The White Lotus producer responds to incest kiss backlash: ‘There’s a specific reason’

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David Bernad, the producer of “The White Lotus,” has addressed the stunned viewers following the incestuous kiss scene in episode 5 of season 3.

Titled Full-Moon Party, the episode finds Saxon Ratliff (Patrick Schwarzenegger) and his younger brother, Lochlan (Sam Nivola), on an all-night rave with new friends Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood) and Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon).

Towards the closing hours of the evening, events took a dramatic and controversial turn when Chloe started a game similar to spin-the-bottle, leading the two brothers to engage in a passionate and prolonged kiss.

The sequence unfolds after some uneasy yet intimate instances between the siblings, as Bernad clarifies to viewers that the controversial narrative serves a larger purpose – there was no apprehension about crossing any boundaries.

“That’s all [creator Mike White],” he told New York Post. “Mike is brilliant, and I think those big story turns are not just for shock. There’s a specific reason in terms of the narrative storytelling, and the larger thematic idea Mike is trying to get across.

As the season concludes, the significance of the narrative will become apparent as it leads to a broader thematic concept. The series is wonderfully crafted around this family dynamic, with the brother’s tale being a particular highlight – and it reaches its peak in a truly fulfilling manner.

In the aftermath of the kiss, younger sibling Lochlan smiles confidently while his older brother Saxon is stunned into uncomfortable silence, with co-star Le Bon revealing that was an accurate reflection of how the actors approached the scene.

She told Vulture: “Obviously they’re not brothers by blood [in real life], so that made it easier. [But] I think for Patrick it was really difficult. For Sam, he was kind of like, ‘It’s whatever, let’s just do it well one time and it will be over.’

However, Patrick’s response in that particular scene truly reflected his feelings. It seemed as if he might vomit, causing us all to be alarmed. In response, Sam reassured him saying, “Relax, it’s just a kiss!

The actor was also pressed on why her character seemed to take such delight in seeing the brothers kiss, which was a moment that left Chloe in hysterics on the couch of her luxury yacht.

Le Bon theorised: “I think Chloe is deeply, deeply bored. There’s a void inside of her. She fills that void with partying, sex and chaos. This kiss between the two brothers for her is just pure entertainment, which is obviously really evil when you think about it.”

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2025-03-18 14:59