This episode leans into symbolism, particularly through the lens of dreams and serpents. It kicks off with Victoria recalling a nightmare about a tsunami, prompting her daughter, Piper, to dive into spiritual analysis while her brother Saxon dismisses it as a common fear. Their exchange subtly sets the stage for what unfolds.
Rick and Chelsea find themselves at a grimy snake show while under the influence of possibly laced weed. Rick, in a drugged-out moral crisis, decides to free the snakes from their cramped tanks, ignoring Chelsea’s warnings. Predictably, chaos ensues, one of the snakes bites Chelsea, forcing a rushed hospital visit. While she recovers physically, their relationship takes a hit as she confronts Rick about his reckless actions. His response? “Even evil things shouldn’t get treated like sh*t.”
Elsewhere, the episode explores contrasting views on morality and spirituality. Jaclyn critiques Western religious binaries at dinner, subtly reinforcing The White Lotus’s exploration of cultural perspectives. Meanwhile, Belinda comes face-to-face with Greg, the man responsible for Tanya’s demise in Season 2. His cold, dismissive response hints that their tension is far from over.
This episode expertly tightens its grip on The White Lotus’s ongoing themes of existential dread and moral ambiguity. The snake sequence, while not as outright violent as the season’s earlier armed robbery, is disturbingly effective. Rick’s misguided act of “liberation” blurs the line between heroism and foolishness, mirroring deeper debates about personal freedom versus collective safety.
The show’s engagement with Eastern spirituality, especially the Naga myth, adds layers to the snake symbolism. Unlike Western ideas of good versus evil, Thai mythology portrays nagas as complex beings, neither wholly good nor bad. Rick, in his way, embodies this duality, making him one of the season’s most intriguing characters.
Meanwhile, the Greg-Belinda confrontation subtly lays the groundwork for what could become the show’s biggest reckoning. Will The White Lotus finally deliver justice? Or will it, like the snakes, slither into moral ambiguity? Either way, this season is proving to be its most thematically rich yet.
