a peck on the lips before grabbing his head with both hands for a much more lingering kiss.
The Ratliff Brothers Had a Threesome With Chloe
Saxon knew things went horribly wrong when he woke up in bed the next day naked along with his brother on the yacht. He began having flashbacks of Lochlan and Chloe having sex next to him in the bed while he pleasured himself, as seen at the start of episode 6 of season 3. Soon, Saxon had another recollection where he realized he wasn’t masturbating, and that it was Lochlan reaching over to do the job.
That was enough to make Saxon literally vomit, but the worst was yet to come. The brothers both claimed not to have remembered what happened, but Chloe later told Saxon that she had a threesome with them, as Chelsea looked on in shock about the revelation.
Despite Saxon’s claim that he was “on drugs” at the time and didn’t realize what was going on, Chelsea noted, “I don’t think there’s a drug in the world that would make me get with my brother.”
Chloe revealed to Saxon that his part in the action was getting “jerked off” by Lochlan while the three shared a naked romp.
High school senior Lochlan didn’t remember any of this until attending a meditation session at a Thai Buddhist monastery with his sister, Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook).
While breathing deeply and clearing his mind, the events of the night prior played out in Lochlan’s mind. He remembered losing his virginity to Chloe and as the camera panned over to show his hand helping his brother masturbate underneath a sheet.
Lochlan was last shown coming to the realization about what happened with a look of devastation on his face, as the penultimate episode will reveal how the brothers deal with the aftermath.
The Ratliff Brothers Already Had Questionable Boundaries
Viewers noticed from the beginning of season 3 that Saxon seemed a little too interested in his younger brother’s sex life, as well as that of his sister. He also encouraged Lochlan to use porn to help satisfy himself and did just that at the end of episode 1. Saxon got out of bed naked and walked to the bathroom where he played a porn video and began to masturbate as Lochlan looked on. Saxon closed the door before things got too intense.
Patrick Schwarzenegger Said the Incest Is a ‘Vital Part’ of Saxon’s Story
“Episode 6 has uncomfortable and weird scenes — I guess is the way to say that. It’s also such an important and vital part of the overall story and Saxon’s story,” the actor told IndieWire in a March 24, 2025, interview.
He continued, “In Episode 5, you start to see a different version of him at the Koh Phangan full moon party, when his brother takes the drugs. Now, it’s his brother egging him on and the girls [Chloe and Chelsea] egging him on, and he’s on the other side of it. It’s like this idea of what happens when everything you thought you were gets stripped away. That’s what’s happening to Saxon. And episode 6 is the first time you see it in daylight.”
Patrick Schwarzenegger Said the Ratliff Brothers’ Kiss Changed Their ‘Power’ Dynamic
“This moment that happens between the brothers, how I see it, is kind of like in this Buddhist ideology of both of them getting reborn into different people, into different levels of power in their relationship and in the family dynamic,” the Midnight Sun star told the outlet.
“Saxon becomes a new person after this. He’s now at the lower half of the totem pole, and he no longer exerts this power over Lochlan. Everything that he stood for, everything that he’s been talking about, has now been flipped on its head, and he really is internalizing and questioning everything,” Patrick added.
Patrick Schwarzenegger and Sam Nivola Used an Intimacy Coordinator for Their Sex Scene
Sam dished on their sex scene to Variety in a March 23, 2025, interview, revealing how show creator and writer Mike White‘s presence helped make things easier while an intimacy coordinator made things slightly more awkward.
“I just trust Mike so much. It’s funny the way intimacy coordinators talk. They’re always using anatomically correct vocabulary that feels stale and awkward. I’d be like, ‘I don’t know if I can grasp the shaft,’ and then Mike would be like, ‘Just jerk him off.’ And I’d be like, ‘OK, that I understand,’” Sam told the publication.
However, The Perfect Couple star insisted he meant no disrespect. “I do think intimacy coordinators are a great innovation. Both of my parents are actors, and they’ve told me stories of having to do that kind of stuff without someone who has your best interests at heart, with directors who are maybe less supportive and kind and caring as Mike White. I’m definitely happy they exist,” Sam explained.
