‘The White Lotus’ Season 3, Episode 7: Calm Before the Storm

Summary

The Prestige TV Podcast - Season 3, Episode 7: "Calm Before the Storm" Summary

Release Date: March 31, 2025

Hosts: Mallory Rubin, Joanna Robinson, and additional Ringer personalities

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1. Episode Overview

In "Calm Before the Storm," the seventh episode of the third season of HBO's The White Lotus, the narrative delves deeper into the intertwined lives of guests and staff at the luxurious Thai resort. The Prestige TV Podcast hosts, Mallory Rubin and Joanna Robinson, engage in an in-depth analysis of the episode, exploring its central themes of alcohol and violence, character developments, and the intricate web of relationships that drive the plot toward its impending finale.

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2. Thematic Exploration: Alcohol and Violence

Mallory Rubin (02:27) articulates the episode's dominant themes:

"Each episode has a theme. This was the alcohol and violence episode."

The hosts discuss how the episode masterfully intertwines alcohol consumption with various forms of violence, both physical and emotional. The opening scenes featuring movie tie footage set a chaotic tone, symbolizing the brewing tensions among characters.

Joanna Robinson (03:02) reflects on a pivotal moment:

"I enjoyed the dick slap followed by the kind of just batting Laurie's head as she fell out of the window the way a cat bats around a toy mouse. That was really remarkable stuff."

This scene epitomizes the blend of humor and brutality, showcasing the show's ability to balance dark humor with intense dramatic moments.

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3. Character Analyses

a. Sax and Ratliff

The relationship between Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger) and Ratliff emerges as a focal point. Mallory shares her deep investment in their storyline:

"[...] I'm most deeply invested in Sax and Ratliff."

The hosts discuss Saxon's evolving character, highlighting his sympathetic portrayal and the challenges he faces, including his traumatic past involving his brother.

Joanna Robinson (04:03) praises Schwarzenegger's performance:

"Patrick Schwarzenegger, I mean, he's been great. Soulful through the whole time."

Saxon’s journey is seen as a character arc of growth and vulnerability, setting the stage for his actions in the finale.

b. Rick and Frank

Rick (Sam Rockwell) and Frank's storyline is dissected with a mix of admiration and criticism. Mallory expresses her dissatisfaction with Rick’s recent actions:

"If this is like the crescendo of Rick's storyline, this is not what I would use Walton Goggins for."

They discuss Rick’s inability to handle confrontations effectively, particularly in his interactions with Scott Glenn's character, Jim Hollinger.

Joanna Robinson (07:32) adds:

"I have notes about him as a con artist. He's been great, but this episode didn't satisfy my expectations for Rick's arc."

c. Belinda

Belinda’s subplot remains underwhelming for the hosts. Mallory criticizes the lack of engaging development:

"I don't think the Belinda story has been interesting. It's still falling flat for me."

They speculate on her possible actions in the finale, such as accepting money to start a spa, but remain skeptical about the character's progression.

d. The Fancies: Laurie, Jacqueline, and Kate

The dynamic among Laurie, Jacqueline, and Kate is examined with a critical eye. The hosts note the deteriorating friendships and escalating tensions:

"Jacqueline is just a cereal relationship abuser."

Joanna Robinson (47:24) highlights Jacqueline’s toxic influence:

"Jacqueline is a bad friend and seemingly a monstrous person who will justify her own behavior."

They discuss how Kate acts as the glue holding the trio together, despite underlying conflicts and resentments.

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4. Performances Spotlight

Patrick Schwarzenegger delivers a nuanced performance as Saxon, portraying both vulnerability and strength. Carrie Coon's portrayal of Laurie is lauded for its depth, especially in her confrontational scenes.

Sam Rockwell (Minted [52:42]) receives praise for his multifaceted performance as Rick, balancing charm with flawed morality.

Joanna Robinson (07:32) asserts:

"I can't say enough about Sam Rockwell's performance. He's delivered in every scene."

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5. Execution of Themes and Narrative Techniques

The episode employs a hallucinatory, dreamlike quality through the use of slow-motion shots and tight close-ups, emphasizing the characters' internal struggles and the pervasive atmosphere of tension.

Mallory Rubin (02:42) comments:

"The prevalence of the con man, the prevalence of desire, the questions of identity—are they giving into that instinct for violence or are they afraid of it?"

This thematic cohesion ties disparate plotlines together, reinforcing the central motifs of the season.

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6. Critical Perspectives: Nitpicks and Criticisms

The hosts voice several criticisms aimed at narrative choices and character decisions:

• Movie Tie Footage: They felt the integration of sports-style filming for fight scenes was subpar.

  "The movie tie footage just wasn’t that good. I think he should have hired somebody who films sports for a living." ([14:50])

• Jason Isaacs’ Character: Criticized for being underdeveloped and lacking depth.

  "He needs to give me something more. I'm having a dream sequence where I'm going to kill myself and my family." ([15:36])

• Tim Ratliff's Arc: Perceived as stagnant and unengaging, leaving viewers wanting more resolution.

  "If Tim is just stumbling around with a bottle, that's been too long." ([16:43])

• Fantasies and Predictions: Hosts express frustration with unresolved plot points and character motivations, particularly concerning Belinda and the impending shootout.

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7. Predictions for the Finale

The discussion culminates in speculative predictions about the final episode, focusing on potential resolutions and character fates:

• Saxon and Chelsea: Optimistic that Saxon will find his own path, separate from Rick and Chelsea’s tumultuous relationship.

  "I hope Saxon goes home and finds his own Chelsea. I want that for him." ([52:46])

• Rick’s Fate: Mixed opinions on whether Rick will survive or meet a tragic end.

  "I think he is dead at the end of this next episode." ([79:35])

• Final Shootout: Anticipation of a climactic shootout involving multiple factions, including Rick, bodyguards, and the Russians.

  "This could be a shootout at the resort." ([70:44])

• Belinda’s Decision: Likely to accept the money offered by Greg Gary, solidifying her departure from the resort.

• The Fancies: Uncertainty surrounding whether the trio will remain united or dissolve amidst the chaos.

  "Are the fancies even going to make it one more day all together?" ([76:57])

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8. Notable Quotes

• Mallory Rubin (02:22):

  "We've taped them a few days before the season finale. We're just gonna be right after live. Maybe we go live on YouTube."

• Joanna Robinson (04:03):

  "What a great prescription for everyone else. Won't it solve."

• Mallory Rubin (17:14):

  "Saxon convinces parents to go to a party with the boat people."

• Joanna Robinson (21:47):

  "I found myself wondering when Frank asked him, like, okay, so you got closure? And he's like, yeah, yeah. Like, did he, though?"

• N/A (45:14):

  "Do you guys think that she's gonna take the money or something? I think she's gonna take the money and not get caught."

• Mallory Rubin (54:11):

  "The secret in life is knowing when to stop. Alan Watts died of alcoholism."

• Joanna Robinson (57:14):

  "I think he has to be leaning against the door frame watching dad go to town on Mom."

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9. Final Thoughts

The Prestige TV Podcast hosts conclude the episode by expressing their excitement and anticipation for the final installment of Season 3. They reflect on the character arcs and thematic depth, acknowledging both the strengths and shortcomings observed throughout the season. While they remain invested in certain characters like Saxon and Chelsea, they voice concerns over narrative consistency and character development, setting the stage for a potentially explosive and emotionally charged finale.

Mallory Rubin (78:55) muses:

"What did you like? What did you think about the meta? You know, I'll always be seen by everyone else as Timothy Ratliff's son, and I'm okay with that."

Joanna Robinson (82:00):

"I don't. I thought that was nice, but it wasn't executed well."

The hosts sign off with a blend of humor and genuine enthusiasm, eager to dive into their next discussions post-finale.

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Conclusion

"Calm Before the Storm" serves as a pivotal episode, intensifying the existing tensions and setting the groundwork for the season's climax. The Prestige TV Podcast adeptly navigates through the episode's complexities, offering listeners a comprehensive breakdown enriched with insightful commentary and engaging banter.

Transcript

[Mallory Rubin]

This episode of the Prestige TV Podcast is brought to you by Coffee Mate.

[Joanna Robinson]

Coffee Mate has been searching the globe for flavors that pair perfectly with coffee.

[Mallory Rubin]

So when they heard that the new season of HBO's the White Lotus was set in Thailand, they were inspired to brew up two new flavors, Thai Iced Coffee and Pina Colada flavored Creamers.

[Joanna Robinson]

They're available for a short time only, so for the love of coffee, go try them now.

[Todd McShay]

What's happening? It's Todd McShay, host of the McShay show at the Ringer and Spotify. Listen, I love all aspects of football from the college to the professional game, but the draft is my grind. Listen and watch the McShay show for all of my draft analysis and if you want more, subscribe to my newsletter, the McShay Report, where you can find my mock drafts and big boards and all the buzz and intel I'm hearing from NFL decision makers. Make sure to like follow. Subscribe to the McShay show on the Ringer, Spotify and wherever you watch or listen to podcasts and subscribe to the McShay Report today. For a special introductory offer, Google the McShay Report or find it on the ringer.com.

[N/A]

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The Prestige TV Podcast, presented by the Ringer Podcast Network. You can watch us as a video on Spotify. You can watch us on the Ringer Dash TV YouTube channel.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah, yeah.

[N/A]

We have been here. That's Joanne Robinson. Mallory Rubin.

[Mallory Rubin]

Hello.

[N/A]

We've been here every episode. This will be the last time we actually had a chance to prepare correct for an episode recap. Spoiler. I know you're I know we put these up right after the show, but we actually taped them a few days before the season finale. We're just gonna be right after live. Maybe we go live on YouTube. Who knows? That would be interesting.

[Joanna Robinson]

I mean, if we're going to do it right away, it might as well.

[N/A]

Might as well go live.

[Joanna Robinson]

But yeah, otherwise we should watch the episode three times.

[N/A]

I know I'm going to miss it because I feel like I watched this one three times because I really felt like I was missing stuff. Anyway, this is the each episode's had a theme. Yeah, that we've talked about top. This was the alcohol and violence episode.

[Joanna Robinson]

Okay.

[N/A]

Right.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[N/A]

We just start out with, like, little flashes of movie tie fighters beating the shit out of each other and then just kind of goes sideways. There's booze and there's violence or the hint of violence. And I know what my favorite part of the show was, but. What, what was. What was your big takeaway, Joanna?

[Mallory Rubin]

Was your favorite part Alexi's girlfriend slapping him in the dick? Or was that your favorite part, Mallory?

[Joanna Robinson]

I. I enjoyed the. The dick slap followed by the kind of just like batting Laurie's head as she fell out of the window the way a cat bats around a toy mouse.

[N/A]

Right.

[Joanna Robinson]

That was really remarkable stuff.

[N/A]

That was, I think, a real dick slap.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[N/A]

I was going to do this later, but I don't think that. I think they went method acting on that one.

[Joanna Robinson]

Sensational stuff.

[Mallory Rubin]

To answer your question, in seriousness, do you want to know what's wild, what's true about me coming out of this episode?

[N/A]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

I'm most deeply invested in Sax and Ratliff. It happened.

[N/A]

I knew it.

[Joanna Robinson]

We got her. I was so prepared today to come in and beg you to join us.

[N/A]

I knew it.

[Joanna Robinson]

And I wasn't even gonna say join us on the dark side, because I don't think it is the dark side anymore.

[N/A]

I never gave up. I always believed.

[Mallory Rubin]

We got a really compelling email about how the Buddha, before he became.

[Joanna Robinson]

I'm thrilled right now.

[Mallory Rubin]

No, no, like, listen to this. The Buddha before he came to Buddha was like a pampered prince who, like, goes through this sort of debaucherous knight and comes out the other side and dedicates his life to spiritualism. Is Saxon Ratliff the Buddha of White Lotus Season 3?

[N/A]

All he needed was mind altering drugs and to get jerked off by his brother. And now he's come out the other side.

[Joanna Robinson]

What a family wank.

[Mallory Rubin]

What a great prescription for everyone else.

[Joanna Robinson]

Whoa.

[Mallory Rubin]

Won't it solve.

[N/A]

Yeah. I felt like maybe we were heading this way in episode seven, because I was like, wow, Saxon's a little more sympathetic than I was expecting. And then they got me. They really brought it back.

[Joanna Robinson]

Also, just another incredible performance.

