Based on the reactions online, it seems like viewers from all over the world tilted their heads in confusion when Jason Isaacs and Parker Posey uttered their first lines inThe White Lotusseason 3. Isaacs and Posey play Timothy and Victoria Ratliff, two of the most interestingcharacters inThe White Lotusseason 3. In the hit HBO show’s third season, Timothy and Victoria are visiting the White Lotus' Thailand resort with their three kids. However, it seems like their week could end in disaster.
Timothy is a successful businessman who isn’t on board with the resort’s wellness practices, and refuses to go a week without his phone. At theend ofThe White Lotusseason 3, episode 1, he receives acall from the Wall Street Journaland starts to suspect that the FBI is investigating one of his past deals. Meanwhile, Victoria is oblivious of what’s going on with Timothy, and is seen drinking too much and self-medicating with pills. BothTimothy and Victoria are intriguing characters, but many fans were thrown off by their accents inThe White Lotus’season 3 premiere.
Jason Isaacs & Parker Posey’s Accents Are Pretty Accurate For Durham, North Carolina
Isaacs & Posey Clearly Worked Hard To Mimic A Durham Accent
InThe White Lotusseason 3, Isaacs and Posey’s characters are from Durham, North Carolina. Since most viewers thought the actors were trying to do a general Southern accent, Isaacs and Posey were criticized following the premiere ofThe White Lotusseason 3. However,a Durham accent is very specific, and much different from a typical Southern accent. It’s hard for outsiders to point out the specific differences between a Durham accent and a Southern accent, but people who are actually from Durham have applauded Isaacs and Posey’s accents inThe White Lotus.
The White Lotus Season 3 Subtly Hinted At How The Mystery Victim Really Dies (Not Gunshots)
The White Lotus season 3 opens with gunfire at the resort in Thailand, but it’s possible this isn’t the true cause of the mystery victim’s death.
Therefore,even though Isaacs and Posey’s accents are jarring when they are first heard inThe White Lotusseason 3, they are actually very accurate. In fact, it is somewhat shocking that Isaacs and Posey did the extra work to perfect their Durham accents. It is clear that the creative team behindThe White Lotusseason 3 did a lot of work to make Timothy and Victoria as realistic as possible, as the rivalry between the University of North Carolina and Duke University is also showcased in episode 1.
Parker Posey’s Accent & Speaking Mannerisms Are Slurred Because Of Victoria’s Implied Substance Abuse
Posey’s Accent Sounds Different From Isaacs In The White Lotus
InThe White Lotusseason 3, Posey’s accent is a bit harder to understand than Isaacs, but there is a reason for this.The White Lotusseason 3, episode 1 implies thatVictoria abuses Lorazepamand possibly other pills.Lorazepam is a pill that is prescribed to patients with anxiety, but it can lead to several negative side effects. Side effects of Lorazepam include drowsiness, dizziness, muscle weakness, blurred vision, and confusion.
Victoria’s speech is also almost always slurred when she speaks, which affects how her accent sounds.
InThe White Lotusseason 3, episode 1, Victoria seems to be out of it most of the time. She even shockingly falls asleep at the dinner table while sitting with her husband and children.Victoria’s speech is also almost always slurred when she speaks, which affects how her accent sounds. However, this is purposeful, so it is not necessarily fair to criticize Posey’s accent since it is meant to be somewhat hard to understand.
Why Saxon, Piper & Lochlan Don’t Have Their Parents' Accents In The White Lotus Season 3
It Is Less Common For Younger Generations To Have Accents
After hearing Isaacs and Posey’s distinctive accents inThe White Lotusseason 3 premiere, some viewers were also questioning why their children, Saxon, Piper, and Lochlan, don’t have accents. While it is a common belief that parents' accents always pass down to their children, this is not always the case. In fact, a lot of children don’t have the same accents as their parents. InThe White Lotus,Saxon, Piper, and Lochlan probably don’t have accents because they interact with people their age much more than their parents.
There’s No Way The White Lotus Season 3’s Worst Character Is The One Who Dies
Considering The White Lotus' history, it seems unlikely that this horrible character will die, though audiences would certainly be pleased.
In September 2023,NPRactually reported that a lot of accents in the United States are disappearing. While people from Timothy and Victoria’s generation still have distinctive Durham accents, the younger generations do not. Since Saxon, Piper, and Lochlan’s peers do not have accents, they have not picked up accents either. Therefore, even though Timothy and Victoria’s accents are so distinctive, it actually makes sense that their children do not have accents inThe White Lotus.
