Latest news with #TimothyRatliff
The Guardian
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘This is awkward': Coffee mate released piña colada creamer before White Lotus finale
Coffee creamer brand Coffee mate developed two limited-edition flavored creamers – piña colada and Thai iced coffee – in collaboration with the HBO hit television show The White Lotus. But, after the show's season finale aired on Sunday night, the Nestlé-owned company was taken aback when a batch of poisoned piña coladas nearly caused the deaths of four of the show's main characters. 'Well this is awkward' the creamer brand wrote in an Instagram post on Monday, accompanied by a picture of the piña colada-flavored creamer. In the final episode of the show's third season, set in Thailand, disgraced businessman Timothy Ratliff devises a plan to blend seeds from a poisonous tree into the frozen beverage, intending to kill himself, his wife, his elder son and his daughter. He ultimately changes his mind and spares his unsuspecting family. Unfortunately, nobody cleaned out the blender after he made the lethal cocktail. The next day, Ratliff's son Lachlan uses the blender – which still contains leftovers of the poisonous mixture – to prepare a protein shake, which nearly results in his death. Daniel Jhung, president of the Nestlé USA coffee and beverage division, told the Wall Street Journal this week that the marketing team behind Coffee mate was notably unaware of the plot involving piña coladas before the episode aired. 'We didn't know that piña colada was such a featured part of the last episode,' Jhung said. 'I will say that in hindsight, we were showing the different flavors, and the fact that The White Lotus team was like, 'Oh, you know, piña colada is a really good idea, you should go in that direction' – it now kind of makes sense.' The company launched the limited edition The White Lotus-themed flavored creamers in partnership with Warner Bros ahead of the show's third season, which premiered on 16 February. Jhung said that Sunday night's episode took the Coffee mate team by surprise, and that the team quickly devised a social media plan to react, sharing the 'awkward' post on Instagram. 'The 'awkward' post got picked up quite a bit by consumers, by other brands, because it was so perfect with the show's ending,' Jhung said. Jhung told the Journal that it's still too early to determine whether the episode impacted sales of the flavored creamers since they won't receive consumption data for another week. 'We'll probably see next week how it did this week,' he said, adding that 'the show going on week by week is helping drive buzz for the flavors. So they're both doing really well in market through the first quarter.' Jhung said that he suspects that next week, when the sales data comes in, that the piña colada flavor 'will see a bit of a lift as people try it, just for the novelty aspect'. The essence of limited-time offers, Jhung added, is about 'mysterious flavors, intriguing flavors that are not typical in the coffee set, and so it kind of fits well with the show, which is about mystery and intrigue'. On TikTok, some fans of the show have made videos reacting to the finale and the flavored coffee creamer collaboration. One TikTok user shared a video of the piña colada creamer in their fridge, with the caption 'I got this back in February being like wow what a random flavor for the Thailand season', adding 'NOT MIKE WHITE MAKING OUR COFFEE AN EASTER EGG' . 'PSA EVERYONE WASH YOUR BLENDERS BEFORE RE-USING PLZ' the user added.
CNN
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
‘I don't know if I can do this': ‘White Lotus' actor describes getting into his character's mindset
"White Lotus" actor Jason Isaacs describes how he got into the mindset of his character, Timothy Ratliff, for the finale that shocked fans of the show.
CNN
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
‘I don't know if I can do this': ‘White Lotus' actor describes getting into his character's mindset
"White Lotus" actor Jason Isaacs describes how he got into the mindset of his character, Timothy Ratliff, for the finale that shocked fans of the show.
