It’s not really an HBO show if there isn’t a viral sex scene, and for The White Lotus that truism rung particularly true Sunday night thanks to brothers Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger) and Lochlan Ratliff (Sam Nivola) who got a little bit too handsy during a wild threesome. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporterin an interview published Monday, Schwarzenegger defended the show’s decision to include such a scandalous sex scene, explaining that director Mike White was evidently trying to achieve a greater effect beyond shock value. “There’s some sensationalism, but then there’s also the stuff behind the wall of the character and what he’s dealing with in the conflict of what just happened,” Schwarzenegger said. “There’s always more than what just meets the eye of the shock value on the screen.” Nivola also added, “We really trusted Mike ... There’s always a very shocking, crazy, intense moment in every season. It’s never just for the sake of being shocking, it always serves the story.” He continued, “And that [incest] scene is really the inciting incident for where our relationship goes next. It’s a great storytelling tactic. Going into this, we really trusted Mike because he’s a f***ing bada** and a genius.”
