This article contains major spoilers for the most recent episode of The White Lotus.

The White Lotus executive producer David Bernad has insisted there was never a conversation about whether a scene in the show’s latest instalment was pushing the boundaries a little too much.

Over the course of the series, fans have had their eyes on the Ratliff brothers, played by Patrick Schwarzenegger and Sam Nivola, following an inappropriate bedtime conversation in episode one that culminated in Saxon walking nude to the bathroom to masturbate, while Lochlan’s gaze lingered on him.

In this week’s offering, the brothers actually shared an intoxicated kiss – albeit at the request of a fellow guest they were trying to impress while partying on a yacht.

As you’d expect, the kiss between the two brothers has already generated a lot of conversation since it aired in the US on Sunday night, though Bernad is adamant that there’s more to the storyline than just “shock” value.

“In terms of that – that’s all Mike [White, creator of The White Lotus],” he told the New York Post.

Bernad added: “Mike is brilliant, and I think those big story turns are not just for shock.

“There’s a specific reason in terms of the narrative storytelling, and the larger thematic idea Mike is trying to get across.”

He also claimed that as the rest of the series unfolds, viewers will “see the purpose of that story turn”.

“The show goes there for a larger thematic idea,” Bernad continued. “I love that family storyline, especially the brother story – and, it culminates in a very satisfying way.”

Similarly, Patrick Schwarzenegger told The Hollywood Reporter: “There’s always more than what meets the eye of the shock value on screen.”

During an interview on Today, he elaborated more on what motivated the kiss, explaining: “[Mike White] wants to leave that up to the interpretation of the audience of what is happening.

“Was a power shift happening? Is there a different power dynamic between him and Lochy? Is Lochy coming on to him? Is it the drugs? Is it the girls pressuring him? What is it? So, I think he leaves that open-ended for the audience to try to decipher.”

However, co-star Charlotte Le Bon has also claimed that filming the kiss scene wasn’t something Patrick was altogether comfortable with.

The White Lotus continues every Monday on Sky and Now in the UK.