In Season 3, Episode 7 of The White Lotus, titled “Killer Instincts,” the storyline revolves around Piper Ratliff (played by Sarah Catherine Hook) during her experience spending a trial night at a local Thai monastery. Fans are aware that the Ratliff family traveled to Thailand under the impression that Piper, a senior at UNC Chapel Hill, was working on a thesis about Buddhism. However, there is no actual thesis; Piper’s true intention was to explore the monastery to consider if it might be a suitable place to pursue a year of meditation after graduation.

In a previous episode, Piper visited the monastery, and her father, Timothy (portrayed by Jason Isaacs), agreed to let her spend one night there. He suggested that if she found it agreeable, she could enroll in the program.

**Spoilers for The White Lotus Season 3 Episode 7 “Killer Instincts,” now streaming on MAX**

In the latest episode, Lochlan (played by Sam Nivola) expresses a desire to join his sister, while it seems that the prayers of their mother, Victoria (played by Parker Posey), for divine intervention are being answered. Piper appears less impressed with the monastery as her interest fades further when Lochlan suggests accompanying her.

So will Piper quit the monastery before she even starts? Was she serious about her interests to begin with?

When DECIDER spoke with White Lotus star Sarah Catherine Hook, she said the way she thought about it was that Piper “went off to college and was exposed to a whole new world.”

“Especially if you go to liberal arts school, you start to shed the ideas that you are raised on,” Hook said. “Like I’m from Alabama and I went to school in New York and I was in an arts program and I definitely had a very, very [big] culture shock experience there. And I think that’s probably the case for her.”

Throughout The White Lotus Season 3, Piper seems to be the only Ratliff aware of the family’s privilege. Her interest in Buddhism seems to relate to her rejection of her family’s materialism.

“I think a lot of it comes from a place of shame and guilt, but also like a genuine curiosity,” Hook said. “Like I think she’s someone who doesn’t do things lightly and has taken her studies very seriously. Like, I think she is like a ‘little philosopher.’”

However, while Hook was adamant that Piper’s interest is “genuine,” she also admitted that there was something very “funny” about her character’s plan, given her existence in the satirical world of The White Lotus.

“But what is funny is that, like, of course, this little rich girl is like, ‘Yeah, my next move, for my life and career, I’m going to let my dad pay for me to live in a monastery for a year.’ You know what I mean?” she said, giggling. “That’s kind of where the question mark comes about for me.”

“At least that’s how I saw it. I was like, ‘This is so classic White Lotus!’”

After last night’s episode, it looks like the “little rich girl” in Piper could very well be peeking out.