The White Lotus: Timothy Ratliff’s wildest moments you never got to see

The White Lotus is one of the most popular shows in recent years. Its success comes from its ability to portray complex human nature in a way that feels real and relatable. The dark humor and picturesque backdrop add to the charm of the show.

In The White Lotus Season 3, we are yet again introduced to new characters. We meet the Ratliff family. Timothy Ratliff is the father, played by Jason Isaacs. He is a worried dad and a rich financier running from an FBI money laundering headache. He has guilt, fear, and a mind that is falling apart. However, he has to keep up a calm demeanor as he is on vacation with his family.

However, we don't see all of Timothy on screen in The White Lotus. In a chat with Entertainment Weekly, Isaacs revealed there were some pretty wild scenes that never made it into the show. These deleted gags were bits that had to be cut owing to time constraints but would have possibly changed how we saw Tim’s mind unraveling.

The White Lotus: Timothy Ratliff’s deleted scenes

Timothy Ratliff arrives at the White Lotus resort in Thailand trying to keep it all together. He is a worried dad whose secret FBI trouble ruins his vacation. The moment he lands, he learns he is under investigation for money laundering. That call sets him off. He starts to sweat, steals his wife's Xanax, and even steals a gun to try and kill himself. He even almost drugged his family to keep them from losing everything. He is a man who sees the ground beneath his feet slipping.

Throughout the trip, he drifts. He is not quite present. He is desperately trying to phone lawyers. He says things that don’t even make sense. In one harrowing moment he even imagines a suicide, thinking it might spare his family, or even just his son Saxon, from ruin. It is a heartbreaking view of a man crumbling under pressure.

There was, however, more to Tim. More odd, strange, and darkly funny bits that almost made it in. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Jason Isaacs spilled:

"There was a second flash in the scene where I flash in my bathrobe. It was quite funny. The conversation carried on and I stood up again and the thing flashed open and they all went, 'Daaaddd!' It was just funnier the second time. I knew it was, but you didn't need the rest of the scene. That, I was bummed about."

Isaacs also told Entertainment Weekly about other deleted gags. He shared:

"[I was] dressed as a monk, and I run away through the jungle and then I turn into a monk

. I was really bummed by one gag I lost when we landed at the beginning and Christian [Friedel] said, 'How was your journey?' And I said something like, 'Long layover, but hey, flew commercial, saving the planet,' which is somehow I wanted credit for not flying private like I normally do. I loved that line."

All of this just shows that Timothy Ratliff was never meant to be a one note character. He was tragic, funny, and frightening all at once. The deleted scenes only prove how much more messy and layered he could have been on screen. Even without them, The White Lotus gave us a father who unraveled in ways that were dark as well as unforgettable.

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