S03.E07: Killer Instincts

[aghst]

20 minutes ago, chaifan said:

I agree - I actually prefer for shows to drop only one episode a week, and in this case TWL has surely benefitted from it.  If I were binging, even on a slow binge of an episode every day or two, I think I would have abandoned it by Ep 4.  

I also think this show benefits from dropping at 9pm on Sundays, when pretty much nothing else is on but I just want to be a couch potato and wind down before going to bed.  This is not "must see" tv.  This is "eh, might as well watch" tv. 

Not to mention all the discussion which this show generates between episodes.

Still a water cooler show, even if a lot of people now work from home.

That is how HBO captured the zeitgeist, when it’s tentpole shows were discussed at the office, on radio shows and TV talk shows and now podcasts and social media as well as forums.

I don’t know if binged shows stimulates nearly as much online activity.  Whether that’s a good or bad thing is in the eye of the beholder.

[T Summer]

Going to put some other show talk in "small talk" so as to not clog up the thread.

[Sailorgirl26]

I've seen speculation that Laurie takes the snake choker with her when she jumps out the window and she ends up as (one of?) the body because of it. 

But why would she take it? She certainly doesn't need to sell it for the money. Did the other guests even know the shop was robbed? I'm sure the resort would keep that as quiet as possible, and as the women are in a completely separate villa, would they even know?

Certainly the people in the lobby when it happened would know, and guests talk, but its reasonable to think the women don't even know about the robbery. 

We see her trying to pull up/hold up her pants as she's jumping out of the window and running down the street. If she can't even hold up her pants, how is she going to carry the necklace too? 
 

[carrps]

1 hour ago, Sailorgirl26 said:

I've seen speculation that Laurie takes the snake choker with her when she jumps out the window and she ends up as (one of?) the body because of it. 

My memory of that scene is that she's moving fast, glances at the table with the jewelry, but doesn't really stop moving towards the window. She certainly didn't have anything shiny and gold in her hands as she was clinging to that window sill.

[CarpeFelis]

On 4/1/2025 at 5:56 PM, T Summer said:

Someone a few posts back mused about Chelsea and Saxon getting together... When  teaching him to meditate he laid his hands on hers and she pulled back as though she'd been burned! Then threw the books at him  and dismissed him saying  the lesson's over. I suppose  this was the writer's not so  subtle way of telling us she's attracted to him after all. 🙄

I saw that differently. He had this expression on his face when he took her hands. (Think Joey Tribbiani “How YOU doin’.”) I think she realized he was really only there to try to get into her pants after all and that’s why the rush to get him out.

[CarpeFelis]

On 4/2/2025 at 2:48 PM, JenE4 said:

How are we seven hours into this season and there’s been zero character development and hardly any plot development? Every fucking episode has every character doing/saying the same thing they did the episode before…and the episode before that…and the episode before that…

I read an interview with Patrick Schwarzenegger in which he said that at some point he tried to play Saxon a little more likable, but Mike White told him not to because nobody’s going to change that much in a week.

[T Summer]

21 minutes ago, CarpeFelis said:

I saw that differently. He had this expression on his face when he took her hands. (Think Joey Tribbiani “How YOU doin’.”) I think she realized he was really only there to try to get into her pants after all and that’s why the rush to get him out.

I didn't see any of that in this scene... but I guess that's why we have so much to talk about.😏

 

I'll give you (and Mike White) this, a real life Saxon would not change his ways in a week!

That may sound confusing so to clarify, I thought they were showing that Chelsea reluctantly felt something for Saxon when he touched her????

but, I could be wrong

[CarpeFelis]

On 4/4/2025 at 6:33 AM, T Summer said:

I guess it's  nothing compared to incest or whatever you call sex play between brothers, but come to think of it why was Saxon so inappropriate with his siblings in the beginning?

