One of the best developments in HBO‘s The White Lotus Season 3 is seeing Season 1 standout Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) finally get her flowers. The burnt out spa manager is staying at the White Lotus Thailand for a few months as a part of an exchange program. This means that instead of dealing with thankless guests, she gets to be pampered for once.
In a fun twist, Belinda’s not just enjoying the professional perks in Thailand. She’s also falling for a handsome local wellness expert named Pornchai (Dom Hetrakul).
**Spoilers for The White Lotus Season 3 Episode 5 “Full-Moon Party,” now streaming on MAX**
We’ve watched Belinda and Pornchai flirt for weeks and in The White Lotus Season 3 Episode 5 “Full-Moon Party,” the two finally consummate their romance. The two share a sweet love scene that’s a far cry from the typical comic nudity and raucous sex scenes of The White Lotus.
“Yeah. I mean, it falls in line with Belinda,” The White Lotus star Natasha Rothwell told DECIDER. “I think it would feel a little left of center if it was this primal, animalistic, you know, ‘Season 2’ type of affair.”
Rothwell added that she thought there was “timidity” in the sex scene because Belinda is such a “rule follower.”
Also contributing to the understated energy of the scene? The fact that Thai actor Dom Hetrakul wasn’t used to HBO’s level of sex and nudity.
“You know, in talking to Pornchai, Dom Hetrakul, he was telling me he’s this very popular sort of TV actor in Thailand and it’s very uncommon to do romantic scenes,” Rothwell said. “He approached it from a place of being, you know, feeling chaste because it was atypical for his experience.”
Over the course of The White Lotus Season 3, we’ve watched Belinda and Pornchai compare notes on the best massages, spa treatments, and more. Rothwell explained that the couple’s shared passion for wellness is what drew them together.
“When you love what you do and you nerd out about it and someone else loves what they do and they nerd out about it, and then if that thing is the same thing, you feel so deeply and incredibly seen,” she said. “That is hot, when someone sees you and wants to ‘yes and’ your interest in something.”
“In Season 1 we meet [Belinda], she’s selfless. She gives, gives, gives, gives, gives. No one is giving and feeding her and Pornchai wants to edify her and wants to be there for her. So, yeah, I get it. I get why she’s interested and drawn to him.”
While the other characters on The White Lotus are contemplating acts of violence and indulging in wanton revelry, Belinda and Pornchai are connecting as pure-hearted people enjoying life for once.
“So really, I think it was a sweet moment that audiences can root for because they’re allowed to put down the rules for once and just indulge in pleasure,” Rothwell said.
Belinda and Pornchai forever.
The post ‘The White Lotus’ Star Natasha Rothwell Thinks Belinda and Pornchai’s “Sweet” Sex Scene is a Moment “Audiences Can Root For”: “You Feel So Deeply and Incredibly Seen” appeared first on Decider.
