Whatever ‘The White Lotus’ Is Trying To Do With Rick and Chelsea, It’s Not Working

Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for The White Lotus Season 3.

Of all the couples that have traipsed through the hotel receptions of The White Lotus, none have quite outwardly scorned their partner as Rick (Walton Goggins) has Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood). As much as Chelsea tries to rope Rick into participating in the resort activities, she often ends up alone or with her new friend Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon). In Season 3, Episode 2, Chelsea and Chloe are shopping together when an armed robbery occurs, leading to a strange moment afterward where Chelsea and Rick reunite in a genuinely concerned embrace. It is the first inkling we get of Rick’s more positive feelings towards Chelsea, shining a new light on their dynamics — but it doesn’t necessarily work. Adding a level of reciprocated affection to their relationship actually might harm how interesting they have been so far, turning their story into somewhat of a cliché.

Chelsea and Rick Have the Most Refreshing Relationship in ‘The White Lotus’

Thus far, Rick and Chelsea have had a classic grumpy-sunshine dynamic, except it is a bit more extreme than usual. Rick makes it clear throughout these two episodes of The White Lotus Season 3 that he doesn’t want to be near Chelsea in any capacity. He is constantly talking condescendingly to her and rebukes any of her attempts at affection or care. When she insists on meditation or massages, he essentially ridicules her or just straight-up refuses to acknowledge her existence. While some of this can be chalked up to his preoccupation with his ulterior motives for being in Thailand, her tolerance of his behavior suggests it is nothing new, especially as she is constantly making excuses for him to other people: he just gets “migraines” after traveling. Meanwhile, Chelsea is the paragon of sunshine, being somewhat enamored by him (though we can’t see why), and simply wants to have a good time on vacation.

In The White Lotus Season 3 premiere, this relationship is definitely a bit more cliché than what we have come to expect from the series, but its extremism is still intriguing. Compared to the other family and friendship dynamics we are exposed to in the episode, their stark, intense feelings are actually very refreshing. There is a truckload of nuance and gray area within the bonds between the other characters, and we have to peer carefully into the subtext to root out anything real from them. In comparison, Rick and Chelsea’s feelings about each other are laid bare, a fact that is jarring yet deliciously different, making them capture our attention almost immediately.

‘The White Lotus’ Season 3’s Latest Episode Hurts Chelsea and Rick’s Dynamic

When the turning point of them hugging after the robbery comes around, it suggests that Rick cares about Chelsea more than he lets on. While their initial dynamics may feel a bit cliché, this shift actually turns out to be more contrived. How many times have we seen buried feelings of love being brought to light after being exposed to danger? It turns their relationship down a familiar road and strips it away from the intrigue of why Chelsea could possibly be so in love with this selfish, arrogant, and rude prick, as well as why Rick continues to “put up” with a relentlessly positive attitude that he so obviously finds grating.

Their storylines throughout the episodes also already have enough material to sustain us without the unnecessary complication of reciprocated affection. Rick has a mysterious fixation on the resort owner’s husband and is willing to abandon Chelsea at the hotel to pursue him in Bangkok. This is also coupled with the obligatory The White Lotus character study that we glean from his unwilling meditation sessions about his murdered father and overwhelming feeling of nothingness. On the other hand, Chelsea has her own contradictions in her optics, being a naive, gold-digging “bimbo,” as per Victoria’s (Parker Posey) observations, but in reality, she is a fairly likable character so far, and seems to have a Daphne (Meghann Fahy) kind of outlook on turning a blind eye to her partner’s flaws from Season 2. Chelsea is also our vehicle for the mystery around Greg (Jon Gries), or “Gary,” which in itself is a huge three-season-coming undertaking. With so much substance already surrounding them, the newly requited bond just feels like an arbitrary and unnecessary detail.

Goggins and Wood Lack Romantic Chemistry in ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3

What really cinches the strangeness of this unexpected revelation is the lack of romantic chemistry between Wood and Goggins. The two actors excel at their initial dynamics, where Goggins perfects the exasperated eyeroll and dumbfounded, scathing look he directs towards Chelsea every time words come out of her mouth. On the receiving end, Wood curates flawlessly innocent expressions of naïveté and steadfast cheerfulness, allowing ditziness to be balanced with understanding, so Chelsea can cover for any of Rick’s microaggressions towards hotel staff or guests. This tense, one-sided chemistry they drum up is kind of brutal but oh so compelling, but it is dampened by the characters’ shift in Episode 2.

When Chelsea runs up to Rick after the theft, we are too shocked to register how stiff the interaction is, but it becomes clearer as the episode progresses. During dinner, when they smile at each other while Chloe and Greg argue, it feels almost unnatural, perhaps because we are so used to Rick scowling rather than smiling. But the intimacy scenes accentuate this, with the sequence feeling rigid and arbitrary instead of believable. Their romantic chemistry just isn’t convincing, especially in light of their previous dramatic chemistry that drew us in effortlessly. Unfortunately, this couple works far more effectively when they hate each other in The White Lotus, as the story that is borne out of this newfound care feels contrived and there isn’t enough chemistry to back it up.

New episodes of The White Lotus Season 3 premiere Sundays on HBO and Max.

The White Lotus

Release Date

2021 – 2024

Network

HBO

Showrunner

Mike White

Directors

Mike White

Writers

Mike White