New York Times
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
The Pong-Pong Fruit in ‘White Lotus' Really Is That Dangerous
This article contains spoilers for the Season 3 finale of 'The White Lotus.' After the season finale of 'The White Lotus,' viewers may never look at a piña colada the same way again. The long-teased murder-suicide fantasies of Timothy Ratliff (played by Jason Isaacs) come into sharp focus during the episode, as his family faces an uncertain future. He decides to poison them with the seeds of the pong-pong tree's fruit rather than face their disappointment over losing their fortune. A hotel worker at the luxury Thai resort has already warned Ratliff of the tree's toxicity. By the season finale, the same worker inadvertently gives him instructions on how to extract poison from the seeds of what locals call the 'suicide tree.' But what's the real story behind the pong-pong? What is pong-pong fruit? Pong-pong trees, or Cerbera odollam, are indigenous to South and Southeast Asia, tropical Pacific islands and parts of Australia, according to the National Tropical Botanical Garden, a research garden in Hawaii. The fruit is two to four inches in length and turns from green to red as it ripens. Ty Matejowsky, the chairman of the anthropology department at the University of Central Florida who specializes in cultural anthropology and food studies, said the fruit's cardiotoxin is concentrated in the seeds' kernels, 'almost like a peach pit.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The White Lotus' Season Three Highlights Luxury Timekeeping With Gold Rolex Watches and Bejeweled Timepieces
While fans of 'The White Lotus' are counting down to the Season Three finale episode, which will premiere on Sunday on both Max and HBO, WWD is taking a closer look at the watches seen on the show throughout the season. From Victoria (Parker Posey) and Timothy Ratliff (Jason Isaacs) coordinating in gold Rolex watches to the luxurious Jacob & Co. Fleurs de Jardin worn by Sritala Hollinger (Lek Patravadi), here are some of the timepieces catching the viewers' attention with their bling. Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan) is seen wearing the Nantucket watch by Hermès in the first episode of Season Three. The timepiece features a 17mm rose gold case with an anti-glare sapphire crystal, a white mother-of-pearl dial and quartz movement. It's currently available at for $15,850. Different styles vary in price, growing from $3,975 to $153,400. More from WWD Meet Anita Porchet, Watchmaking's Most Respected Enamelist Meet the Rare Watch Disruptor Taking on London's Old Bond Street Rolex Unveils New Land-Dweller Model and More 2025 Releases Ahead of Watches and Wonders Victoria Ratliff (Parker Posey) is almost always seen with her Rolex in the show. The style chosen for the character is the Day-Date II, also known as the President's watch, which can be purchased with different dials and bezels. The Rolex Caliber 3156 movement powers it and offers a power reserve of approximately 48 hours. The style features the President bracelet, characterized by its semi-circular three-piece links. A similar 18-karat yellow gold version of the watch with a champagne diamond dial is on sale for $36,800 at luxury jewelry and watch retailer Avi&Co. Like his wife in the show, Timothy Ratliff (Jason Isaacs) also has a penchant for Rolex, always wearing the Rolex Day-Date 40. Introduced in 2015, the style features a 40mm Oyster case crafted from 18-karat yellow gold, Everose gold or platinum. It comes with a fluted bezel and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, as well as Cyclops lens. It's powered by the Rolex Caliber 3255 and boasts a 70-hour power reserve. The style is available in various dial designs, including champagne, chocolate with diamonds or blue. Retailer Luxury of Watches sells a similar style by $49,995.00. The Cartier Baignoire worn by Laurie (Carrie Coon) was first conceptualized in 1912 and named 'Baignoire' (French for 'bathtub') in 1973. This watch features a distinctive oval-shaped case, quartz movement, a beaded crown set with a sapphire cabochon, a sapphire crystal case and a black varnished calfskin leather strap. Cartier currently sells the watch for $7,250. Saxon Ratliff (Patrick Schwarzenegger) has worn different watches throughout the season, including the Rolex Milgauss. Launched in 1956, the Milgauss was the first watch to resist magnetic fields up to 1,000 gauss, thanks to its innovative ferromagnetic shield inside the case. The name 'Milgauss' derives from 'mille' (French for thousand) and 'gauss,' a unit of magnetic measurement. Key features include a 40mm Oystersteel case and the striking lightning-bolt-shaped orange seconds hand. A pre-owned model can be found for $8,891.00 at Bloomingdale's. Lochlan Ratliff (Sam Nivola) wears the Swatch x Omega Moonswatch 'Mission to Saturn' in the show. The watch is part of the Bioceramic MoonSwatch collection, inspired by the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch. This model features a 42mm bioceramic case in sandy beige and a brown Velcro strap. The brown dial includes distinctive subdials, with the seconds subdial at 6 o'clock uniquely depicting Saturn's rings. The tachymeter bezel showcases the 'dot over ninety' detail, a signature Speedmaster element. The watch is priced at $270 at Sritala Hollinger (Lek Patravadi) wears the Jacob & Co. Fleurs de Jardin, designed to evoke a blooming garden on your wrist. This timepiece features a 42.5mm case crafted from 18-karat rose gold or white gold, with options for intricate gem settings including rainbow sapphires and diamonds. It features a manually wound JCAM31 caliber, boasting 444 components, 43 jewels and a 48-hour power reserve. The Fleurs de Jardin is on sale for $380,000 at Jacob & Co. Fabien (Christian Friedel) is seen in the show wearing the Tag Heuer Carrera Chronograph watch. Introduced in 1963, the Carrera was named after the grueling Carrera Panamericana road race, reflecting its roots in precision and endurance. The modern collection features various models, including the 44mm steel chronograph (Ref. Powered by the in-house Caliber TH20-00 automatic movement, the Carrera Chronograph offers an 80-hour power reserve and operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz). The watch is available at for $22,400.00. View Gallery Launch Gallery: 'The White Lotus' Season 3 Premiere Red Carpet, Live Updates: Blackpink's Lisa Sparkles, Patrick Schwarzenegger Suits Up and More [PHOTOS] Best of WWD Elizabeth Taylor's Diamond and Gold Star of David Pendant Sells for $35,750 From Julien's Auctions What Is Vogue World? Details on the Upcoming Hollywood Edition of the Event, Tickets, Featured Artists and More Donatella Versace With Celebrity Friends Through the Years: Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Dua Lipa and More [PHOTOS]
