‘The White Lotus’ recap: Some snakes come out, while others stay slinking in the shadows

Entertainment

March 03, 2025

Dan Heching - CNN

(CNN) — Pill-popping, tension and temperatures are rising among the guests of “The White Lotus.”

Here’s what went down during Season 3’s snarky and slithering third episode.

The Ratliff family

Timothy’s phone won’t stop ringing, and he learns that the FBI is in the process of raiding his office back home. The calls keep coming, and when Saxon – who proudly works with his dad – also starts getting calls, Tim decides to hastily reverse course and give White Lotus staffer Pam (Morgana O’Reilly) all the family’s phones and computers for a true digital detox.

The diversion tactic doesn’t alleviate Tim’s stress though, and his wife Victoria again offers him one of her trusty lorazepams. After saying it’s “not my thing,” he reluctantly accepts and swallows a pill, which knocks him out for the day.

Later, Saxon and Lochlan chill by the pool, where the former continues his campaign to assume dominant influence over his younger brother, saying, “Let’s get you laid, like this week! I’ll help.” Please, for the love of god, don’t help with that, Saxon.

Lochlan then heads to a posture correction clinic, where he is told he sits in a defensive position, and is asked if he’s a people pleaser. A fair assessment. Lochie’s response? “A lot of big personalities in my family.” Truer words were never spoken!

Snakes, why did it have to be snakes

Oh Rick, why must you be so mysterious and tortured all the time? First, he approaches glamorous singer, actress and co-owner of the resort Sritala (Lek Patravadi, who “White Lotus” creator Mike White has called the “Judi Dench of Thailand”) and says he’s a producer interested in casting her in a big movie, in what appears to be a ploy to get her contact info in Bangkok. Cue the mystery: Rick seems intent on locating Sritala’s husband, a “very famous man in Thailand.”

Why? In another meditation session with Amrita, he shows more of his tortured side when he again references his dead father, saying he was a “decent man” he never got to know. “I can’t get my life back. Maybe I could still get some satisfaction,” Rick adds. Seems like Sritala’s husband is wrapped up in whatever this is.

Soon, Rick can’t take it anymore and heads into town to find marijuana (cannabis is currently legal in Thailand), with Chelsea in tow. Once properly blazed, he takes her to a snake show across the road, and while there, an increasingly stoned Rick is fascinated by the reptiles and wonders why they are locked up in cages. He proceeds to wander out of the actual show and set free about a dozen snakes – one of which then bites Chelsea, who is rushed to the hospital and survives. Oh boy.

Let’s get physical political

The internet is loving the three frenemies on vacay, which is unsurprising. Jaclyn continues to foist Valentin on Laurie, going so far as to make vulgar gestures during yoga and book Laurie for an energy healing session with the Russian. The experience does seem somewhat sensual for Laurie, who opens her eyes at one point, but Valentin instructs her to keep them closed as he hovers his hands no more than an inch from her skin. The moment still feels illicit, in the best way.

Side note: A prying Jaclyn ascertains that Val has been at the hotel for three years, since “before the war” in Ukraine broke out, to which Valentin says, “I’m very lucky.”

Later, the ladies end up falling into the trap of talking about politics at dinner (been there!). TURNS OUT, Kate is an independent and married to a Republican, which causes Los Angeleno Jaclyn and New Yorker Laurie to clutch their pearls. When Laurie asks Kate point-blank if she voted for Trump, Kate smiles and counters with her own question: “Are we really going to talk about Trump tonight?” Apparently not… not until later that is, when the other two sit around and talk about Kate. Now it’s her turn to be the one to be gossiped about, creating a geometrically perfect frenemy triangle.

‘You look just like this man I met in Maui’

Meanwhile, various characters continue to share hints about Gary, I mean Greg, no wait, Gary. His girlfriend Chloe complains to Chelsea about how secretive he is, and even mentions that he has an ex-wife that “he never talks about” who “killed herself” (!!!). “One day she was so depressed… She just walked out into the ocean and kept going and never came back,” Chloe says. Um, that’s not how it went down in Season 2 in Sicily.

Belinda also revisits the past, and gives us a VERY abridged summary of Season 1, telling Pornchai how her friend and boss “died in a freak accident at work” (that would be Emmy-winner Murray Bartlett). She also talks about this “rich white woman” who was going to help her open up her own spa, but of course she flaked and “runs off with some guy she just met.” BINGO! The light bulb flicks on and Belinda makes the connection, and is able to place that eerily familiar face. She immediately goes right up to Gary at dinner, but he pretends not to know her, even when she asks, “Did you date a woman named Tony McQuoid?” Belinda, leave it alone! We’re getting nervous.

The episode concludes with the Ratliffs again, as a zonked-out Timothy goes for more of his wife’s pills behind her back. Victoria senses something is wrong, and offers him her meds AGAIN, but he bold-face lies and says, “I don’t take drugs.” (Seems like lying is what’s been getting him into trouble.)

“Tim, is something going on?” Victoria asks, but he doesn’t answer and pretends to already be asleep. Trouble in paradise continues.

“The White Lotus” airs Sundays at 9 p.m. EDT on HBO, with the episode available to stream on Max. HBO and Max, like CNN, are owned by the same parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery.