Latest news with #SameSpirits
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
There's More to This ‘White Lotus' Nude Scene Than Meets the Eye
WELCOME BACK TO The White Lotus, HBO's satirical comedy-drama about wealthy, troubled people hitting the self-destruct button on their personal lives in some of the most beautiful, luxurious locales in the world. Sunday's premiere, "Same Spirits, New Forms" took viewers to a brand new White Lotus resort in Thailand, and introduced this year's cast of vacationers, including the Ratliff family, played by Jason Isaacs, Parker Posey, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sarah Catherine Cook and Sam Nivola. There was a lot going on in the episode, but one of its more memorable moments took place in the hotel room shared by brothers Saxton (Schwarzenegger) and Lochlan (Nivola). The episode establishes pretty early on that Saxton is a hypersexual kind of character, even making inappropriate comments about the "hotness" of his sister, and true to form, it's not long before he is hit by the urge to watch porn and masturbate. Not wanting to do so in front of his younger brother, he heads to the bathroom, completely naked, to jerk it. It makes for some pretty awkward, uncomfortable viewing, particularly in the split second where the brothers make eye contact before Saxton closes the door. In other words, it's pure White Lotus. We've known this moment was coming for a little while now. After attending the premiere on February 11, Arnold Schwarzenegger spilled the beans about his son's performance on Instagram, writing: "What a show! I could claim to be surprised to find out he has a nude scene, but what can I say – the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Don't miss it this Sunday – trust me." "Same Spirits, New Forms" furthers something of a White Lotus tradition: putting full-frontal male nudity front and center in its season premieres. The pilot episode way back in 2021 featured a close-up of Steve Zahn's character's genitals, a creative decision which both illustrated his vulnerability and also set the tone for the show in general. (That inaugural season continued to push the envelope in terms of male nudity and sexuality, with one episode ending on a rarely-shown-on-television scene of rimming between Murray Bartlett and Lukas Gage.) Season 2 opened with a similarly graphic nude scene, this time featuring Theo James as Cameron, who purposefully flusters Aubrey Plaza's Harper by changing into his bathing suit in full open view, with the help of a "ginormous" (James's words) prosthetic penis. It's a perfectly in-character power play, in which Cameron quite literally whips it out, showing Harper and the audience exactly who he is. These phallic displays are baked into the show's DNA. From the very beginning, The White Lotus has been interested in interrogating the nuances of male sexuality and the darker side of homosocial relationships. That's in large part thanks to showrunner Mike White, whose subversive queer sensibility permeates the show and has led to some viral television moments: who could forget Sydney Sweeney's highly-memed speculation as to whether or not her late grandpa was a bottom; Michael Imperioli's cringe-inducing threesome; and of course, the taboo-exploding "uncle/nephew" roleplay between Tom Hollander and Leo Woodall that led to Jennifer Coolidge's fateful sea voyage. Season 3 continues this exploration of modern masculinity: Saxton is intent on pressuring his brother into studying at his own alma mater rather than that of their sister Piper, while Southern patriarch Timothy is beset by financial issues which threaten his sense of self. Outside of the Ratliff family, this year's White Lotus guests include Rich Hatchett (Walton Goggins), a middle-aged man who is feeling some kind of way about his age after being mistaken for the father of his much younger girlfriend Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood). Whether it's Patrick Schwarzenegger's porn-obsessed sleazebag, Theo James's intensely competitive friendship with Will Sharpe, or Murray Bartlett coercing his employee into a cocaine-fueled office hookup, The White Lotus is consistently provocative, which is what we have come to expect from that coveted Sunday night slot on HBO. But it's never provocation for its own sake. Mike White is clearly fascinated by flawed, often-unlikeable men, and loves to holds them up to the light like a kid who has just found some exciting new creepy-crawlies under a rock. "Look at my weird little guys," he seems to be saying. "Watch them slither and squirm." And we do! Every Sunday, at 9 p.m Eastern. You Might Also Like The Best Hair Growth Shampoos for Men to Buy Now 25 Vegetables That Are Surprising Sources of Protein
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The White Lotus' Returns with Top-Tier Performances: Episode 1 Review
How is the White Lotus still in business? The luxury resort that functions as a setting for each season of Mike White's eponymous HBO series has blood on its hands — and that doesn't change in Season 3, Episode 1: 'Same Spirits, New Forms.' While other seasons opened with the discovery or body or reveal that someone died, Season 3's cold open unfolds at the White Lotus in Thailand, where Zion's (Nicholas Duvernay) meditation is interrupted by gunshots. He's immediately terrified for the safety of his mother — as are all viewers who put together that this is Belinda's (Natasha Rothwell) son — and then a body floats toward him. More from IndieWire 'The Ice Tower' Review: Marion Cotillard Casts a Spell in a Shivery Cinematic Hypnosis from Lucile Hadžihalilović 'Olmo' Review: A Broken Stereo and Bedridden Father Present Real Challenges to a 14-Year-Old on a Quest for Love It's shrewd of White to start the season this way, immediately delineating Season 3's death from its predecessors. It could still have been an accident, but the implied violence and visibly widespread fear add new tension (as does a fresh theme song from Cristobal Tapia de Veer). Belinda is the only returning character this season; not only would her death sting worse after her Season 1 arc, but the scene with Zion demonstrates how much he'd hate to lose her. 'Same Spirits, New Forms' skillfully introduces a large ensemble (as viewers can count on White to do, from experience). This would be the moment to highlight those who stand out, but everyone shines in this episode. Michelle Monaghan, Carrie Coon, and Leslie Bibb's trio says everything about their dynamic with furtive looks and forced smiles (and some unforced smiles, to be fair); Parker Posey and Jason Isaacs debut their North Carolina accents and work tirelessly to convince the White Lotus staff that their family is 'normal.' Lisa Manobal and Tayme Thapthimthong reveal a charming rapport, and Rothwell seems right at home in her return to the resort. What Aimee Lou Wood conveys with an energetic smile and exclamation, Walton Goggins portrays with a scowl and an expletive. That connection is particularly compelling; on the outside there's obviously a gap in age and verve, but they also seem genuinely comfortable in the relationship. Even as Goggins' Rick grumbles and pulls away, Wood's Chelsea stays optimistic, calls him out, and tries not to let it get in the way of her vacation. On most shows — and indeed, in real life — it's the kind of partnership where the Rick inevitably explodes with anger if not violence. That could still happen in the remaining seven episodes, but doesn't seem to currently factor into their relationship. It's an astute contrast (or parallel) to Chelsea's new friend Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon) — and her own older partner, the surprisingly resurfaced Greg (Jon Gries). That's two returning characters with a direct link between them — a dead link, as it happens, which connects all three seasons in a tangle of timing, threads, and danger. For now, they all begin their week at the White Lotus blissfully unaware of the shocking events to come. Tragedy is just around the corner, but for many of the characters it's already unfolding in ways that are all-too familiar. New episodes of 'The White Lotus' air Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO. Best of IndieWire The 25 Best Alfred Hitchcock Movies, Ranked Every IndieWire TV Review from 2020, Ranked by Grade from Best to Worst
