The White Lotus is back with a third season, and as you might expect, its cast is full of rich, privileged folks who will undoubtedly make a fool of themselves over the course of the story.

Mike White’s critically acclaimed series has never been afraid to court the controversy or show how utterly depraved its characters can be. With the Season 3 premiere, however, the show seems to be setting up possibly the most unsettling family dynamic we’ve seen so far.

Every White Lotus season needs some sort of kooky family, and for this go-around, we’ve got the Ratliffs. Timothy and Victoria play the parents; the former has clearly gotten himself caught up in some sort of Ponzi scheme, while there are signs that the latter might be on opiates. And yet, when you compare them to their three kids, Timothy and Victoria seem to be the “normal” ones.

Saxon, the Hypersexual Older Brother

Played by Patrick Schwarzenegger, Saxon Ratliff is the oldest of the Ratliff kids. He works for Timothy, and right off the bat, it’s obvious he’s meant to be the Douchey Rich Guy (TM) of the season. Shane and Cameron are in good company here.

Unlike Shane and Cameron, however, Saxon displays signs of hypersexuality to a degree that’s honestly pretty gross and disturbing. From his weird physical teasing of his sister Piper and his awkward (though pretty funny) strike-outs with the women at the pool to him quizzing his younger brother Lochlan about the kind of pornography he watches, Saxon is just straight up a walking red flag.

Let’s also not overlook the fact that he has no qualms whatsoever talking to his little brother about how their sister is “super hot,” and his speculation that she’s still a virgin. I dunno. Seems pretty weird to be talking about your sister like that, but what do I know?

Piper, the Embodiment of Self-Restraint

All that being said, there’s no such thing as throwaway lines in The White Lotus. Red herrings, sure, but everything on this show is said and done for a reason. If Saxon’s comments about Piper are accurate, what does that tell us about her?

We know that Piper is the impetus for the Ratliffs coming to Thailand in the first place. She’s here to write up her thesis and interview a monk at the temple. Even from her brief interactions with her family, it’s obvious that she’s supposed to be the smart, level-headed one. She’s ready to immerse herself in Thai culture and learn more about their beliefs and ideals.

From what we’ve seen so far, it seems the show is setting up Piper to be the embodiment of spirituality, self-restraint, and temperance — a complete juxtaposition against Saxon’s indulgent personality.

Lochy, the Repressed Younger Brother

Finally, we have Lochlan, or Lochy as his family likes to call him. He’s clearly the meek one of the bunch. In the Season 3 premiere, we see him getting pulled in all directions. Does he want to go to the temple with Piper, or hang out by the pool with Saxon? Does he want to go to Duke or UNC, or maybe even change course entirely?

Perhaps the most telling scene is at the very end, when Lochy gets stunned into silence for a moment when Saxon asks him what kind of pornography he likes. His older brother then gets out of bed with his iPad, revealing that he’s been butt naked this entire time. The camera lingers on Lochy just a touch too long, as we see him staring at Saxon’s naked form.

Maybe Lochy’s secret is that he’s closeted, and his character arc this season could revolve around him coming out to his family, upending all their preconceived notions and expectations of him at the same time. It’s worth pointing out that Victoria expresses shock when Saxon says the word “genitals” in front of everyone, and tells him that it’s a bad word. That’s like, the number one telltale sign that the Ratliff kids are probably repressed as hell, and Lochy’s got it the worst.

What Does This All Mean?

If we take everything at face value, we could probably conclude that the Ratliff kids’ arc is going to involve Saxon being creepily attracted to Piper, while Lochy grapples with his feelings for his own older brother. But I think that’s a little bit too obvious and on the nose for a show like The White Lotus.

Season 3 is going to deal with the dangers of hedonism, the line between pleasure and restraint. If anything, it seems like Lochy is going to be the main star of the Ratliff family as he finds a way to navigate his relationships with his brother and sister. If Saxon is hedonism and Piper is self-restraint and discipline, then Lochy will ultimately be forced to choose between either end of the spectrum. Or maybe, just maybe, he’ll find his own way out.