Sam Rockwell’s The White Lotus Character Takes a Dark, Unexpected Turn—Here’s What Happened!

In the episode on Sunday, March 16, of The White Lotus, Rick (played by Walton Goggins) traveled to Bangkok, Thailand, to reunite with an old friend portrayed by Rockwell. Rick had hoped for a wild night, but his friend revealed that he had been unwell for nearly a year.

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"I found religion," Rockwell’s character shared. "I took partying as far as I could. Sorry to disappoint you."

Rick's unexpected experience led his friend to further explore his personal development.

"I moved here [to Thailand] because I’ve always had a thing for Asian women. When I arrived, I was like a kid in a candy store. I had money, no attachments, and nothing else to do, so I started partying. It got crazy, and I was picking up girls every night," Rockwell’s character explained. "It was always different—short, chubby, older, and sometimes multiple women in one night."

Recalling how things spiraled out of control, Rick’s friend continued, "I became insatiable. After nearly a thousand nights like that, you start losing yourself. I began to question why I had this need to be with so many women. What was the desire? The beauty of these Asian women—why was it so captivating to me? Was it because they were my opposite? Did I believe they would somehow complete me?"

While questioning his sexuality, Rockwell’s character decided to try something new.

"I realized that I could be with a million women and still never be satisfied. Maybe what I actually wanted was to be one of these Asian women," he said. "One night, I brought home a ladyboy—something I had done before—but this time, instead of treating her like a queen, she took control and slept with me."

Rick was shocked by his friend’s sexual revelation.

"It was kind of magical. And I thought to myself, maybe what I truly want is to be one of these Asian women who make love to me and experience what they feel," Rockwell’s character admitted. "So, I placed an ad looking for an older white man who would make love to me. Then, I put on lingerie and perfume to look like one of those women. I thought I looked quite attractive. But then, the guy arrived and showed nothing but disgust toward me."

He continued: "I became addicted to it—sometimes three or four men would come and treat me terribly. I even had to pay some of them. At the same time, I would hire an Asian woman to sit and watch the whole thing. When a man was using me, I’d look into his eyes and think, I am her. I am the one being used."

Before finding peace, Rockwell’s character explored his relationship with his identity. "Sex is a poetic act. It’s a metaphor—but for what?" he questioned. "Am I, deep down, a middle-aged white man? Or am I actually an Asian woman inside? It felt like I was searching for an answer. Then I realized I had to stop—the drugs, the women, the attempt to become a woman."

Buddhism ultimately transformed Rick’s friend. "[It’s] about the soul versus the body and detaching from oneself," Rockwell concluded. "Practicing self-restraint isn’t that hard. Being celibate—I still miss it, though."

The conversation ended with Rick trying to show his support. Later, he asked his friend to keep the next night free, in case he needed help. Viewers may recall that Rick told his girlfriend Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood) that he had come to Thailand to avenge his father, suggesting that his storyline will take a new turn.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the episode, Chelsea enjoyed a night out with Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon) and her brothers Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger) and Lachlan (Sam Nivola). The confusing tension between the Ratliff siblings became even more awkward when they shared a drunken kiss.

After their reckless adventure, their parents’ night became more challenging, especially when Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook) revealed her plans to stay in Thailand. Victoria (Parker Posey) refused to accept that her daughter wanted to explore a different religion, while Timothy (Jason Isaacs) was too preoccupied with his legal troubles back in the U.S.

As for Kate (Leslie Bibb), Laurie (Carrie Coon), and Jacqueline (Michelle Monaghan), their girls’ trip took a strange turn when they visited a club with The White Lotus' Valentin (Arnas Fedaravicius). Eventually, they said goodbye to the men—except for Jacqueline, who secretly brought Valentin back to her room.

Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) also tried to warn Fabian (Christian Friedel) about Gary’s (Jon Gries) true identity, but her warning was ignored. Somehow, this led her to eventually hook up with Pornchai (Dom Hetrakul).