More importantly, the White Lotus transgresses with bold critiques toward volatile themes. In its most recent, highly-lauded, and risk-taking season, it fearlessly takes on the most taboo of all – incest. In episode six, “Denials,” the series takes a much closer look at this boundary pushing theme through the characters of Saxon and Lochlan. Patrick Schwarzenegger, who plays Saxon, admitted he wasn’t worried about bringing such a complicated story to screen.
The rest of the episode unfolds as Saxon and Lochlan come to after a night of partying on Greg’s yacht, with Chloe and Chelsea in tow. Last night’s happenings are a haze for the two. As the confrontation between Chloe and Chelsea at the pool makes plain, Saxon participated in an incestuous relationship with Lochlan. The relationship between the two brothers changes drastically. This last-minute shift proves beneficial to Lochlan, providing an unexpected advantage and another level of conflict to their romance plot.
Surprisingly, fellow actor on the show Jason Isaacs stated that he wished that the scene had been able to explicitly draw attention to the incestuous relationship.
"I love how it makes it beyond doubt that Lochlan had incestuous relations."
To film all the sensitive scenes, the show’s creator, Mike White, created a safe environment to include everyone involved. In fact, Schwarzenegger says that on set comfort as top priority had been drilled into him.
"Mike is there and holding down the fort and wants to make sure that everyone is extremely comfortable," said Schwarzenegger.
An intimacy coordinator was present to ensure the actors felt safe while shooting such scenes in a closed set setting.
"And there's an intimacy coordinator. It's a closed set," Schwarzenegger added.
This is something the White Lotus team had to talk through and figure out before production started, the idea of incest. Just how much it would be portrayed was unknown until the story played out on film. Even with this vagueness, Schwarzenegger was so sure about White’s creative vision that…
"I have full faith and trust in Mike White and his writing and what he's done so successfully on other seasons and on other shows," Schwarzenegger remarked.
The episode's controversial theme is designed to spark conversations among viewers, continuing The White Lotus's tradition of challenging societal norms through its narratives.
"It's going to start a conversation. And you know what, I have to see it — I haven't seen it yet — but I think it'll be fun and funny and it'll be very White Lotus," Schwarzenegger commented.
The iconic showdown between Chloe, Chelsea, and Saxon at the pool is a turning point in the movie. Even Schwarzenegger conceded that ignorance on his part should have led him to predict this turn of events.
Even with the grimly intense material, Isaacs was full of praise for Schwarzenegger’s work in these raucously energetic sequences. Just as The White Lotus transfigures to remain truly disruptive, the series proceeds to subvert every convention. With its brazen themes and shocking cliffhangers, the series creates endless discussions and debates.