[Mallory Rubin]

Patrick Schwarzenegger, I mean, he's been great.

[Joanna Robinson]

Soulful through the whole time. What Chelsea would say, well, now he's just.

[Mallory Rubin]

He's growing a baby soul is what I would say.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah. You can't do it in 10 minutes. You learn that from Chelsea, but you can start to do it in 10 minutes.

[N/A]

Well, it's funny that the couple of Saxon and Chelsea are the most interesting combo on the show now.

[Joanna Robinson]

I could spend every moment with them.

[N/A]

I'm like, more, where's this going? And the way I think the acting is so good on her side.

[Joanna Robinson]

The magazine.

[N/A]

I just like her so much. What happened? When do we get her next?

[Mallory Rubin]

Amy Lou?

[N/A]

Yeah. I don't want to give up on Amy Lou. I need her in my TV life. I need her on another show.

[Joanna Robinson]

My assumption is that Saxon get her in the Pit and Chelsea. Oh, interesting. I still haven't watched the Pit. Saxon and Chelsea will start a vlog after their journey in Thailand, and we will be able to watch every day. They're wonderful. The meditation scene between the two of them, while, like, probably a total of 75 seconds, was some of the most riveting TV ever seen in my life.

[Mallory Rubin]

Well, there's also the tension because, like, as much as I am rooting for Saxon and his baby soul, I still am a Chelsea Rick truther personally. And so I've got some.

[Joanna Robinson]

I've got some challenges.

[Mallory Rubin]

Okay. But I.

[Joanna Robinson]

To work through on that front. Struggling.

[Mallory Rubin]

Absolutely. But I did not want them to hook up. But I did enjoy the tension of the will they, won't they? You know?

[Joanna Robinson]

Agreed. I need Chelsea to want more than Rick. I also have been deeply invested in Rick and Chelsea.

[Mallory Rubin]

More than, like, fixing him and saving him. Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

And more than somebody who never answers questions or she's fucking annoying. Like, she deserves better than that.

[N/A]

You're deeply invested in a younger man settling for an older husband, younger woman. That's it. That was where you landed.

[Joanna Robinson]

You know, among. As you know, I believe that among consenting adults, age is but a number. You know, that's how I've long felt about it. You know, you mentioned the little glimpses of the Moyes high fights, the way that. That was, like, stitched throughout the episode. These, like, really charged interstitials, and the number of pairs or groups, trios, throughout this episode who are facing off that theme. We have that we'll talk about obvious, the Piper Locky scene, but the. The way that. That we went into that speech, how everybody has the capacity to kill, the nature of violence. Obviously, our guy Giotok has some stuff to say about this, but, like, we're first hearing that even though it's a Piper Locky scene, while we're looking at Rick's face, I thought this was a great episode for taking these disparate plots and stitching them together thematically, to your point. And this, like, the. The prevalence of the con man the prevalence of desire, the questions of identity. The question give into that instinct for violence or are afraid of it. Fascinating thematic episode. And I liked the kind of like, hallucinatory, dreamlike quality, too, of the slow mo and the zooms, the close looks at faces as people were reflecting on the choices they were going to make. It was like a very moody penultimate episode.

[Mallory Rubin]

Can I hit you with one more hot take? One more hot take before I want to hear what your favorite part of the episode was. The Rick storyline.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

It's not satisfying me.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

What happens here? If this is like the crescendo of Rick's storyline, this is not what I would use Walton Goggins for. Personally, I've been waiting and sort of reserving hope that we were gonna get something sort of big. And that's not what I felt like we got in the Scott Glenn confrontation, you know?

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

Bill.

[Joanna Robinson]

Okay.

[N/A]

Counter.

[Mallory Rubin]

Okay.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[N/A]

As soon as they're in Bangkok.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[N/A]

And Frank is like, fuck this. Yeah, I'll be sober again tomorrow.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah. Yeah.

[N/A]

Let's go Party. I was the most excited I've been for TV in, like, three years.

[Mallory Rubin]

No, the let's Go Party sequel is great.

[N/A]

I'll tell you this. That could have just been its own episode. We could have dumped everyone else on the show and done an episode 9 bonus episode of them in Bangkok. Like I said last week, signed up.

[Mallory Rubin]

Is that 20 episode season make me mad. Have we gotten to the part where.

[N/A]

No, we haven't. We haven't nearly gotten to the part yet.

[Joanna Robinson]

I agree.

[N/A]

I was so pumped when they did the low. The low going down shot of the strip joint with the cage and them in the room. And I'm like, yeah, let's go. I don't care about any characters anymore.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[N/A]

And.

[Joanna Robinson]

And Rockwell, he's been unbelievable every second.

[Mallory Rubin]

I can't say great in this episode.

[N/A]

I can't say enough, though.

[Mallory Rubin]

I still have notes about them as con artists.

[N/A]

Wow.

[Joanna Robinson]

Than ever. Because this was, frankly, an appalling performance.

[N/A]

One other aspect of the violence part.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[N/A]

Because it's all kinds of violence, right? There's actual violence. There's impending violence. There's verbal dick slaps. There's verbal violence.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[N/A]

But then we also.

[Joanna Robinson]

Violence. Take my blood money or else. Right.

[N/A]

And kind of whatever Piper was doing to Lockheed in that scene, that's like, almost like emotional violence. But my favorite kind of violence is three female friends who secretly hate each other.

[Mallory Rubin]

Oh, my God.

[N/A]

What is it?

[Mallory Rubin]

That was the friendship violence, thriller and Vanilla.

[N/A]

Oh, my Lord. We're Building. We're waiting. We've been waiting since episode one. When are they gonna do it? And Carrie Coon, who's just been unleashed. She's been absolutely unleashed. Like Jameer Gibbs in, you know, getting 30 carries in a game. They're just. And then Laurie. I don't. I don't even know what Jacqueline's doing anymore. She just seems so over it and so angry and oh, my God, her.

[Mallory Rubin]

Brother in caps marks. When she said I'll be the bad guy. I'm used to it. I was just like, oh, bro.

[N/A]

She's all little words as possible and like really shitty faces.

[Mallory Rubin]

And.

[N/A]

And then you have Kate who's like, I'm just not emotionally equipped to deal with any of this.

[Joanna Robinson]

What great Kate episode.

[N/A]

And then Carrie Coons, like, just riveting. Riveting.

[Joanna Robinson]

Incredible.

[N/A]

And yet I still wanted to be in Bangkok the entire time with those two guys.

[Joanna Robinson]

Interesting.

[N/A]

Like, where are we going next? Guys?

[Mallory Rubin]

Send Lor to Bangkok.

[N/A]

How many are we bringing back to the hotel room? Oh, four. Great.

[Joanna Robinson]

So you would have spent the entire episode in Bangkok at the. Okay, I'm supposed to be your lifelong friend, but you've ruined your sobriety for me. I've led you down this path and I'm just going to sit on a couch and sm. That's where you want the whole episode. I wanted the whole episode to be Chelsea and Saxon, same knee to knee. Before she throws all of the books.

[Mallory Rubin]

All the books that end.

[Joanna Robinson]

I just wanted to say in that moment forever, that's where you would have spent the whole episode too.

[N/A]

Yeah. Or the three ladies just drinking. Rose, where is this?

[Joanna Robinson]

Killed me. It had been maybe 10 seconds.

[Mallory Rubin]

Great stuff.

[N/A]

Ordered for 10 seconds.

[Joanna Robinson]

Great stuff.

[Mallory Rubin]

I also thought Laurie looked amazing in this episode. Like all. All season they've been trying to sort of sell us on Carrie Coon, slightly rumpled mess. But she comes.

[N/A]

You can only fight. You can only fight that angle for so long. Winning out eventually.

[Joanna Robinson]

We are all Alexi just waiting to compliment Larry's incredible hair and then saying PayPal. Zell.

[Mallory Rubin]

Well, his mother is relying on Cash app. I was actually quite nervous because, like, when he started that, that, you know, Nigerian prince move on her, he had his hand on the top of her head. And I was like, is this.

[N/A]

Oh, you thought there was violence in there somewhere?

[Mallory Rubin]

Terrifying.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

But it just went. Laurie sort of bare ass farting her way out the window.

[N/A]

I liked when she joined them at the fight and the Russian showed up and she just took the guy's beer.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[N/A]

And just Started swinging.

[Mallory Rubin]

Lori just feeling herself.

[N/A]

Yeah. Laurie easily best hang on the show.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[N/A]

No question. Who are you hanging out with?

[Mallory Rubin]

Chelsea.

[N/A]

Who's a safer.

[Joanna Robinson]

Chelsea's a good hang. Except every three minutes she's like, I need you to leave so I can call Rick, who won't answer my call, which I think gets a little old. Honest. I do love Chelsea, but that's a.

[Mallory Rubin]

Little tough if that's the. It just really goes to me. And I know Chloe, great hang. I know that this is like a mansion, a soft romantic, whatever, but, like, I really feel like Rick is just going through something specific. If it's always like this, that's terrible. If Rick is, like, having a crisis of his soul and he can go one way or another and Chelsea's like, I need to keep this tether or else I'm gonna lose him, then I understand. But, yeah, if it's always like that, then it's not great.

[N/A]

This is a good game. Good hang, bad hang.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

I mean, where's Tang?

[N/A]

Tim.

[Mallory Rubin]

Has, like, moved past Tim.

[N/A]

What's wrong? No, nothing. I'm fine.

[Joanna Robinson]

The, like, falling head as he was sitting next to Gary.

[N/A]

He's like, looking at the Blair Witch Wall.

[Joanna Robinson]

All season you've been like, I need someone in the family to ask to really sit him down and be like, what the is going on with you?

[Mallory Rubin]

Saxon.

[Joanna Robinson]

Saxon the hero. We needed a man of character and quality.

[Mallory Rubin]

I will say we got.

[Joanna Robinson]

Now. He was entirely motivated by self interest, but still, he asked if his dad was okay.

[Mallory Rubin]

We got a great email from listener David, who was pointing out the fact that, like, Tim has just been walking, swaying around, stumbling around with a full bottle or a half bottle of laraz pocket. It would just be rattling Ratlin. Tim is like, what?

[N/A]

He would be that way.

[Joanna Robinson]

Rattling Tim is a great.

[N/A]

Also, you only brought Ratlin.

[Joanna Robinson]

Tim Ratlin. I love it.

[N/A]

You only brought one sleeping T shirt on the trip. You're just going to wear that Duke shirt every night for 10 hours a day.

[Mallory Rubin]

He brought five Duke T shirts.

[Joanna Robinson]

Oh, that's.

[N/A]

Oh, that is possible. He does love Duke.

[Joanna Robinson]

That seems right. That seems right.

[Mallory Rubin]

But feels like we would have.

[Joanna Robinson]

Like, we would have the Duke blue in the mix. Gray T shirts, though. Maybe we would. Honestly, with Tim Ratliff, though, I don't know. He has a lot of, like, pastels in his wardrobe. Typically.

[N/A]

I'm surprised Mike White didn't throw in the Duke lacrosse T shirt at some point and just kind of keep.

[Joanna Robinson]

That would have been.

[N/A]

Or the late white T shirt. Yeah. Like, just Just a lot of Duke sense.

[Joanna Robinson]

When will we be talking about Saxon's wardrobe in this episode? Which to me was just totally like Mad Men by way of Todd Snyder? I loved it. I thought it was wonderful.

[Mallory Rubin]

Have you been served any Saxon shirts on Instagram ads or just.

[Joanna Robinson]

I have to be honest, I shop at Todd Snyder pretty regularly. I don't actually know that that shirt is from there, but it would be. I wouldn't. I wouldn't know if I had been served a new ad. Unlike for Locky's wardrobe, which I'm still disturbed by.

[N/A]

All right, here we go. I'm gonna make Joanna mad with at least one of these special thing. You guys didn't know I was doing this.

[Joanna Robinson]

It's great. We love that so much.

[N/A]

Seven episodes. We've watched these episodes a bunch of times each. I have some nitpicks after seven episodes. Start coming strong with the nitpicks.

[Mallory Rubin]

Great.

[N/A]

Number one, no particular order.

[Joanna Robinson]

Okay.

[N/A]

You won't get mad at this one. The movie tie footage, just not that good.

[Mallory Rubin]

I agree. Yeah.

[N/A]

I didn't like how it was shot. I think he should have hired, like, somebody who films sports for a living.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

Sports are.

