\n<\/p>\n
Even if I\u2019m wrong, the robbery subplot remains a major part of this season, and it could be what gets us eventually to the gunshots and the corpse we saw in the season premiere\u2019s flash-forward. For now, what matters about the robbery is that it leads to a meeting between the gatekeeper, Gaitok, and his bosses, in which he gets chastised for being too \u201cfriendly\u201d and is given a pistol. Take note! At least one other gun \u2014 beyond the one the robber wielded \u2014 is now in play at the White Lotus.<\/p>\n
So far this season, each episode has covered more or less one day for the vacationers, ending with them heading for bed. This episode is an exception since it ends shortly after sundown, with multiple White Lotus guests still off the property and searching for some full moon fun.<\/p>\n
For most of the main characters, the day is spent on the yacht belonging to the man we know as Greg, now calling himself Gary. His girlfriend, Chloe, has invited Chelsea and the Ratliff family to go sailing with a boatload of Gary\u2019s rich friends (labeled \u201cbald geriatric potbellied pigs\u201d by Saxon) and their suspiciously young and pretty female partners.<\/p>\n
Rick previously registered his opinion with Chelsea that these women are likely prostitutes. But he agrees to come aboard anyway after being reassured that he will be back in time for his flight to Bangkok, where he plans to meet up with a friend and to confront this White Lotus\u2019s co-owner, Jim Hollinger.<\/p>\n
In this episode, Rick confirms something \u201cWhite Lotus\u201d viewers probably assumed: Hollinger murdered his father. According to the story Rick\u2019s mom told him, his dad was \u201ca do-gooder\u201d who came to Thailand on a humanitarian mission and tried to stop a crooked American from stealing the locals\u2019 land. Rick tells Chelsea he just needs to look this thieving, murdering jerk in the eye, for closure.<\/p>\n
But do we believe that? We still don\u2019t know who Rick really is, or even how he can afford to book accommodations at a White Lotus. My assumption is that he is \u2014 or was \u2014 a well-paid criminal. But he has nothing in common with the shady bozos on Gary\u2019s boat, whose own crimes seem to involve hiding money from various governments.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n