The White Lotus's disconcerting Ratliff brothers kiss in unexpected episode 5 power shift

He's not the only one, however, with a battle for influence being fought by obnoxious, hyper-masculine Saxon and his intellectual sister Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook), who wants Lochlan to follow a more thoughtful and spiritual path in life.

At the time of writing, she appears to be losing that fight, with Saxon and Lochlan currently in the middle of an all-night party, where the once-clear power dynamic between them seems to be shifting.

Having spent the previous episode very much leading his younger brother into drinking and flirting with women, the tables turn on Saxon in this episode as Lochlan comes out of his shell more than anyone expected.

The shift really kicks in as the brothers and their new friends, Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon) and Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood), arrive at a full moon party in search of a good time.

Already drunk from a day spent on a luxury yacht, Lochlan utters a line that comes with little context, but seems relevant to how the rest of the night unfolds.

"One day," he says to Saxon, timidly, "I'm gonna take you down."

Saxon laughs off the comment, but Lochlan continues to push boundaries over the course of the night, starting from when Chloe offers them an unspecified pill for the rave.

The younger Ratliff takes the drug with little hesitation, prompting a frustrated response from his older brother, who had wanted to turn it down (preferring to see his own raw masculinity as the drug, in a spectacularly cringe-inducing line).

Nevertheless, Saxon ultimately succumbs to peer pressure and, later on, we see the Ratliff boys feeling the effects of the pill during a firework display on the beach, where Lochlan is caressing the hair of his intoxicated brother.

Towards the end of the episode, the group head back to the yacht and play a spin-the-bottle-style drinking game comprised largely of kissing the other players.

Chloe picks on Saxon and Lochlan to kiss each other; they initially oblige with a quick peck on the lips. But when urged to do more, Lochlan grabs his brother's face and gives him an extended snog that doesn't appear to be consensual.

The moment sends Chloe into hysterical laughter, while Chelsea appears comically freaked out.

The most telling reactions, however, are the brothers themselves – Saxon is dazed, confused and clearly uncomfortable with what just took place, while Lochlan grins as he takes another drink from his bottle.

There certainly is a power imbalance in this disconcerting scenario, but contrary to viewer speculation, it seems that Lochlan is actually the more self-assured and, potentially, predatory brother of the two.

We'll have to wait until next week's episode of The White Lotus to see where this odd and worrying dynamic goes.

Previously, Patrick Schwarzenegger told RadioTimes.com and other press that Saxon "really does care about his brother" and that their "weird" relationship is "still very loving at the same time".

"I mean, it's just that Saxon has this false perception and idea of what he thinks makes a man and who he thinks he is, and he's trying to groom his younger brother to become that," he added.

The White Lotus season 3 continues on Mondays on Sky Atlantic and NOW.

Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.