[N/A]

If they had come to the sports. Yeah, the Sports Helper, I would have said, go find, like, the guys who do 247 for HBO or something.

[Mallory Rubin]

I didn't mind. They weren't, like, leading up to the fight, the sort of, like, balletic interlude with the, like, warming up orchestra and stuff like that. But once you're at the fight.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yes.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

You were so excited for sports.

[N/A]

I wanted some wide shots. I wanted to see the guys circle each other. Like there was. I thought they left too much on the table. All right, there's one.

[Joanna Robinson]

Okay.

[N/A]

Number two. Now this one might make Joanne mad.

[Mallory Rubin]

Okay.

[N/A]

I've felt this way deep down for a couple episodes, and now I'm just gonna come out and say it.

[Joanna Robinson]

Do you want to guess before he.

[N/A]

Says, I don't think Jason Isaacs. I don't think it's that hard of a part. And I think he's fucking boring.

[Mallory Rubin]

You know what? This is the episode where I agree with you.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[N/A]

Oh, great.

[Mallory Rubin]

This is the episode.

[N/A]

I'm just tired.

[Mallory Rubin]

One more.

[N/A]

He said autopilot.

[Mallory Rubin]

We did not modulate anything inside of this episode. It's not like. It's not like I think he's doing a bad job. I'm just sort of like, you need give me something more of. I'm having a dream sequence where I'm going to kill myself and my Family.

[N/A]

I just think if you're gonna. Not that I'm gonna give the great Mike White any notes, but I just think he'd be more manic and the part's more fun. If he's like, all of a sudden super hyper. What are we doing today? And, like, trying to overcompensate and then he goes back to being.

[Mallory Rubin]

Can I say here's my. Here's my bear nit to pick.

[N/A]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

Do you think we have a six episode story and an eight store eight episode back?

[N/A]

I think it's. I think it's a great point. I think it could be a seven episode, right.

[Joanna Robinson]

Because last season was so. Season one was six, season two was seven, this is eight, and now we have four. The last four episodes have been two days. Right. We did the Day and the night.

[N/A]

I just. We've solved Tim Ratliff two episodes ago. His career fell apart, and he's. And his family's gonna be disappointed and he might kill himself. Like, that's like two scenes.

[Mallory Rubin]

Or if something else happens, if, again, like, he doesn't wind up being in trouble or whatever. It's just been too long in this sort of. Yeah, yeah, I agree. I loved the monastery scene last week. I thought that was really, really good.

[N/A]

Really good.

[Mallory Rubin]

I really loved that. But this week I'm just like, you're giving me nothing else. When Saxon confronts him and he just once again gives him the, like, we're fine kid response and like, you're not gonna give me any movement on this guy.

[Joanna Robinson]

It's interesting. I mean, I wonder if there's like, the tracking. The distinction across generations in White Lotus has always been kind of fascinating. And the Ratliff kids, in ways both good and bad, have all really been characters on an arc. Right. They've all gone. They have all gone through some really notable change and reflection and introspection. We, I think, were most swept up by Tim's arc in the first few episodes and, like, now have felt the. The halting of that.

[Mallory Rubin]

The.

[Joanna Robinson]

The arrested development of that a little bit. And Vicky never had that kind of by design. Right. But so, like, something is. Ha. I think the fact that we've moved so much with the kids has made that actually feel more palpably lacking over the last couple episodes with the parents, which is interesting. Just inside of that family unit, is.

[N/A]

This show better if that. If Rick had just brought Tim with him to Bangkok with Frank to pretend.

[Mallory Rubin]

To be the guy. Want to go to Bangkok? You're like, everyone comes.

[N/A]

I'm trying to Think of a way to make Tim more interesting other than just having no personality. Like, who would see Tim at a party and be like, yo, man, pull up a chair.

[Mallory Rubin]

I'm guessing, yeah, I'm going to go.

[N/A]

Have a drink with this super sad, brooding guy over there who's just hammered at all times.

[Mallory Rubin]

Okay. You didn't succeed in making me mad. What else you got?

[N/A]

This one, Mom.

[Mallory Rubin]

Okay. Bring it.

[N/A]

Among the most boring scenes in the history of hbo, the Moot Guide talk scenes. I've had it. I can't do it anymore.

[Mallory Rubin]

You know what? I agree.

[Joanna Robinson]

Interesting. Yeah.

[N/A]

Whoa.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

Because again, we're just. We're just drawing out and we're headed towards what feels like the inevitable conclusion, which is something that Mallory clocked really early on, which is the idea that, like, perhaps Guy Talk is involved in this gunfight in order. Because Mook and I don't like. I don't like the way these characters feel so one dimensional. To me. It's like he is in love with her, but is shy and retiring and she is. Wants ambition. Ambition and violence, I guess.

[N/A]

Why the hell has she attracted him in the first place? Because everything we found out about her in the seventh episode is kind of like the danger.

[Mallory Rubin]

Well, he's.

[N/A]

Men should be men. Men should be ambitious and fight.

[Mallory Rubin]

An objectively attractive person.

[N/A]

No, I spend two minutes with them and it's like, this guy's a softer.

[Mallory Rubin]

She's like, here's an objectively attractive person that I've been friends with my whole life. And I see him, yes, wanting more because that's sort of the indication that he gave her. Maybe I can get my hot friend in the exciting package that I've always wanted. A twofer. Why not? You know, And I think she.

[N/A]

More likely she's with like one of the. One of Sita's bodyguards.

[Mallory Rubin]

I'm sure that's where it's at.

[Todd McShay]

Like, that's.

[N/A]

That's like her type. It's clearly her type.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

I think that's another interesting thing about this season where, like, Saxon has been so intro. Genuinely interesting to watch because he is routinely being confronted by people who are not a part of his life. Now, broadly, the premise of White Lotus is, as we've talked about many times, you could escape your. Your whatever's back home, but you can't escape yourself. And often you can't escape your family or your best friends or whomever you're on vacation with. But scene to scene, he literally does. Right? He's with Chelsea. He's with Chloe memorably, he's Lachlan. But you know, Mook and Gytok have known each other their entire lives. So it makes like on the one hand this idea that he finally musters the courage to tell her how he feels, really interesting. But on the other hand, like the conversation in this episode where he's like, you know, I just like never, I would never feel good about doing that. You kind of like, I just don't wonder why they never would have talked about that.

[Mallory Rubin]

It's not only that. I just don't feel like I learned anything new about. About their characters this week. About Rick this week, honestly, like the Rick on the bottom of my notes, I have what's not working. And I wrote Guy Talk and Mook and I wrote Rick because not just that we were headed towards a conclusion that we kind of saw coming because we saw incest coming. It doesn't matter if we see it coming. It's about how it's executed. And it wasn't executed in a way where I feel like I'm like, yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

It was a little flat.

[Mallory Rubin]

Wow, that character really went through something.

[N/A]

Kanay, can I zag on Rick, please? Because maybe I interpreted it differently because I actually really like that whole scene.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah. Tell me.

[N/A]

I might be wrong, but to me it was about when you build something up in your head for years and years and years about how it's going to play out when it happens and this becomes part of your identity in life.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yes.

[N/A]

And then he goes. And it's like he goes there. Scott Glenn's this old, frail.

[Joanna Robinson]

Right.

[N/A]

What she says kind of near the end of his. Which he says near the end of his life, has this moment. Doesn't even, doesn't even want to hit him because it's like, I don't win if I do this. So shoves them out, they leave. And that thing in the end where he's sitting. This thing?

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[N/A]

To me, I interpreted that as I was. I was haunted by this thing for 20 years. Turned out, whatever. And now where am I going? And kind of where I'm going is I think I'm just going to be a huge fuck up.

[Mallory Rubin]

That's so interesting. I think it's slightly different.

[N/A]

Okay, tell me.

[Mallory Rubin]

It's mostly the same. Like, I think you're. I share your interpretation of that scene. Scott Glenn hits him with the Don Draper. I don't think about you at all. You know, like that's how that all goes down. He leaves, he goes out with Frank, they party. He's, you See him in that scene. You see Chelsea calling him and calling him and getting nothing. And if you're Mallory at home, you're like, oh, my God. Come on. And then you see him get in the elevator and, like, surrounded by topless women, all sorts of stuff.

[N/A]

Couldn't be happier. Like, he's. He's like.

[Mallory Rubin]

I kind of think the smile on his face is like, I don't need this anymore, honestly. And. And we'll see what it goes. Finale. But I think that smile on his face is like, he's. He's been drinking all night. He's been with them, but I don't think he's gonna have sex with any of those women. I don't think he's gonna smoke anything out of a pipe. The way that's like. Frank is like, I. I don't think he's gonna snort anything. I think he's just sort of like, I drank a bunch of whiskey. I saw Bangkok. I'm gonna go back to Chelsea, and we're gonna have a great life together.

[N/A]

Interesting. Because he doesn't call or reach out to her, which makes me think the opposite.

[Mallory Rubin]

I think they're kind of trying to fake you out with that last shot. All right. I mean, we'll see.

[Joanna Robinson]

I. I found myself wondering when Frank asked him, like, okay, so you got. You got closure? And he's like, yeah, yeah. Like, did he, though?

[Mallory Rubin]

Because he didn't. It just feels.

[N/A]

Isn't that the whole point? It's like, sometimes you just don't get closure.

[Mallory Rubin]

But this is. Sure. Yeah, absolutely.

[N/A]

Like, man, someday I'm gonna. And then you have the combo, and.

[Joanna Robinson]

It'S like, but if this were the defining truth of your life, like, this quest and the absence.

[N/A]

But maybe he realized that it shouldn't have been and that he was being stupid the whole time.

[Joanna Robinson]

For sure.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

Well, I don't think he felt he was being stupid. I think he felt validated in his obsession. And then, like, well, it'll be interesting to see. Like, you said, what he says to Chelsea about it next week. That's probably the real tell. I mean, obviously it was. We all wanted him to not use the gun to pull away.

[N/A]

And so this is. I was. Room for the gun. I was. I was excited for it.

[Joanna Robinson]

I also wanted Kill that guy. I wanted Jim to be like. Because he's like, Gloria. Like, he obviously knows who he's talking about. I wanted him to be like, does he? So you're say something. Like, to actually say something, or for.

[Mallory Rubin]

Everyone to be like, I rewound that scene multiple times and I'm like, like, what is Scott Glenn trying to communicate in that line read of Gloria Hatchet? Is it like, I know who she is or I don't know who the fuck you're talking about? I actually don't have a clear read on that.

[N/A]

I interpret it as I remember the name. Yeah, but this is why you're here. Almost like somebody in consequential that passed through his life.

[Joanna Robinson]

Another follow up question.

[Mallory Rubin]

I don't think I needed that scene to just have like two more exchanges. Yeah, and then I agree with you that it's just sort of like, oh, I built this up and it was nothing. I think that is like a good story to tell and one I wouldn't mind watching. But there was just something in that scene that just sort of like. But maybe, maybe to your point, that's how I'm supposed to feel. Just sort of like deflated by it, you know?

[N/A]

You know what was great about that scene?

[Joanna Robinson]

All the cuts to Sitala and Frank Steve watching her movie. That was incredible.

[N/A]

She just put that whole thing on YouTube. First of all, remarkable. But Scott Glenn's office was just absolutely. Whole house was fantastic.

[Joanna Robinson]

Whole house was cool.

[N/A]

I was like, oh my God.

[Joanna Robinson]

I wanted.

[N/A]

I was looking at every, like every shelf. He did all the table choices. That was like a man's man office.

[Mallory Rubin]

Dark, dark, glossy.

[N/A]

Check every box.

[Joanna Robinson]

Were you looking at every photo of a young Jim Hollinger waiting for Rick.

[Mallory Rubin]

To say, is that Greg Gary in a cowboy house?

[Joanna Robinson]

It looks a lot like me.

[N/A]

I actually thought they were headed that way. I was surprised they didn't do that. But then I was also enjoying the Scott Glenn career retrospective photos where it's like, oh, they grabbed something from Urban Cowboy.

[Mallory Rubin]

100% Urban Cowboy. Yeah. Can I take you quickly to White People Buddhism corner?

[N/A]

You can do that right after this break.

[Joanna Robinson]

Wow.

