The jaw-dropping detail in The White Lotus you probably missed.

It happened. It was the moment that many The White Lotus fans had been predicting for weeks.

And wow, that really... escalated.

In the most watched episode of the season so far, the storyline involving Ratliff brothers Lochlan (Sam Nivola) and Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger) took a sinister turn that left viewers' jaws on the floor.

Creator Mike White really went... there.

The last episode left off at a wild full moon party, where the brothers had previously shared a kiss under the influence of alcohol and drugs, encouraged by Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon) and Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood).

Watch the trailer for Season 3. Post continues after video.

On Episode 6, the brothers wake up in bed together as Saxon begins to piece together fragmented memories of the night before.

At first, he recalled Lochlan having sex with Chloe while he masturbated next to them (still, not great!) but by the end of the episode, the dark truth was revealed: Lochlan performed a sex act (read: hand job) on Saxon during that encounter.

Saxon only discovered this when Chloe let slip what she witnessed, while Lochlan — who claimed to have no recollection at all of the night — recalled what he did during a meditation session at a Buddhist temple.

saxon listening to what happened when he blacked out #TheWhiteLotus pic.twitter.com/t8bRh1RgGg

— kaz (@gallifreyfilmz) March 24, 2025

To add to the creep factor, an eagle-eyed viewer noticed a detail in the latest episode that only adds to the warped dynamic between the brothers.

After the full moon party, the *morning after* if you will, the Ratliff men were wearing each other's shorts. Hmm. Yep.

Somehow in all the chaos, they had swapped shorts without noticing and carried on throughout the next day in each other's trunks. Not disturbing AT ALL.

the switched shorts.. i feel sick pic.twitter.com/Sexf2u90QH

— lein ☀️ (white lotus s3 🙊) (@viserysoflys) March 22, 2025

The White Lotus used an intimacy coordinator to manage the awkward sex scene, which Lochlan actor Sam Nivola admitted was uncomfortable enough without the added layer of incest.

"It was very weird kissing Patrick because he's a really good friend of mine. And, you know, I'm straight, he's straight. It's already weird. It would have been easier if that was the first time we were meeting," he told Variety.

"Patrick was already like a brother to me. It felt sort of f**ked up." You don't say!

The actor went on to try to explain Lochlan's motivations in the show. "I think Lochlan is a people pleaser, who will try to get people to like him by any means necessary. Looking at Saxon while he's jerking off is not a sexual thing — it's more that he's studying him," he said.

"What he learns over the first few episodes is that Saxon is the sex guy. His primary motive in life is to make money and get laid. So, the thing on the boat is Lochlan's tragically misguided attempt at being like, So, you're the sex guy. Let's do something in that realm and try to connect in some way.' It's obviously a big swing and a miss."

Ummm, yep. That's putting it lightly.

Lochlan has fast become one of The White Lotus' most sinister characters. Image: Binge.

So what is all this incest for? Executive producer David Bernad assures fans that the shocking narrative between the Ratliff brothers will make sense soon.

"As the season wraps up, you'll see the purpose of that story turn," he told The New York Post.

"The show goes there for a larger thematic idea. I love that family storyline, especially the brother story — and it culminates in a very satisfying way."

David promises that creator Mike White's choice to include an incest storyline was "not just for shock" and is part of a bigger plan. "There's a specific reason in terms of the narrative storytelling and the larger thematic idea Mike is trying to get across," he added.

Prior to the shocking episode airing, Patrick Schwartzenegger said that the storyline represents a power shift between the brothers. "Was a power shift happening? Is there a different power dynamic between him and Lochy? Is Lochy coming on to him?" he told Today.

"I think he [Mike White] leaves that open-ended for the audience to try to decipher."

The uncomfortable dynamic extends to the brothers' relationship with sister Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook). Right from Episode 1, Saxon commented that their sister Piper was "pretty hot" and speculated about her virginity. No thanks!

But these taboo subjects seem to be somewhat trendy right now.

In the Netflix series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, several moments led viewers to speculate about an incestuous relationship between the brothers.

of course, it’s a ryan murphy production #monstersnetflix pic.twitter.com/nW5Z7kXRL4

— x (@haus_of_candy) September 19, 2024

The show depicts Lyle and Erik sharing a brief, relatively chaste kiss. Another scene shows Kitty Menendez walking in on her sons showering together in a questionable flashback.

These scenes, while not explicitly stating an incestuous relationship, have been interpreted by some viewers as implying such a dynamic between the brothers.

To be clear, this is a suggestion both of the real-life people depicted have adamantly denied.

And who can forget House of the Dragon which features multiple couples are the result of incest? This includes married couple Princess Rhaenyra and her uncle, Prince Daemon, along with King Viserys' children, Aegon and Helaena Targaryen, who are betrothed to each other.

Of course, incest is nothing new for the Game of Thrones universe, but the internet's response to The White Lotus is especially troubling, as many seem to be cheering on the brothers.

I STAND WITH MY CANCELLED TWINK #thewhitelotus pic.twitter.com/wMgI7GQutk

— ً (@zekevich) March 24, 2025

Despite the incestuous undertones of the Menendez brothers' relationship on Monsters, the characters were also quickly embraced as sex symbols.

It's hard to gauge whether The White Lotus fans are just excited to watch two attractive men kissing (the actors, after all, are not related) or if there's something more sinister at play.

But one thing is for sure, with two more episodes of The White Lotus to go, expect the unexpected when it comes to where Mike White will take these baffling brothers.

Feature image: Binge.