The White Lotus cast defend controversial gay sex scene: ‘Transgressive sex is sexier’
The White Lotus dived headfirst into gay sex. (HBO)
The White Lotus season two has finally provided viewers with some gay sex – but it’s not exactly what fans had hoped for.
In the latest episode of the comedy-drama, residents of the White Lotus resort are up to their usual tricks, with dalliances and relationships being put to the test.
After weeks of fans wondering if old college friends Cameron (Theo James) and Ethan (Will Sharpe) would give into the obvious tension between them, the show gave us a graphic sex scene between two unexpected characters.
Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya was snooping around millionaire Quentin’s (Tom Hollander’s) mansion, only to find him having sex with Jack (Leo Woodall) – who viewers have been led to believe is his nephew.
Viewers of The White Lotus have been absolutely gagged and repulsed by this Game of Thrones-style twist.
HOLD ON!!!!!! The nephew AND THE UNCLE????? #WhiteLotus pic.twitter.com/AoIsygW8Yy
— 💫 (@heyjaeee) November 28, 2022
the last minute of tonight’s #WhiteLotus without context: pic.twitter.com/g8qugS9phu
— Jordan Shipowitz (@JordanShipo) November 28, 2022
Jennifer Coolidge in #WhiteLotus walking in on some uncle/nephew action pic.twitter.com/GAalwM20k7
— jay (@_houseknecht_j) November 28, 2022
Creator Mike White told Variety it gave “pleasure” to him “as a guy who is gay-ish to make gay sex transgressive again”.
“It’s dirty… men are having sex and you have this ‘psycho’ music underneath. It just amuses me,” he said.
White, who is bisexual, continued: “I just think transgressive sex is sexier. I guess I’m old school. There’s this Gothic vibe of walking through a haunted hotel or haunted house and people are having sex behind closed doors.”
To confirm, you can be transgressive without having sex with your uncle.
Of course, though, everything is perhaps not what it seems. When asked if the two are actually related, White said: “Well, you’ll have to see.”
While Hollander knew about the twist from the moment production started, Woodall did not get the same warning.
He said that he only received a script for this season of The White Lotus “a couple of weeks after he got the part”.
“When I found out about the scene, I was speechless for a while,” he told Variety.
“I’m such a huge fan of Tom’s, and when I heard that he was going to be playing my uncle, I thought, ‘that is unreal’.
“And then when I found out that I was going to shag him as well — that was kind of surreal. Anything that Mike White does with this show is kind of perfect, so there were no reservations about it. It felt like an incredibly ‘wow’ moment.”
that's not his real uncle then right???? RIGHTTTT?!!?!? #WhiteLotus pic.twitter.com/j2pyVCRhw9
— miss delulu (@ebby90210) November 28, 2022
THE UNCLE IS GETTING FUCKED BY WHO?? #WhiteLotus pic.twitter.com/gfo8sbANW9
— ☻mina⁷♥ (@hobiskoya) November 28, 2022
Hollander also praised the scene, saying: “There is fantasy, and you’re going through your head going: ‘I hope I look good’.
“But when they say action, in a way that goes, and you actually just find yourself thinking: ‘I want this to be a true representation of an intimate moment between two people.’ You just want to do it right.”
Viewers will still (fondly) remember the groundbreaking scene in the series’ first season, in which Murray Bartlett’s Armond was found rimming his employee, played Lukas Gage.
The second season kicked off with a lengthy – pun intended – nude scene starring Theo James.
The White Lotus continues Mondays on Sky Atlantic.
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