I think he has a particular frat-boy mentality I saw from a lot of 20-something guys when I was in my twenties. They seemed to view everything and everyone through a lens of “hot or not”. Saxon rating his sister’s attractiveness and speculating on her sex life, and encouraging his brother to hit on every attractive women he sees (“it’s a numbers game”) just to get laid fits with that mentality.

[T Summer]

Yes,   that pretty much sums up Saxon... but what I want to know is what on earth is motivating Lochlan?🤔😧

I've known men like Saxon and I've seen people seriously enibriated. stoned, whatever... but thank God I've never known anyone to touch their  own brother (or sister) in a sexual way.

 

[Makai]

6 hours ago, T Summer said:

I didn't see any of that in this scene... but I guess that's why we have so much to talk about.😏

 

I'll give you (and Mike White) this, a real life Saxon would not change his ways in a week!

That may sound confusing so to clarify, I thought they were showing that Chelsea reluctantly felt something for Saxon when he touched her????

but, I could be wrong

I can see it being interpreted either way. I thought the point was to show that Saxon hadn’t really changed and was still trying to manipulate her and that she realized she was in a situation she didn’t want to be in. I think it was to show where they each are individually than any potential relationship between them. 

[T Summer]

Oh, I didn't  mean to suggest for  they were headed toward a relationship.

[Makai]

12 hours ago, T Summer said:

Oh, I didn't  mean to suggest for  they were headed toward a relationship.

Yeah. I was using that term very broadly. Mike White is all writing subtext so I don’t think that moment was about showing Chelsea being attracted specifically to Saxon.

If I had to guess I would say it was about showing how much Chelsea is craving the intimacy she has, or that she thinks she has, with Rick.

Saxon represents “see no evil” so I would guess it was about showing him once again turning a blind eye to the truth Chelsea is showing him. 

[HurricaneVal]

I just binge watched 1-7 yesterday, and haven't yet watched episode 8, so I know nothing about the actual ending.

Gaitok is my favorite character.  Despite his prowess at the shooting range, and his willingness to engage in a fight to detain the thieves trying to exit the resort, he really is a gentle soul.  My fanwanking fantasy has him getting in touch with his spiritual side, and taking training in chakra balancing and spa techniques, and  Belinda, Pornchai, and Gaitok all opening their own spa together.  Fabian will come over and contentedly manage the spa for them, and the background music that flows through the facility's well hidden room speakers will be recordings of him playing his compositions.

However, I also think that the shootout will involve Gaitok, they're not going to introduce the gun, lose the gun, regain the gun, and demonstrate his natural shooting ability and just drop it. I think Gaitok will be the hero of the day.  I certainly hope his is not one of the bodies Xion sees floating in the koi ponds in the first episode. 

As soon as I am done with work for today, and Mr. HV leaves for his business trip, I'm closing the curtains, locking the door, pouring a glass of wine, and putting the finale up on the screen.

Here are my wants:  Chelsea comes out OK, and her third bad thing after being at the robbery and bit by the snake is just being near the shooting and not actually being shot.  I hope Rick finds some sort of spiritual calm after his lifetime of churning anger and gives Chelsea a happily ever after.  I want Belinda to be OK, and for her and Pornchai to ride off into the sunset together.  After that?  Whatever happens to Greg/Gary, Chloe, the Ratliffes, the three friends, Sritala, Mook, etc. doesn't bother me at all.

The shootout is probably between the body guards and the Russian robbers, and Gaitok hopefully saves the day, but my long shot whacky theory is that Fabian has a psychotic break and starts shooting, or that Kate realizes she's having a mid-life crisis and not a victory tour after all, and starts shooting.  

I don't think Kate's connection to Victoria at that all weekend baby shower and that awkward scene at the beginning was a red herring, so maybe there's something there that comes out in the end.  I only have two more hours to go before I start finding out!

 

Edited to add:  Yep.  Nope.  Sigh.

Edited Wednesday at 04:09 AM by HurricaneVal
So, so, so very wrong.