[N/A]

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[Mallory Rubin]

So in that exchange, Rick says, the secret in life is knowing when to stop. Someone once said, the secret in life is knowing when to stop. The person who said that is Alan Watts, famous white guy, Buddhist. And I grew up in Mill Valley, California, which is like Mecca for white people who have found Buddhism. And that's where Alan Watts like lived his life near Green Gulch Farm at the Druid Heights. Like this is, this is a guy. This is like a Bay Area, I have brought Buddhism to the white people guy. He wrote the way of Zen. 1957 was like this huge book, but he was a hugely controversial figure because like, you know, a lot, plenty of people are like, thank you for bringing Buddhism to us. And plenty of people were like, is this the guy we want to be listening to about Buddhism? And I just wanted one last biological fact about. About Alan Watts, who I guess famously said, the secret in life is knowing when to stop. He married three times, had seven children, and died of alcoholism. So that does not sound to me like a guy who knows when to stop personally.

[N/A]

But I loved all that information. But I think you should have said Buddhism.

[Mallory Rubin]

Okay, let me take it again.

[N/A]

Saying, but I have two more small nitpicks, please. I'm so disappointed. I couldn't.

[Mallory Rubin]

Anger me.

[N/A]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

Is all you want in life is.

[N/A]

I was excited for a little tension. I don't think anybody would have not had their phone for this song, but. Okay, it's five rat lifts. I just think.

[Joanna Robinson]

But why does everyone else get to keep their phones? Pam's the only stickler. Chelsea's got her phone calling Rick all the time. I just think I'm texting Laurie. Like, they all have their phones except the rat lifts, I think.

[Mallory Rubin]

I just don't know that he's off the hook. But then that's kind of.

[N/A]

I just think dad is. Dad is such a mess at this point that they're like, I'm gonna. Dad hasn't talked to us in three days. I'm gonna go get my phone.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[N/A]

Or if you're Saxon and your dad is acting like a complete maniac like this, you're not going to be like, I got to get my phone. Like, he's got to be hiding something from me. I just think you'd be more cunning about it than they are.

[Mallory Rubin]

I agree.

[N/A]

My last one.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yep.

[N/A]

It's a big one. I can't wait for your take. I just don't think the three fancy cougars would have stayed in touch at period at all.

[Mallory Rubin]

Okay.

[N/A]

I don't think they're in touch anymore. I think it's, like, some occasional texting and maybe a happy birthday.

[Mallory Rubin]

Let me take you to my favorite corner, which is I listened to an interview corner, and.

[N/A]

Oh, I was waiting.

[Mallory Rubin]

Leslie. Leslie Bibbs said that she feels like Kate is the person who has, like, kept this group together.

[N/A]

Makes sense.

[Mallory Rubin]

And that Laurie and Jacqueline don't really talk to each other, but she talks to Laurie and she talks to Jacqueline and that it was like, even though Jacqueline's the one paying for this trip, it was sort of like Kate's idea of, like, let's all get together and go on a trip. A girls trip, a victory tour together as part of her perfectionism. Perfect wife, perfect mom. I've got my youth from back home. Yeah, that kind of makes sense to me.

[N/A]

My takeaway after seven episodes now.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yep.

[N/A]

I don't think Jacqueline and Laurie have talked on the phone probably in three and a half, four years.

[Mallory Rubin]

I agree.

[N/A]

And I think they maybe text every once in a while.

[Joanna Robinson]

I think that's clear.

[Mallory Rubin]

That's.

[N/A]

But the way they set it up in the first episode, it seemed like they were way closer.

[Mallory Rubin]

Well, I've been thinking a lot about like the boat ride. You know, we get the boat ride here and then the boat ride back and the boat right here. In the opening episode again, like Mike White called them the blonde blob. They're the, they're like a three headed sort of giggling and like as close as can be. And can't you just see them going. If they all make it going back home, each sitting on like a different part of the ship and they're like never.

[N/A]

And that's how this.

[Mallory Rubin]

They're like never going to talk to each other again.

[Joanna Robinson]

Or perhaps more depressing than that, not doing that. Because that would actually be the healthy thing is to say like we don't stop faking it.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

Continuing to like engage in this shared delusion that they have something to hold on to. Like that that would be I think more tragic. Right.

[Mallory Rubin]

Here's what I.

[Joanna Robinson]

We have to keep telling each other. We're committed to this friendship.

[Mallory Rubin]

I mean, is that rose?

[Joanna Robinson]

That rose looked good when it came. Beautiful hue.

[Mallory Rubin]

A large frosty glass of delightful. Compare that for the finale.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[N/A]

It's Mike White. Just, you know, he knows how to play the hits. This group is clearly starting it out with Rose. With this much tension.

[Mallory Rubin]

Can I hit you with my biggest nitpick? No. Hottest take. Well, maybe it's a nitpick.

[N/A]

Okay.

[Mallory Rubin]

I also don't think the Belinda story has been interesting. You've been saying this all season. It's, it's.

[N/A]

I didn't want to go there anymore.

[Mallory Rubin]

Still falling flat for me. But what I do suspect, I think she's going to take that money for.

[Joanna Robinson]

Zion because he's like do this.

[Mallory Rubin]

And for Porncher who's like let's start a spa together. I mean I think she's taking that money.

[N/A]

I think it's.

[Joanna Robinson]

I agree.

[Mallory Rubin]

But I. If I were, if I were Belinda, I'm holding out more than a hundred thousand doll have seen the house now.

[N/A]

You way more seen the house first offer.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[N/A]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

I mean it better.

[N/A]

250 maybe. I won't tell anyone.

[Joanna Robinson]

You don't say yes for a cent. Less than A million?

[Mallory Rubin]

Are you kidding? Okay.

[Joanna Robinson]

That you saw that house. Tanya was. Tanya was canonically worth half a billion dollars.

[Mallory Rubin]

I would say 500,000. That's what I'd say. Half a mil.

[Joanna Robinson]

She counters at a million, maybe she settles at 500.

[N/A]

But you also don't want to get caught or you want to do it as seamlessly as possible. So you might want to shoot to.

[Joanna Robinson]

Evade detection for two years.

[N/A]

That's another one of my small nitpicks. Was how did he escape with this much money?

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, because if the authorities.

[N/A]

How much money did Jennifer. Cool.

[Joanna Robinson]

$500 million.

[Mallory Rubin]

But if the authorities are looking for him, can't they just follow the money?

[Joanna Robinson]

Right.

[Mallory Rubin]

Wouldn't they be able to find him with a money trail for the amount.

[N/A]

Of money he apparently has, that he could buy a house like that and live whatever, and have a whole staff and a yacht and all that stuff? I feel like that's a lot of red flags all over the place for whoever. And then all of his crew died. Right? So maybe it would be no trace to him.

[Joanna Robinson]

Well, they were like. I don't know that they had any real connection to him other than his history with Quentin.

[Mallory Rubin]

Are you ready for me to slightly zag on Greg Gary?

[Joanna Robinson]

You're in. You're into it.

[Mallory Rubin]

I'm not into it, but I'm.

[Joanna Robinson]

Your favorite character is Saxon, and your second favorite is Greg Gary.

[Mallory Rubin]

I'm just saying, do we think he's actually a killer? Because.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yes.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yes, everything went badly with Tanya, but I don't think he has it in him to kill Belinda. And now we know that he just wants to watch Saxon, and I actually believe that story.

[Joanna Robinson]

I can't wait to talk about that. I can't wait to talk about that.

[Mallory Rubin]

We were like, oh, is he gonna try to kill Saxon? Ooh, is he trying to kill Belinda?

[N/A]

No.

[Mallory Rubin]

He wants to watch Saxon have sex with Chloe and he wants to pay Belinda off.

[Joanna Robinson]

I think that he would, if it came down to it, have not a nary a qualm about ending Belinda's life. I believe that he sincerely does not want to complicate his life. He doesn't want the mess. He doesn't want a body on his doorstep. A doorstep he genuinely hopes he never has to leave.

[Mallory Rubin]

Once again, I just think. I just think bathing him in red light.

[Joanna Robinson]

Great outfit.

[Mallory Rubin]

Bathing him in red light and having him glower down at her feels like a little like Mike White. Heavy handed. I'm gonna switch the flip. Flip the switch on this. You know what I mean?

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

We'll see.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[N/A]

Start of the episode. We start out with Rick and Frank meets Itala.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[N/A]

Her husband crushed it. The head monk. What's that guy's name? Do we know yet? Head guy.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah. No. Luang Portera.

[N/A]

He's preaching its violence. Spiritual harm to the victim and the perpetrator.

[Joanna Robinson]

This was great. I love this.

[Mallory Rubin]

The Yoda vibes.

[Joanna Robinson]

Have you. So we literally get violence, aggression, anger, stem from the same source. Fear. Bill, have you ever heard that? Fear is the path to the dark side? Remember last week we invoked Star Wars? I mean, this is right. Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.

[Mallory Rubin]

George Lucas took all of this from Eastern religion.

[Joanna Robinson]

You really feel it here.

[Mallory Rubin]

How did you feel about. When he says fear and then we go on. Guy talks face. Yes. I like that.

[Joanna Robinson]

We got. Every one of us has the capacity to kill. Rick's face. Fear. Guy talks face. And the violence does spiritual harm to the victim and perpetrator. Tim popping pills. Like all of them mixed in over that sequence. Wonderful. Your feelings. Not everybody can sit with their feelings. Can you sit with your feelings?

[N/A]

Only if I'm in an airplane and the WI fi's out.

[Mallory Rubin]

Hell. Hell is a. Is a flight with no WI fi.

[Joanna Robinson]

If you're raw dog in a flight, you can sit with your feelings.

[N/A]

Feelings. Links.

[Mallory Rubin]

You don't just, like, listen to. Like, you don't have, like, anything downloaded already for the flight?

[N/A]

Some stuff, yeah. Saxon convinces parents to go to a party with the boat people.

[Joanna Robinson]

Just astonishing stuff. I'm already dolled up.

[N/A]

Boyd and Zion debate going to gregarious party and the fancies go to dinner so they can just hate each other's guts. So that's how we started. All right, we'll talk Frank and Rick first. So this is so ridiculous that they're doing this like they're shit con, but I actually loved the Enforcer, the Executor and the Notary.

[Mallory Rubin]

That's a trilogy. That was incredible.

[N/A]

So fucking funny.

[Joanna Robinson]

Was that inspired by the Accountant, you think?

[Mallory Rubin]

I think so, yeah. It's a fun part, too.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[N/A]

What's your movie? It's a fun caper. It's a thriller. There's killings, there's double crossings and action. It's just like every. Every genre that exists.

[Mallory Rubin]

If I'm Frank, Frank is a better person than I am. Because Frank comes out of there and he's like, let's paint the town red. I'm like, be like, dude, fuck you. Thank you for giving me no Prep whatsoever.

[N/A]

What if they'd be like, hey, here are four titles that she did. Like, give her 50.

[Mallory Rubin]

Here's what I told her about what the movie was about.

[Joanna Robinson]

And Rick had the. The launch right where he was. He should be prepared for these questions because she asked him questions that he was not prepared to.

[N/A]

Almost like, Rick's that company.

[Mallory Rubin]

And then Rick was just. Just sitting there staring down Jim Hollinger. I was so. I was so what do we think.

[N/A]

Rick did for a living?

[Joanna Robinson]

Con man? This and that as Gary when he.

[Mallory Rubin]

Can'T have survived this long on those shoddy shit.

[Joanna Robinson]

I think they were both pretty bad.

[N/A]

Enough money to go to the white.

[Joanna Robinson]

There's a reason that Frank was like, I had to leave America and Rick is like, I can't go back to Australia. They're bad at this. Clearly. Wait, do you guys have an updated theory for what show Jacqueline is on? Because Jim and Sita La were like, yeah, you know this actress cbs.

[N/A]

So it's something they watch something blue bloodsish.

[Mallory Rubin]

At the beginning. She's like, but like my husband and I. She's like, my husband and I love it.

[N/A]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

He's like.

[N/A]

So we know it's a blue blood stage.

[Joanna Robinson]

We know from this exchange now that Jim is only watching stuff that Sita watches. Right? He does he. So he's not the one who brought them to that. Does that any other. No, same thing.

[N/A]

10:00.

[Joanna Robinson]

Okay. Yeah.

[N/A]

She's either a detective or she's married to the sergeant.

[Mallory Rubin]

Or she's a doctor.

[N/A]

Oh, she's a doctor, right?

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, she's a surgeon is sort of. What?

