Parker Posey Is the Saving Grace of this Season of 'White Lotus'

Spoilers for this season of White Lotus

Nothing says grifter tourist economy like Laurie hooking up with Aleksei—after ditching her “fake” friend Kate and her “vain” friend Jaclyn — only to be hit up for $10,000 for his supposedly sick mother and then pressed, almost menacingly: “Cash App? PayPal? Zelle?” That was Laurie’s night. She finally got the adventure she came to Thailand for, although not without danger. Who knows what might’ve happened if Aleksei’s girlfriend hadn’t unexpectedly arrived and chased Laurie out a window?

But will it change her? As fake as Kate may be and as narcissistic as Jaclyn probably is, they’re not wrong about Laurie: she’s always disappointed; only the target of her disappointment shifts. Maybe getting shaken down (and some action) will finally snap her out of it.

Rick, meanwhile, seems to have found what he came to Thailand for: closure. He confronted Jim Hollinger, the man who killed his father, and even pointed a gun at his face. In the end, though, Hollinger looked too meek and frail to be the villain Rick had held onto all these years. He couldn’t pull the trigger. All he could do was knock Jim’s chair over and run. But he found peace, even if it came at the cost of Frank’s sobriety (assuming Frank was ever actually sober). (And for those who watch Righteous Gemstones after White Lotus, the transition from drunk, blissed-out Walton Goggins to naked water-skiing Walton Goggins was … something.)

Belinda’s encounter with Greg unfolded exactly as expected: he offered her $100,000 to start her spa in exchange for her silence about Tanya. Her son thinks she should take it, but Belinda’s not ready to sell out Tanya. She should take the money, but she should hold out for more.

Peace, alas, continues to elude the Ratliffs. Tim may have found a glimmer of hope in the Buddhist’s words last week, but Saxon tying his own success to his father’s only intensified the pressure. The episode ended with Tim searching for a gun, seemingly more determined than ever not just to end his own life but Victoria’s and Saxon’s as well, believing their lives only have meaning because of his money.

At least Saxon bailed on Chloe’s proposition. He wasn’t up for roleplaying Greg’s bizarre fantasy of “winning his mother back from his father” by having sex with Chelsea while Greg watched and presumably broke it up. These people are messed up, although Chelsea’s casual reaction was hilarious: “Yeah, like a little boy’s dream.” Still, Saxon’s supposed transformation was just a ruse to sleep with Chelsea, because Saxon is always going to be Saxon: soulless.

As for Piper: she doesn’t want to be Buddhist — bless her — she just wants to get away from her family. That became clear when she paused at the idea of her brother Lochlan joining her for the year. He wants out, too. Their family is awful. Who can blame them? But Buddhism isn’t the path forward.

That leaves Gaitok as the most likely shooter. He figured out at the boxing match that Val and his buddies robbed him. He’s the only one still with a gun (Rick disposed of his) and probably feels the need to prove himself, especially after his disastrous date with Mook. At least he saved the Ratliffs from a murder-suicide.

The episode itself mostly felt like table-setting for the finale, but it still delivered some great comedic moments: Frank trying to convince Sritala he directed action films (“The Enforcer, The Executor, The Notary … That was a trilogy”), Chelsea’s entire speech about Greg’s kink, poor Fabian’s anticlimactic night as the entertainer, and Victoria, who delivered a few gems:

“Maybe Jesus will save her from those Buddhists.”
“Why are you with this middle-aged weirdo?”
“Just because they’re rich doesn’t mean they’re not trashy.”
“Come to North Carolina. I can introduce you to lots of respectable men!”

Parker Posey has been the gift that’s kept this season afloat.