In Sunday's episode, Richardson's character Portia spent a night on the town in Palermo with Jack (Leo Woodall) while her boss Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) went to the opera with Jack's uncle Quentin (Tom Hollander). In the final minutes of the episode back at the villa, Tanya caught Quentin having sex with Jack.
In a joint interview with Richardson, Adam DiMarco, who plays Albie on the show, pointed out that incestuous plots have become a draw on the network.
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Richardson agreed that "HBO loves something about uncle-fucking!"
She then reportedly explained the incestuous plot line in the "Game of Thrones" spinoff "House of the Dragon" to DiMarco. The narrative involved Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock) and her uncle Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) engaging in many sensual scenarios and, eventually, having children. One of their incestuous sex scenes went viral.
"It's hot," Richardson said of stories that involve characters having sex with their uncles on scripted television.
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Richardson said she does feel bad for her character Portia, though. "Oh man, she was finally getting what she wanted, on paper, just to find out that he's fucking his uncle," she said.
"You never want to find out that the guy that you're dating and who has whisked you away is fucking his uncle! You don't want to find that out."
"From Portia's perspective, it's a very extreme example of how you can't really rely on this external excitement or male-centered validation. Because he's going to end up fucking his uncle," Richardson said.
She also pointed out that the sex between Jack and Quentin might not be "what it seems," prompting viewers to wonder if they're actually related or if they're putting on a facade for Tanya and Portia.
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Regardless, Richardson promised that "The White Lotus" is about to get "way crazier" in future episodes.
New episodes of "The White Lotus" air Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO.