[N/A]

Yeah, it's one of those Ellen Pompeo type of.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[N/A]

Oh, I like that. That's good.

[Joanna Robinson]

Could be.

[N/A]

I feel like they would have mentioned it if it was a doctor show. And by the way, Mike Wade, you. This could have been a good scene. Why couldn't we have heard what Jack.

[Joanna Robinson]

Shows he didn't want. He deliberately didn't want.

[N/A]

Why couldn't we have seen it on the TV and like for this reason show where they show a clip of the person.

[Joanna Robinson]

We should be debating it right now. Just like we're debating why Rick couldn't tell Frank slash Steve or by the way, remember his cover name? I mean, that is just fudgeing, shameful, embarrassing shit from Rick.

[Mallory Rubin]

Also, why does he have a cover name?

[Joanna Robinson]

I don't. Right.

[N/A]

I.

[Mallory Rubin]

Nobody knows who Frank is.

[Joanna Robinson]

The best part was the prostitute part.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[N/A]

Right. You're. You're.

[Joanna Robinson]

Madam, don't come up with the Movies you directed don't actually get any titles for the film she's been in. But if you're going to share one thing, say, by the way, I told her that we're coming to their house because you're interested in basing the character off her. So if you're going to offer up anything, maybe don't say that she's a prostitute in the Game of Madness.

[Mallory Rubin]

And if you're Jim Hollinger and you're not, like, actively senile.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

Why are you going to a second location with this guy who's just been staring holes in you and is clearly there not to put your wife in a movie?

[Joanna Robinson]

Let's go to the den.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, let's go to my den alone.

[Joanna Robinson]

Without any of my security watching it.

[N/A]

I was interpreted as, we're gonna find out Rick's son.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[N/A]

And then they didn't do that at all. And it just seemed like.

[Joanna Robinson]

Do you guys think that's off the table for the finale? I think that could still happen.

[N/A]

One moment when he chugged the drink.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah. He's like, my kind of guy's.

[N/A]

Like, my kind of guy. Like, I'm almost my kind of drinker. Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

And I think they picked young photos of Scott Glenn that look like Walton.

[Mallory Rubin]

I don't think it's off the table, but I would be surprised if we got more of this in the finale. Then again, it's a 90 minute finale and Rick is presumably going back there.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

Well, their property.

[Joanna Robinson]

Okay, save it for predictions because.

[N/A]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

What the bodyguards have to pursue. But are they pursuing to kill you.

[N/A]

Or to say he saw one movie, you were royalty or something like a queen? She's like, yeah, that one somehow crushed it. Scott Glenn says, after we take it to the den, this is a great country. Not a lot of red tape. If you want to cut it, you have lots of options. Interesting.

[Joanna Robinson]

Did you guys think that Frank slash Steve was gonna maybe try to fuck Citela?

[Mallory Rubin]

He's like, give him three more whiskeys. And I'm sure he would anything.

[Joanna Robinson]

When the drinks are delivered and he's like, what's your name?

[Mallory Rubin]

You're lovely. Yeah, I on the prize, Frank, Steve, I on the prize.

[N/A]

I've always been partial to the actors who order a drink who are falling off the rag and calling the waitress or the bartender darlin. Oh, I'll take another one, darlin.

[Joanna Robinson]

Okay.

[N/A]

Yeah, I'm just not cool enough to ever do that. Darling's good.

[Mallory Rubin]

Darling. My favorite darling. When a. When a waitress calls you darlin. Oh, that's darling.

[N/A]

Either way is great.

[Mallory Rubin]

Darling.

[N/A]

I fantasized about this moment a thousand times. You ruined my fucking life. Can't do a quick exit. Some nitpicks on the quick exit. I think one bodyguard goes to the house and the other one is probably like, why are these fucking guys high throwing it out of here?

[Mallory Rubin]

I hope that Rick tells Mook that those bodyguards are absolutely inept. They're not any better than guy talk, Honestly, at their jobs, they're like the.

[N/A]

Austin Powers bodyguards, like, just falling into an oil VAT.

[Mallory Rubin]

1. One thing before we get to their not so hasty escape is when Scott Glenn's Jim Hollinger says, I'm more careful. I have more to lose. I was sort of hoping, though I don't feel like I really saw it. I was sort of hoping I would see Rick absorb that and think about Chelsea and say, I have something to lose in this moment. I can't just, like, shoot this guy or whatever, because it puts at risk a precious thing that I have, which is. Amylou Wood, our favorite.

[Joanna Robinson]

You know, I think, particularly in this season, where, for. Okay, for Jim Hollinger, this has been a source of clarity and perspective. But for someone like Tim Ratliff, that is like an anchor pulling him ever deeper into the abyss. Right. All of the things that he fears to lose. So, like, characters respond to that idea differently, which I think would have made it even more compelling to see Rick really, like, interrogate it.

[Mallory Rubin]

But also, what are we talking about when we talk about things to lose? Are we talking about material things and stature? Are we talking about family?

[Joanna Robinson]

Family respect. Yeah. For Tim, like, it's kind of everything right now. Right. Like the way that now he has Saxon on top of Vicki saying, like, I've got that. I basically. Are we nothing?

[N/A]

Are we sure Rick didn't come to the conclusion that maybe he doesn't need to be with Chelsea or shouldn't be?

[Mallory Rubin]

He could. I mean, so I. I'm just trying.

[N/A]

To hold on to the Saxon and Chelsea on the boat together.

[Mallory Rubin]

This is where we. This is where we divided and fight. This is our tension.

[N/A]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

I will be a Rick and Chelsea truther. And you can vote for Chelsea and Saxon.

[N/A]

They have a ying yang relationship.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah. She's hoping he's saying something's gonna win.

[N/A]

Quite. Quite a combo. Well, anyway, they somehow get away. All right. Move to the fancies.

[Joanna Robinson]

Okay.

[N/A]

How'd you feel about Fabian's performance?

[Joanna Robinson]

Astonishing stuff.

[N/A]

What singer is he channeling with some of those?

[Joanna Robinson]

Well, it was a soothing tune.

[Mallory Rubin]

He was In a show called Babylon Berlin where he sang a lot. And so I think I feel like my White was like sort of similar tapping into it. Sort of similar to Rick and Frank being like. And you get to sing. Would you like to be in White Lotus? You get to sing.

[N/A]

So we get some info when Carrie Coon officially just gets mad and what's Jackie's trying to be like can we just move on? And Carrie Coon won't let it go. And then she says to Kate, was it a big deal when she did the same thing with Dave?

[Joanna Robinson]

Uh huh.

[N/A]

So what do we think happened? So Kate. Because it was like 15 years ago, but it's longer than that because Kate's got kids or maybe it wasn't. So we're saying Kate got married 15 years ago is Lori's wedding. Lori got married 15 years ago and Kate was there with her husband and Jackie was hitting on the husband or.

[Mallory Rubin]

Or they were, they weren't married yet or whatever. But yeah, yeah. I believe the judge.

[Joanna Robinson]

This is again like I believe.

[N/A]

I don't know if that one's recoverable.

[Joanna Robinson]

Well Kate, I mean moved on. She said Wayne and then yeah. Kind of just like one more thing. But this is again like we talked about last week, that momentum that time at the wedding. He's a handsome guy. He's got that had him in the.

[N/A]

Corner talking Marvel and then he just all of a sudden you're like, what's going on with this?

[Joanna Robinson]

The thing is I know that's never happened simply because in the decade plus we've been together, he's never left our home.

[N/A]

I like when Adam takes strays.

[Mallory Rubin]

I don't.

[Joanna Robinson]

He's the master.

[N/A]

But you haven't left your home either. That's why he's with you.

[Joanna Robinson]

Exactly. Just to be with you too. This is that mimetic desire idea again. Like every, every season. Here it is. I'm, I'm, I'm interested in why Mike White is like so interested in this in groups. He.

[N/A]

I, I think Jacqueline is the biggest monster in the show.

[Mallory Rubin]

She once again Tim, for what Mike.

[N/A]

Wright's trying to do.

[Mallory Rubin]

Greg, Gary. Like I really do feel like they're but in terms of like emotional damage.

[N/A]

Greg, Gary, whatever. He killed one wife. Jacqueline is just a cereal. A cereal relationship abuser.

[Mallory Rubin]

I would just like to keep it all in perspective while also not defending Jacqueline in any way.

[N/A]

No. But it's clearly Mike White's working some stuff out. This Jacqueline character would be my take.

[Joanna Robinson]

I thought that Jack. This was like a fascinating fancy Cougs episode for so many reasons, but one of which is, and it's not the first time this season, but like, there's just no accountability or self awareness from any of them, honestly, including Lori, who we love. Like, that's. That's actually what's interesting about it, is that Jacqueline, I agree, is a bad friend and seemingly a monstrous person who will justify her own behavior.

[N/A]

Or she's a celebrity monster.

[Joanna Robinson]

But when she has, like the complete conviction to say to Laurie, like, like, you kind of just keep up your own life. There's a part of you when you're watching that that's like, oh, I wonder if she's on to something. And then we see Laurie in the situation at the end of the episode where she's like, I think that everything.

[Mallory Rubin]

Everyone at the table said was true.

[Joanna Robinson]

Exactly.

[N/A]

If you're not happy with your own life, change it.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah. So I think there's. There is balance then. Like, Jacqueline is terrible, but she's not wrong. And Laurie is someone we've rooted for, but she's behaving poorly.

[Mallory Rubin]

No, but that's been true all season as they gossip about each other. It's all shitty. And it's also all true.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah. And it's just like at a fever pitch in this scene.

[N/A]

Not a nice person.

[Mallory Rubin]

No.

[Joanna Robinson]

She's doing something here that I found very. I don't have a Jacqueline Lemon specifically in my life, but just I found this very recognizable. The person who is like 100, just basically believes their own hype and their own lies and their own.

[N/A]

You're looking to be my orbit. And I'm always right.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah. Like, she just genuinely has convinced herself that everything about the way that she has conducted herself is like completely.

[N/A]

And they're lucky to be in her.

[Joanna Robinson]

Orbit projection going around at that time.

[N/A]

My wife pointed this out during episode seven. They, and I think it's intentional, made Michelle Monahan not look as good in episode seven as she looked in previous episodes. But Carrie Coons character looked better.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[N/A]

And I feel like it's.

[Mallory Rubin]

Carrie Coon's hair was sleeker. The red dress looks.

[N/A]

Monaghan looks like a mess by the end of this episode.

[Mallory Rubin]

Well, she's still Monahan.

[N/A]

You know what I mean, though?

[Mallory Rubin]

But she's wearing, like boxers and a robe. You know, like, it's like she's messed up Lori outfit than she's been Lori.

[N/A]

Right. She looks more normal, but I thought. I thought that was notable.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, I agree.

[N/A]

Because Michelle Monahan was starting to get that Faye Dunaway, Mommy dearest. Kind of look to her by the end of this episode.

[Joanna Robinson]

Like, you know what else she did that I hate? Crazy face when people do is like, she started the ship and then she's acting like the calm one. She's doing the like.

[N/A]

Why?

[Joanna Robinson]

What are you getting so heated about, King Heat.

[Mallory Rubin]

When people like you did something shitty. And I'm the problem. I loved when.

[Joanna Robinson]

When Keith's like, you're not. You're not mad about Valentin and you.

[N/A]

Could have hooked up.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[N/A]

Could hooked up with Valentin, chose to marry Brian, chose to take that shitty job where she's not a partner.

[Joanna Robinson]

Tough one for Brian.

[N/A]

You always choose the short stick. Is that bad luck or are you life's victim? You're doing it to yourself.

[Joanna Robinson]

Incredibly up. Really, really in your life.

[N/A]

Really pointed.

[Joanna Robinson]

Jesus.

[Mallory Rubin]

Later, Kate saying, I feel bad, but I guess you don't. So.

[Joanna Robinson]

Great stuff, great stuff.

[N/A]

So then Lori's response is, you're always fake in front of him. That your life is perfect and you're vain and selfish.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yep.

[Mallory Rubin]

All true.

[N/A]

Yeah. And then she goes to the fight.

[Mallory Rubin]

I also loved her fight. Like, her fight look. The, like, stripy pants and the. And the T shirt.

[N/A]

Huge, huge winner. This episode looks great. Greg. Gary's party. Vicki comes in. It's a cult. Chelsea and Saxon. That's going to be you in 30 years.

