The White Lotus's most controversial storyline is actually the best thing about season 3

After a lot of hinting and teasing, the weird sexual tension between them was made explicit this week, with the shocking reveal that Lochlan had 'given a hand' to his brother during a threesome involving the Ratliffs and 365 party girl Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon).

Of course, it's important to acknowledge that there can and should be no trivialising of real-life instances of incest, which is a disturbing and often abusive act, criminalised in many countries including England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

This particular storyline, however, is both fictional and farcical, with the latest episode drawing out the reveal in a cheeky, scandalous and rather light-hearted manner, akin to season 2's similarly subversive shocker.

I'm sure all fans remember Tanya McQuoid hazily walking in on Jack (Leo Woodall) and Quentin (Tom Hollander) in a private moment, which she later hilariously described to her assistant: "He was kinda f*****g his uncle".

Granted, it's not totally clear if those two characters actually were related or if they were merely associates in a criminal scheme, but regardless, it was a provocative moment that epitomises The White Lotus's outrageous and unpredictable vibe.

It's an ethos that has been sorely lacking from the show's third season, which is most notable for how truly uneventful it has been, with some viewers dismissing it as outright boring on social media.

It's for this reason that, truthfully, I am grateful for the inclusion of this strange and challenging storyline, which has given us something to talk and speculate about week-in, week-out. At this rate, it might well prove to be the season's saving grace.

Patrick Schwarzenegger and Sam Nivola are deserving of praise for elevating this material to its highest possible calibre.

Hyper-masculine misogynist Saxon is a familiar product of the so-called 'manosphere' – comprised of frequently toxic online influencers – which is only growing more powerful the longer that it's underestimated by the mainstream media.

Meanwhile, unassuming Lochlan is a perfect illustration of how teenagers and young men can be dangerously suggestible to what's paraded in front of them, as Saxon and his sister, Piper, both fight for a chance to mould him into their ideal person.

Indeed, The White Lotus producer David Bernad has assured viewers that Saxon and Lochlan's dynamic carries an important purpose beyond mere shock value – and looking at the above components, I'm inclined to believe him.

In our post-Adolescence moment, there's a huge appetite to examine the forces that are funnelling today's young men into harmful directions, with The White Lotus season 3 presenting a very different approach to doing just that.

I certainly don't see any reason to outright dismiss or complain about the storyline at this stage, before we've given esteemed screenwriter Mike White a chance to present his closing argument.

It's also worth remembering that Game of Thrones and its prequel series House of the Dragon have had incest storylines of their own, which have been taken to much darker and more extreme places, yet seemingly avoided major repercussions.

At least, in the case of Saxon and Lochlan, there is already a sense that their intimacy was a shameful and disturbing mistake that occurred under the influence of drugs and alcohol – as opposed to the conscious choice of a fictional regent/pop culture icon.

The discomfort that the brothers both feel about that fateful evening is clear from their individual moments of recollection in episode 6, setting up what is indisputably the most interesting plot thread going into the final two chapters.

Hopefully, Schwarzenegger and Nivola have weighty scenes ahead of them as their characters face each other in the cold light of day, where they'll hopefully identify their issues and find a way to move on from this hellish holiday.

In contrast, other season 3 storylines – from Belinda's amateur sleuthing to Timothy's mental breakdown and Rick's quest for vengeance – have so far failed to produce moments anywhere near as promising.

So, while this incest subplot is surprising, weird and uncomfortable, those adjectives also describe what any stay at The White Lotus resort should be – and their absence from other parts of season 3 perhaps explains why it hasn't been a five-star trip.

The White Lotus season 3 is available on Sky Atlantic and NOW. New episodes Mondays.

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