The White Lotus Season 3 Creates A Weird Actor Trend After Netflix's Hit Murder Mystery Series From Last Year

Warning! This article contains spoilers for The White Lotus season 3, episode 1.Sam Nivola stars in The White Lotus' season 3, playing an almost identical part to the one he had in The Perfect Couple. Joining The White Lotus season 3's cast, the actor's second role in a whodunit murder mystery already has many connections to his Netflix hit — to the point that it seems to be setting him up for a future in the genre, and for playing a specific type of character. Nivola plays Lochlan, the youngest and shiest of the Ratliffs, a wealthy North Carolina family that's oddly familiar with vice, illegal gambits, and lies.

The White Lotus season 3's early reviews confirm it's another amazing class portrait by Mike White, this time also coupled with themes of spirituality, death, and a darker but enticing tone. As the Ratliffs are poised to suffer the consequences of their father's illegal activities, it'll become interesting to see whether Nivola's character replicates or reinvents his most notable role yet. For now, The White Lotus' new season 3 trailer sets up exciting possibilities for the actor, even if his role is very similar to Will in The Perfect Couple.

Sam Nivola's The White Lotus Role Is Weird After The Perfect Couple

Sam Nivola Already Played The Quiet And Innocent Sibling That Rebels Against His Family

Sam Nivola might be cementing a career in the murder mystery genre with his role in The White Lotus, as it comes right after he starred in Netflix's The Perfect Couple. Both shows are whodunit mysteries that explore class dynamics, where Nivola plays the younger, quiet kid of a dysfunctional rich family. Lochlan, like Will, falls to the sidelines as his siblings take center focus — Piper's thesis being the reason they went to Thailand in the first place, and Saxon being older and more confident to influence his parents' actions.

The White Lotus season 3 will have eight episodes, making it the longest of the show.

In a recent interview, Nivola explained Lochlan's motivations in The White Lotus, saying he "just wants someone in the world to love him. And he will do anything to make that happen." That makes him seek guidance from Schwarzenegger's character, despite his problematic and overly sexual attitudes. However, while Nivola's The Perfect Couple character does suffer from his father and mother's neglect, and his older brother's teasing, Will doesn't really crave their attention like Lochlan does. Instead, his arc involves exposing his family's deceptions and finding comfort in an honest connection.

The White Lotus Can Be Even Better For Sam Nivola

The White Lotus' Massive Success And Prestige Over The Perfect Couple Is Undeniable

Lochlan Ratliff (Sam Nivola) in The White Lotus Season 3 Ep 1

The White Lotus and The Perfect Couple deal with a cast filled with ignorant and flawed wealthy people, and where Nivola plays one of the few innocent and selfless characters. Despite The Perfect Couple's similarities to The White Lotus, the acclaimed HBO show casts a shadow over the Netflix miniseries, and this could extend to Nivola's character. Accordingly, the Netflix show is most known as an over-the-top murder mystery dramedy, while The White Lotus is a satirical and darker effort that dissects class and power dynamics as they organically pave the way for crime.

Though some believe The White Lotus' Lochlan might be trying to come out or vocalize his desire to attend a different university, others believe he is keeping a terrible secret.

This explains why The Perfect Couple's mixed reviews and Rotten Tomatoes score are considerably lower than The White Lotus, featuring a 65% against an impressive 93%. Because of this, even if Nivola repeats his character, he is set for bigger success — as he is now part of one of the most acclaimed and best TV shows streaming right now. However, if Mike White gives Lochlan a surprisingly dark edge, he could take the young star to unexplored territory and successfully subvert his The Perfect Couple role.

What's The Deal With Sam Nivola's Lochlan & The Ratliff Family In The White Lotus?

Episode 1 Suggests The Ratliff Family Is Hiding A Terrible Secret In The White Lotus

At first sight, the Ratliff family seems to suffer from common issues that tend to prey on fictional wealthy families, such as substance abuse, tax fraud, and the pressure to go to the same school as their parents. However, season 3's first episode goes out of its way to suggest that all is not well with the Ratliff family, despite Victoria's insistence that they're "a normal family." Notably, viewers have signaled the weird sexual tension between the Ratliff kids, and dark theories have risen regarding what the family is hiding beneath the surface.

Walton Goggins and Carrie Coon as Rick and Laurie in The White Lotus season 3 against a green background

5 Best Fan Theories After The White Lotus Season 3, Episode 1

The White Lotus season 3 raises many questions during its premiere, and the best theories about episode 1 would make truly great twists.

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Though some believe The White Lotus' Lochlan might be trying to come out or vocalize his desire to attend a different university, others believe he is keeping a terrible secret. While it's still too soon to know, it's possible the Ratliff family has a history of sexual abuse or incest, one that's so horrifying that The White Lotus' Victoria drugs herself with Lozazepam to cope with it. While that would be a shocking turn, having Nivola play an innocent enabler turned into a complex victim that could retaliate if pushed to the extreme would effectively change his character trend.