[Mallory Rubin]

Not a nice.

[N/A]

Why are you so mean to me?

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[N/A]

Saxon showing a heart.

[Joanna Robinson]

Oh, yeah.

[N/A]

His baby's always feelings.

[Mallory Rubin]

It's growing.

[N/A]

Why are you being so mean to me right here? I'm a human being like you. I just got jerked off by my brother two days ago. I'm going through some stuff.

[Mallory Rubin]

Schwarzenegger gave a great interview on the official pod where he was talking about how, like, the logline for his character was southern finance bro who likes to flirt. And then Mike White's like, we need to really make sure that people don't hate this guy. Like, he needs to be, like, enjoyable to watch.

[Joanna Robinson]

Not a worry. Mike.

[N/A]

Mike. We were on board the whole time.

[Mallory Rubin]

But then also, like that because Saxon's on this arc of change, this growth arc inside of the season that he kept trying to, like, rush that. And Mike White's like, no, we've only been here a few days. Like, we want a realistic. This is just a few days of growth for Saxon. So we still have miles to go and piles of books to read.

[Joanna Robinson]

We've got some incest that we've got to sprinkle in.

[Mallory Rubin]

But like. But, like, we're on a very, like, slow growth journey. And yeah, putting him, making him vulnerable, making him all these other things has. Yes. Engaged my interest. Interest.

[Joanna Robinson]

What did you expect to hear that in that conversation? In that conversation. Because Saxon kind of volleys back, right? And he's like, like, well, you know, you're, you're dating this, this old bald dude, a bunch of money. How's that any different?

[N/A]

Another shot at Goggins. His hair. Goggins. This hair is a big loser this season.

[Joanna Robinson]

It's look, it looks great, but it has come up quite a bit. You're right. What, what did you think of Chelsea saying because she's like that, that's not the reason I'm with him. And Saxon asked what the appeal is and she says, the first day we met, he told me his whole life story and I just knew we were meant to be together. Now we know that that is.

[Mallory Rubin]

She left.

[Joanna Robinson]

Not true.

[Mallory Rubin]

Very key part, because in this season.

[Joanna Robinson]

Of television, which means mere days ago, in their three year relationship, he told her the most important thing about his life. So is this a lie she's telling herself that I know this person?

[N/A]

Yes.

[Joanna Robinson]

Or is it she sees the good.

[N/A]

In him for whatever reason. Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

But if she just wants to fix.

[N/A]

Him, it's a Ying yang battle.

[Joanna Robinson]

That person's right there and he's like, fix me.

[N/A]

Could be another yin yang battle for.

[Joanna Robinson]

Sorry, there's a limit.

[Mallory Rubin]

Ride or die, Rick and Chelsea. Ride or die. I hope Saxon goes home and finds his own Chelsea. I want that for him.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yes.

[Mallory Rubin]

But he can't take Rick's Chelsea. That's how I feel about that.

[N/A]

If she's home, Hope and Rick is pain and eventually one of them will win. I think we're going to find out the winner in episode eight. Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

It's got to be Hope.

[N/A]

Saxon talks to dad for an answer. Everything's fine.

[Joanna Robinson]

I found that scene completely heartbreaking as a sacrifice.

[N/A]

I don't have anything else but this.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[N/A]

I put my whole life in your basket.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah. If I'm not a success, then I'm nothing. Now, interestingly, we've heard the other character who we've heard say like, I'm nothing is Rick. But he was, he was kind of saying it. I think it was episode three to Amrita.

[Mallory Rubin]

Right.

[Joanna Robinson]

Like as, like a. Almost an embrace.

[Mallory Rubin]

We had a really interesting email from a listener who was talking about the way in which Westerners when they try to embrace Buddhism, that they're set the, the American specifically idea of like the individual and how important the individual is. And then as we, as we learned in last week's episode, we are but a mere drop of water in a large ocean, and we will return to that ocean. It's counter to that idea of individualism and how a lot of Westerners ingest that idea the wrong way and don't really take it to mean what it's supposed to mean. And so I think this ide that, like, Saxon is like, I'm nothing. I'm nothing. But that's actually, like, a step in the right direction. And when he says, I could be someone else if I wanted to, Chelsea, like, this is a step in the right direction.

[Joanna Robinson]

That was great.

[N/A]

And it's like no blender this episode.

[Joanna Robinson]

For him, though, I am more concerned than I've ever been about the poison fruit.

[Mallory Rubin]

Here's my treat to you. It's from our listener Ben. I'm calling this section, will it Blend? And he says, you can't blend the seed sauce. The fruit in question. Yeah, the Cerebral Mangus. It looks like a mango, but inside it is not fleshy like a mango. It's corky inside, like cork. It floats. It is indeed called the Suicide Tree all the way to the South Pacific. What is poisonous is the white latex, which comes out when you score. Slice the outer skin. There's certainly no way to blend the fruit.

[N/A]

Ah.

[Joanna Robinson]

Could you, like, grate it, Peel it? I feel like Tim Ratliff ended the episode looking for the gun and not finding it. And now he's gonna. Now it's find a way to make a poison smoothie.

[Mallory Rubin]

This is for the first time I'm out on the blender theory.

[Joanna Robinson]

Are you officially out on the monkeys as well?

[Mallory Rubin]

No, I'm always holding on hope for the monkeys.

[N/A]

Couldn't Mike White just pretend that the thing doesn't exist?

[Mallory Rubin]

He definitely could.

[N/A]

It's. How would we know? Unless it's like.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah, no question.

[N/A]

Crazy reader on chat. GPT.

[Mallory Rubin]

Can I do one more quick fact check? Only because I've gotten ceaseless emails about this Charlotte Bond. Charlotte Le Bon is not Simon Le Bon daughter.

[N/A]

Oh, so it was three people about that.

[Mallory Rubin]

Was it CR who lied to you? Who lied to you about that?

[N/A]

Yeah, that sounds like CR's work. Yeah, it was CR.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah, sounds like CR's work, but we don't know for sure.

[N/A]

So, disappointed.

[Joanna Robinson]

What did you like? What did you think about the. The meta? You know, I'll always be seen by everyone else as. As Timothy Ratliff's son, and I'm okay with that. Right, Very like meta Nepo baby. I like that. I thought that was great. And he had a lot of emotional heft behind delivering that line. But then, of course, how can we not think back to in the. The phone securing manipulation scene in episode three, when Tim was saying. And again, he was doing this deliberately to get the phones. But, like, we both know how gratifying work is, right? That scene. And he was like, we gotta have something else to offer. And even though it was a game, watching Saxon move to the point of actually confronting the fact that he doesn't feel like he has anything else to offer has been, I think, quite compelling. And then to see the way Tim has now when he is engaging in his latest. What's the term for the. The person who kills their entire family?

[Mallory Rubin]

Oh, and Family annihilator.

[Joanna Robinson]

Family annihilator. Daydream. Disturbing term. Disturbing term. He's now added Saxon into that. Right. He sees himself shooting Vicki, and then Saxon comes in and shooting him because he's now carrying this exchange with Saxon. He had the prior line from Vicki about how she wouldn't want to go on living. And now he has Saxon saying, like, without. Without our professional success, like, what do I have? And so he feels like he has not only destroyed his own life and legacy, but that he has left his family, like, unequipped to find any purpose or meaning in their lives. And so for Saxon, through Chelsea or whatever, to, like, work toward a different state of being, I think is. Is really interesting and cool. He's sitting with his feelings. He didn't hear. He didn't hear. He wasn't at the monastery. He didn't hear that line about sitting with his feelings. But he's actually doing it. Good for him.

[N/A]

I liked your meta Arnold Schwarzenegger thing.

[Mallory Rubin]

I agree.

[N/A]

One other thing. At the party, Vicky.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yes.

[N/A]

Tries to get one of the young pretties out of the relationship with the old guy.

[Joanna Robinson]

Just come to North Carolina.

[N/A]

I just think they're putting in scenes just so Parker Posy can cook for, like, 90 seconds.

[Joanna Robinson]

This was really funny.

[N/A]

I support it.

[Joanna Robinson]

You have a lot of money. You can't ask that.

[N/A]

Also at the party, Greg gary offers Belinda 100k. Tanya always talked about you a lot.

[Mallory Rubin]

I mean, that's interesting because it must be true for him to, like, know this whole story. That's interesting to know about Tanya, because I kind of was expecting.

[N/A]

She's really excited to help you. Was she?

[Mallory Rubin]

I kind of expected that. When Tanya left the White Lotus, she never talked about Belinda again. But it seems like it. She has to have talked about her some for Greg Gary to know this story.

[N/A]

You know, I doubt that Belinda ever told Greg Gary really any of the story for more than like 10 seconds.

[Joanna Robinson]

To me, that's like more deplorable.

[N/A]

She was such a narcissist. I can't imagine her being.

[Joanna Robinson]

That's why I think she did it, because she would spend all her time saying, I made this connection with this person. She gave me this wonderful head massage. It was really transformative. I should have done it. I should have given her the money. I should have invested. I. I feel bad. I wish I'd done it. And what was stopping her? Absolutely nothing.

[N/A]

Rick and. And Greg Gary's like, someday I'm going to murder you and then stay at another hotel chain as I hide away. That's related to the same hotel where I burger.

[Mallory Rubin]

Definitely not Simon Le Bons.

[N/A]

Definitely. I knew she'd want me to spend the rest of my years in peace. He's just full of Benda gets out of there. I wasn't that interested. Chloe wants Saxon to stay for Gary. Three of you have my interest back.

[Joanna Robinson]

Astonishing scene. Astonishing scene.

[N/A]

I'm not sure what porn search this is, but it's definitely sounds like it's a porn search. No, it's. It's. Can we pretend to be me as a little kid watching my parents have sex? I'll be the grown up little kid and you'll pretend to be the parents.

[Mallory Rubin]

At a Pole Electra complex.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

In the blender together.

[N/A]

Mike White. It's like, is this, like, this is maybe why he doesn't need a writer's room because he can just come up.

[Joanna Robinson]

With shit like this.

[N/A]

Can you come up with this? Maybe you don't need help.

[Joanna Robinson]

Okay, well, let me ask you guys. I think so. This seems true, or at least partially.

[N/A]

True, but I don't understand it at all.

[Joanna Robinson]

Well, okay, are we sure that this is true and not still just a ploy to lure Saxon into a vulnerable, vulnerable position so that he could get his vengeance? Because there is yet again another lie that we know is a lie. Like he. Greg Gary.

[N/A]

This whole thing's a lie.

[Joanna Robinson]

Greg Gary. Right. Greg Gary tells Chloe, Tanya and I never had sex. But that is again, not true. And we know it's not true because we see them have sex many times, including the possibly still this day, best moment in the history of the show where they're having sex in season two. And then Tanya has her, like, as she says, I disassociated. She starts to see his eyes and he looks like a shark. And then she Pushes him off. I mean, what's true is that.

[Mallory Rubin]

What's true is that he did not want to have sex.

[Joanna Robinson]

Have sex with her, certainly.

[Mallory Rubin]

And I. But the way that.

[Joanna Robinson]

Wait. Is a lie.

[Mallory Rubin]

But I like the idea that the reason that he didn't want to have sex with her is that he was unable to talk about what he needed from a sexual situation because it is this up, you know? So I feel like Tanya would have.

[Joanna Robinson]

Been like, whatever you want, my guy.

[N/A]

I think Tanya would have been good with it. Should have been good about things. Well, Gary needs Saxon to fuck Chloe while he watches.

[Mallory Rubin]

I believe this.

[N/A]

What's sad is I immediately thought of what Mallory's reaction was watching this and how we. She couldn't be more excited to talk about this on the pod. So what do you think? Helping Gary.

[Joanna Robinson]

Helping Gary. Helping Gary. Saxon, he's like, I. You know, it's literally just been a day since my brother jerked me off. I'm gonna pass.

[N/A]

I'm still kicking a boner anymore. I can't do it.

[Mallory Rubin]

I really love that Chelsea's like, sorry.

[N/A]

Oh, I thought Chelsea's faces were great. Like, she seemed hopeful.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah. But she's like, this would be really.

[N/A]

Cool if you did, Gary. She's, like, looking back and forth.

[Mallory Rubin]

Sorry that didn't work out. Sorry.

[N/A]

Yeah, I'm gonna unveil my Patrick Schwarzenegger impersonation.

[Mallory Rubin]

Okay. Ready?

[N/A]

Have to have good posture.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[N/A]

What?

[Mallory Rubin]

No.

[N/A]

No.

[Mallory Rubin]

What?

[N/A]

No.

[Joanna Robinson]

The what? No. Recurring what? No is my what?

[N/A]

No. He does a what? No.

[Mallory Rubin]

He does.

[N/A]

That's one of his moves. Yeah, but we cut back. Don't sleep on this part, Gary. Just kind of watching. Super creepy. Well, kind of like, hey, guys.

[Joanna Robinson]

Either plotting murder or really, genuinely into it.

[N/A]

This is. This is the sitting position I'll be in as I watch the two you have sex before eventually pretending I'm upset about it.

[Joanna Robinson]

I think he has to be leaning against. I think he has to be leaning against the door frame. Yeah, I think that's clear. He can't be sitting comfortably. He needs to be leaning against the doorframe watching dad go to town on Mom.

[N/A]

Saxon wouldn't even consider it.

[Joanna Robinson]

Nope, he left.

[N/A]

He what? No, note it.

[Mallory Rubin]

He's like, oh, I found my limit. Here it is.

[N/A]

Meanwhile, the Buddhist complex wasn't that exciting.

[Mallory Rubin]

Well, what. What is going on here? Okay, so first of all. Okay, so what's clear is this. Piper goes. The food sucks. The bed's uncomfortable. She can hear the dripping water.

[N/A]

We're done by the. She's Done by the end of.

[Mallory Rubin]

This is everything that Victoria wanted.

[N/A]

Like, Vicky's praying against it.

[Joanna Robinson]

He didn't even have to pray.

[Mallory Rubin]

This is everything Victor. Victoria wanted. Piper's done. I don't know that I have a full read on her weird reaction to Lachlan. I understand why Lachlan wants to stay. Lachlan's like, I never want to go home because guess what? I jerked off my brother, and that's disturbing. So I'm gonna live here forever.

[N/A]

Did you catch a whiff of sexual attention, or was I so scarred by the incident?

[Mallory Rubin]

Rob was worried that they were gonna.

[N/A]

Like, go there because he's shirtless and he's like, I want to stay with you. And I. For a split second, I was like, no, no, please don't move.

[Mallory Rubin]

Is that what you think? Like. Cause Piper's not.

[N/A]

It faded away.

[Joanna Robinson]

She was grossed out.

[Mallory Rubin]

Is Piper's, like, reaction. What is that?

[Joanna Robinson]

I. I. What I read in that was like, first of all, we've gone from the two from. From the tug of the Lockhee tug of war. Right? Saxon and Piper waring for his loyalty, his presence, his soul to now. Everyone's like, what?

[Mallory Rubin]

Get.

[Joanna Robinson]

No, I don't want to share this much with you, whether it's life at the monastery or a hand job during sex with Chloe, whatever the case may be. What I. What I read in that in Piper's response to Lachi was like, okay. And this is. This is obviously in the same mix as, like, the dripping water pipe and the food and all the other stuff. No conversation with the people around her. Yeah. How much of this is genuine commitment, belief, interest, and how much of it has always just been, I will be the rebel, I will be the zagger. Yeah. In my family, who does so many different things.

[Mallory Rubin]

And you do it, too. That I'm not exactly.

[Joanna Robinson]

As soon as Zaki does it, it's, like, not bold of her to do that. To stake her claim to be fans is next.

[N/A]

That's the. That's the one way to zag on everybody.

[Joanna Robinson]

I mean, it's. By Gary. I think that's like, what's Gary's only fans?

[N/A]

I mean, my God, Gary has the worst only fans. He has no subscribers.

[Mallory Rubin]

I love this idea of, like, then again, thinking about the boat home.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

Thinking about Saxon as, like, we start. We go there to the island, and Piper's got her nose in a book, and what if we go home and Saxon's reading a book and Piper's far. As far away from life as a monastery as she's ever been, you know what I mean? Where she's like, the food sucks.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yep.

[Mallory Rubin]

Bed's uncomfortable. Cause all this dripping, I don't like it.

[N/A]

Not a lot of evidence that Piper's a good hang. I just want to point that out too.

[Mallory Rubin]

I can't disagree.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah. No, not. Yeah.

[N/A]

Not really sure what she cares about other than trying to zag against her family, but being committed to it for about 18 hours.

[Joanna Robinson]

I mean, this is a huge, huge win for Vicky.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah. Big L for Piper.

[Joanna Robinson]

Huge L for Piper. Huge win for Vicki. Remember when Lachlan said to Saxon in episode five, but what if this life is just a test to see if we can become better people? And Saxon said, no. What?

[N/A]

What? No.

[Mallory Rubin]

But yeah, mild times.

[N/A]

Mook and God talk. We covered the fight, the Russian show up, which was. I guess we should have mentioned this sooner. This is the other big thing we learned this episode. We were guessing this for five episodes.

[Joanna Robinson]

Statistically, I did not like this either. Like flashbacks, flashback. Mine. I hate that.

[Mallory Rubin]

Hate an in episode flashback.

[Joanna Robinson]

I remember it's like this was.

[N/A]

That's true. If it's 22 episodes, I could see it. But I mean, it was.

[Joanna Robinson]

They did enough to. It's clearly guy talk. Remembering and piecing together the, you know, the dots. So, like, that's fine, but kind of like, I don't know. We remember. We know. We don't need you to forget the.

[N/A]

I forgot the Valentine on the motorcycle.

[Joanna Robinson]

As like, inside man.

[N/A]

I forgot that part. So I did need the flashback for that.

[Joanna Robinson]

So Laurie also saw the loot, right? She saw the stash during her bare ass escape.

[N/A]

I had an issue. That was another small nitpick. I think the loot's in a bag or something. You're just gonna leave it out on a table?

[Joanna Robinson]

Sold already, right? Pawned off for coin.

[N/A]

Well, so guy talk realizes it's them.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yes.

[N/A]

So now he's in the shooting zone. Greg, Gary might be shooting somebody Rick's looking for, or Tim's looking for a gun from anybody. Sita Law and Scott Glenn and the bodyguards might be coming back because they know. Well, Rick is still staying there.

[Joanna Robinson]

He's on the fucking clock to get back to the White Lotus if he's going to play a role in the shootout. Yeah, as are the bodyguards. And he threw out his gun. He threw out his gun.

[Mallory Rubin]

Here's my question. He did this?

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

He knocked. Okay, maybe. No, I'm still a Rick and Chelsea believer, but if I'm Rick, I'm hightailing it back to the White Lotus immediately. And I'm like, pack your bags. We got to go. So I knocked an old man over in his chair.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yes.

[Mallory Rubin]

You know what I mean? And we're staying at his hotel.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yes. Yes. You can't stay in the city where you just did this thing. And you definitely cannot stay at the hotel where C. T L goes.

[Mallory Rubin]

And you can't even, like, give Chelsea a call.

[N/A]

She's doing the Packer stuff.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

Meet me at the airport.

[N/A]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

Again, he's terrible at this.

[N/A]

Rick and Gary Bangkok. I wish you'd been the whole episode. You're sober, right? Sober, yeah. That ship sailed.

[Joanna Robinson]

So.

[N/A]

I love Rockwell.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

Rockwell's incredible. Rick is like. This is part of why I just want. I'm all. I actually am. Also, genuinely. All jokes aside, I am still rooting for Rick and Chelsea, and I want Hope to win in the hope of paying Yin Yang. But Rick is a bad friend to Frank here. Dragging your friend out of sobriety and celibacy for your own gain and feeling zero remorse about it is shitty. And he's a terrible boyfriend.

[N/A]

Counter. Here are my notes. Sam Rockwell, mvp. Let's fucking party. Strip truck, cocaine, crack, four naked ladies. Rick sits there peaceful.

[Joanna Robinson]

That's. Is your font always that big?

[N/A]

No, I. I made it. I made it bigger.

[Joanna Robinson]

CRS for the camera. Incredibly compelling television.

[Mallory Rubin]

But he's a.

[Joanna Robinson]

He's not a kind and generous person. So if he. If that's his arc. And he learns to be more giving to other people now that he has some peace with. Great.

[N/A]

The only person who thinks Rick's a good guy is that one lady who did the spiritual massage with her. Yeah. Yeah, that's it. She's the only one who believes in.

[Mallory Rubin]

Rick at this point, by the way.

[N/A]

Maybe Rick should stay there and live with her. And then Chelsea can be with saxophone. They can blend some drinks.

[Mallory Rubin]

Saxon has a lot of growing to do. He does.

[Joanna Robinson]

He's just starting.

[N/A]

Belinda and Zion. We don't know how that's going to turn out.

[Joanna Robinson]

Do you agree? Do you think that she's going to take the money or. You want to save that for predictions?

[N/A]

Let's save for predictions. We. So we see them arguing. We see Jackie and Kate. That's mine. I'll be the bad guy. I'm used to it. We see Saxon and Chelsea meditating. Trying to teach me your ways. Hand on the hand. And Chelsea starts feeling little tinglies.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yep.

[Joanna Robinson]

Oh, yeah.

[N/A]

Oh, we gotta end this now. I gotta call Rick. Eighth time she said that.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

Throws the books at him.

[N/A]

We See Vicky genuinely hilarious.

[Mallory Rubin]

But he takes them.

[Joanna Robinson]

He does.

[N/A]

Vicky praying for Piper, Piper waking up. And then Carrie Coon. We finally got the really, really out there Carrie Coon sex scene. Knew that was coming in one of these episodes.

[Joanna Robinson]

Incredible.

[N/A]

Asks her for money. 10k maybe. Pet sees the thing, runs out, dick slap. And then Tim Ratliff goes to grab the gun and he's gone. And that's our episode. So we can get to predictions. What do you got?

[Mallory Rubin]

Unlike Guy Talk, Tim acknowledges the possibility that the gun could have been in one of several drawers inside of that. Inside of that thing.

[N/A]

So things to be interested in going forward. A. When does Guy Talk Cash in the Russians. I know who did the robbery. So we got that. Yeah. Two, how does Rick get back? How does he get his stuff? And how does he get the fuck out of The White Lotus? 3. Belinda and Greg. Gary.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[N/A]

4. Are the fancies even going to make it one more day all together?

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

And then booked an earlier flight back to Austin.

[N/A]

Piper and leaving the. Leaving the Buddhist place. Does Locky stay? What's going to happen with that? What else? What else are we interested in heading into this last episode? Episode.

[Mallory Rubin]

Will Victoria ever show signs of Loraz of him withdrawal?

[N/A]

Never.

[Joanna Robinson]

What's on Tim's phone when he gets it back? Or does he get it back?

[Mallory Rubin]

Is Tim off the hook?

[Joanna Robinson]

Tim off the hook? Yeah.

[N/A]

Do we think this is the last day away, Lotus, or is it the last day just because we're gonna have a shootout?

[Joanna Robinson]

Well, this is Friday night. Right. Because again, the last four episodes have just been two days, so. Yeah, I guess the.

[Mallory Rubin]

If it were me. I'll just say if it were me. And there's a shootout at the resort. That's the last day for me.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[N/A]

Check it out.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah. You're leaving after that? I'd say so.

[N/A]

With all the gunshots, it makes me wonder.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[N/A]

Again, not only have we not seen the episode, I haven't heard anything. You have the two bodyguards coming back to find Rick.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yes.

[N/A]

You have the Russians who robbed the place. So you have two sides that we know are gonna have guns.

[Joanna Robinson]

Rick does not have his gun. He put it in a.

[Mallory Rubin]

Maybe that's the shootout out the Russians versus the staff.

[Joanna Robinson]

I would be shocked if guy. If G is not involved.

[N/A]

Guy talk shooting at the Russians unless he holds true. Bodyguards come, they get into it. And now it's like a. Almost like a Tarantino thing.

[Joanna Robinson]

Right? He hates them and has from the beginning.

[Mallory Rubin]

So like what if he knows the Russians?

[Joanna Robinson]

Yes.

[Mallory Rubin]

Are the villains.

[Joanna Robinson]

He does Right. In the tradition of like. Like, Right. So that. That's. Yes. So, like, in the tradition of characters making a mistake, it would be interesting if the Hollinger bodyguards came to find Rick. Not to kill him or hurt him, but to be like, can you come back so that you guys can finish that conversation? He's your dad. But Gu sees them pursuing a guest. Hears Fabian in his head being like, your job is to protect the hotel. Hears Mook in his head saying, I thought you were more ambitious, and, like, tries to protect a guest at the hotel and pulls out his gun. But the.

[N/A]

Where do the guy talk to? I'm gonna show you how. That I can be violent.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[N/A]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

But the guys chasing down Rick, being like, he's your dad.

[Joanna Robinson]

Not revealing that, but be like that they're actually there. Not actually saying that, but that they're no bad ideas. In a brainstorm, as Dave would say, they're there to, like, basically, not for a violent reason, but just the fact that they're there is mistaken by all parties as violent intent.

[Mallory Rubin]

Counter.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

The security guards are there. Guy Talk tries to confront Valentin.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah. And they kill him.

[Mallory Rubin]

The Russians. And he has to decide whether he's going to draw or not.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yes. You think? Doesn't. Because he believes he stands by his.

[Mallory Rubin]

I'm like, fuck, Mook. You know what I mean?

[N/A]

Go back to episode one, though. This our guy, Zion getting him, Whatever he was going on.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[N/A]

Gunshot. No noise for, like, 10 seconds. Another gunshot.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[N/A]

And then gunshots.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yes.

[N/A]

So the first shot could be Guy Talk getting shot.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[N/A]

Yeah. Oh, Joanna just got bummed out. And then the security guard shooting at the Russian back. And then we get a shootout, and then Rick's just diving in front of the bullets, hoping to get hit by one. Not Rick. Tim's just dying.

[Mallory Rubin]

Or he takes a bullet for Chelsea.

[Joanna Robinson]

That would be great.

[N/A]

Rick takes a bullet for Chelsea, and.

[Joanna Robinson]

That way we get to celebrate both his commitment to her and her new budding relationship with Saxon. That would be ideal.

[Mallory Rubin]

Her impending nuptials with.

[Joanna Robinson]

That would be ideal.

[Mallory Rubin]

Can I tell you something I'm concerned by?

[N/A]

Yes.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

In an interview.

[N/A]

Oh, no.

[Mallory Rubin]

Interview Corner Lisa, who plays Mook, they were talking about how sometimes you have to fight for your love. And I didn't know what that meant. That was, like, several episodes ago. I don't know what that means. And I don't know if, like, in their view or in someone's view, it is good for Guy Talk to show some macho masculinity.

[Joanna Robinson]

Right.

[Mallory Rubin]

I think us Watching at home are like, don't do it. Don't do it.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah, don't do it.

[Mallory Rubin]

Don't do it.

[Joanna Robinson]

And especially because that would be contrast to what many of the characters do. Especially if Piper. If Vicky's right, and Piper leaves the monastery and is like, actually, I am going back home to just live my life. Whatever happens with Tim aside, that's her decision. Absent that moment.

[Mallory Rubin]

Mom, can I have one of your Laraza pants?

[Joanna Robinson]

She's the Rachel character from season one, then, right? She spends the whole season talking about the thing she wants, the thing that's different. Why can't the people around me understand. Yeah, like, why I have some sort of, like, moral integrity and fiber that is, like, separate from the trappings of money and status in class? And then just like, actually, I do want to hold on to that and Guy talk saying, no, like, this is a thing I believe. I'm not gonna compromise. The actual, like, truth of my life would be very important and satisfying to see. But then if he died, like, or got shot, what would the message of that be? Very sad. That would be deeply, deeply tragic.

[N/A]

What if they kill guy talk off because he's the most boring character in the show? Just take him out. Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

Belinda part. A part of this too, right?

[Mallory Rubin]

Walks off with the money.

[Joanna Robinson]

If she walks off with the money. Yeah, but, like, then there's. Honestly. Okay, I want to be clear, you know, Gary killed Tanya. It would not be the right thing to take the money and, like, let him live the rest of his life. To be clear, however, why should Belinda be the one person, like, she says, like, can I get, like, one break in my entire life? Like, why? Yeah, why shouldn't Belinda benefit from this show around her all take the money.

[Mallory Rubin]

She was due from Tanya in the first place.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah. Like, when. When Rachel was in the spa at the end of season one and was like, oh, can I just sit here and cry to you about how sad my life is? And Belinda walked out and was like, you want my, like, time. My advice? Like, I'm fresh out. It's maybe time for her to be the one who does that. That would be interesting. But also. But what I like, expense of some moral integrity.

[Mallory Rubin]

What I like about that is that Mike White has said that, like, her character is supposed to be the moral compass of the show.

[Joanna Robinson]

But what if she's like, is there a moral compass?

[Mallory Rubin]

Is there even a moral compass? And maybe is it. Gaitaku's not shooting. I'm just rooting for him. And I don't think he should be with Mook because Mook wants some. Doesn't want it.

[Joanna Robinson]

Mook doesn't like him for who he is.

[N/A]

Mook might date Saxon. Let's just set Saxon up. Maybe dating different people.

[Mallory Rubin]

Maybe Saxon needs to spend some time with Saxon.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

Do you know what I mean?

[Joanna Robinson]

He needs to sit with his feelings. Exactly.

[N/A]

One word. It's not totally a prediction, but I'm throwing it out there. Are we sure the three fancies are. Are all making it to the end of this episode? That not one of them's gonna leave early? Could we get a leave early?

[Mallory Rubin]

Oh, I like.

[N/A]

They wake up and Jacqueline's just gone with some fake excuse. Yeah, I had to go back. They need me on set and it's just Kate and enjoy your flights.

[Mallory Rubin]

You're a coach this time.

[N/A]

Yeah. No, seriously.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

You have three connections.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, yeah.

[N/A]

I got out a day early. Well, to leave a day early and I've already left. Yeah, you guys can get back yourself.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, I could.

[Joanna Robinson]

I don't think she's wants them to see her sweat. To see that she was flustered by the encounter at all. Like, she's not cutting her vacation a day short for them.

[Mallory Rubin]

I don't know. I kind of like the idea where she's just like, oh, Harrison needed me. I had to go.

[Joanna Robinson]

Sweet Harrison. They're addicted to each other.

[N/A]

Seems like a short note. Talk to you soon.

[Mallory Rubin]

Ttyo.

[N/A]

Love, Jackie. All right, so things I want in this episode other than somebody watching her show on their hotel room TV where it's like csi.

[Joanna Robinson]

You'll have to wait for a bonus episode between seasons.

[N/A]

I think CSI Seattle.

[Mallory Rubin]

What is it? What is the yellow jacket show? Repo Divorce is great.

[N/A]

That sounds great. Any last predictions before we go?

[Mallory Rubin]

I don't know. 90 minute episode is kind of exciting. I'm just. I'm just really invested in Saxon and I never saw that coming. Guys, guys.

[Joanna Robinson]

What a win.

[Mallory Rubin]

I hope you feel great about yourself.

[Joanna Robinson]

I feel like the season was a successive.

[N/A]

Has grown.

[Joanna Robinson]

I mean, Schwarzenegger, proud to be a founding member.

[N/A]

Nepo baby is totally vindicated. This is great. Any last predictions, Bell?

[Joanna Robinson]

I think we covered.

[N/A]

Okay.

[Joanna Robinson]

A lot of them. I, I, you know, I'm.

[Mallory Rubin]

I'm. He's your dad.

[Joanna Robinson]

I am. I don't think they will shout the security guards.

[N/A]

I am.

[Joanna Robinson]

I'm really.

[N/A]

You're dead.

[Joanna Robinson]

I'm processing the. You can't blend the. The seed, the poison seed pods into a smoothie. That's a hit for Theory Corner. Definitely.

[Mallory Rubin]

I would love for Tim to try the physical comedy of Laraza. Pam, Tim rattling. Tim trying to shove some quirky fruit into the blender, breaking it and being like, pam, Blender's broken Pam.

[Joanna Robinson]

And then she comes to fix the blender and gives him his phone, and he sees that he's off the hook.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[N/A]

Well, if it's hard to blend, maybe. Maybe he starts blending it, and the blender, like, does a spasm and knocks.

[Mallory Rubin]

Him out with the Death by blender. Physical blender.

[N/A]

Death by blender.

[Joanna Robinson]

Oh, death by blender.

[N/A]

Death by blender. Is any. Are any of these people gonna leave episode eight in any kind of a happy place?

[Mallory Rubin]

Saxon.

[N/A]

Saxon.

[Joanna Robinson]

I think he's Chelsea.

[N/A]

Maybe Chelsea.

[Mallory Rubin]

Maybe happy Chelsea. And Rick, I believe.

[N/A]

I think Rick's dead at the end of this next episode.

[Joanna Robinson]

You think Rick is dead?

[N/A]

I think he is dead.

[Joanna Robinson]

Do you think he's the body floating towards Zion that we saw at the beginning?

[N/A]

I think. I don't know. Zion wouldn't know who he is, though. I think it would have to be somebody Zion knew or at least I.

[Mallory Rubin]

Think it's horrific enough to, like, find a dead body.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah. I mean, and also, he was.

[N/A]

The way he looked at it, I thought he knew who it was.

[Joanna Robinson]

No, No. I thought the opposite. I thought he was like. Because otherwise he would have been like, mom. Oh, no. But who knows? I guess I would run from a body pretty quick.

[N/A]

Most disappointing death would be Frank.

[Mallory Rubin]

Frank's not coming back in the Lotus. Frank's not coming back to the Lotus.

[Joanna Robinson]

He's gonna live forever. He's fine. Maybe he'll be the new current character.

[Mallory Rubin]

Have you heard the rumor that Rockwell's gonna go for supporting rather than guest, which would be a mistake, I think.

[Joanna Robinson]

Oh, interesting. Interesting.

[N/A]

What's. How's that a rumor? Where'd you read that?

[Mallory Rubin]

That? I heard it on the streets.

[N/A]

You heard it on the streets?

[Mallory Rubin]

I did.

[Joanna Robinson]

So he's been in three episodes.

[N/A]

Supporting's a little sexier, right?

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah. Support. If he has a supporting actor Emmy, that's sexier than guest actor Emmy. But he's got guest actor in the bag.

[Joanna Robinson]

Question.

[N/A]

You know, it's a tough one. He's. He's my favorite person on the show.

[Joanna Robinson]

If you.

[Mallory Rubin]

If you were to win leaving S side, if you were to award one other Emmy for this season, who are you giving it to?

[N/A]

Good question.

[Joanna Robinson]

I'm changing my. My answer to this question. Most season was either Jason Isaacs or Walton Goggins. I think they've obviously both been wonderful, but the last couple episodes I haven't gotten quite as much.

[N/A]

I would. I would go either Goggins.

[Joanna Robinson]

Patrick.

[N/A]

He's really good. I'd either go Goggins or.

[Joanna Robinson]

What about Amy Lou? Just dying of it.

[Mallory Rubin]

And. And I would not be surprised if Parker Posey got off. Got it off of memes alone, honestly.

[Joanna Robinson]

And she. Wonderful. She would deserve it because these memes are going to be as. As we've been talking about.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

These memes are going to be a part of our lives.

[Mallory Rubin]

So Parker.

[Joanna Robinson]

Decades to come.

[Mallory Rubin]

Parker Posey. Parker Posey and Lee. It's all arbitrary. And White Lotus, they're all. It's an ensemble. Park Posey for lead.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

Amy Lou for supporting. Even though I think technically screen time.

[N/A]

That would be a good Emmys category. Meme of the year. And the nominees are.

[Joanna Robinson]

They'd all be from White Lotus.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[N/A]

The nominees are Rick Being Unable to believe.

[Mallory Rubin]

Whatever.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah, of course. Yeah. Milchick Meme Lord Milchick. Have you seen any Milchick memes, though? You must have.

[N/A]

I've seen the memes, but I don't know what they mean.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah. Well, sad.

[Mallory Rubin]

Well, I have many hours of podcasts you can listen to.

[N/A]

I know, I know. Well, I'm sad. This is the last time we actually.

[Joanna Robinson]

Had to prepare for a podcast.

[N/A]

I'm gonna miss it. But next week we'll go live if we have to.

[Mallory Rubin]

Where's that?

[N/A]

Ready to go. So we'll be right after that show. Somehow we don't know how. If we can get screeners, even better. But I will see you next week. Thanks to the crew, as always. Don't forget Ringer Dash tv. And then Joe's got the deep dive with Rob. Can't wait for that one. As always. And I'll see you next.