The White Lotus season 3 brings in a plethora of new characters, but does not offer up much about their backstories. Thankfully, Aimee Lou Wood was willing to offer some insight into how Rick (Walton Goggins) and Chelsea (Wood) met and what their relationship is like, while Michelle Monaghan (who plays the seemingly carefree Jaclyn) explains the female vs male dynamics that are heavily featured this season.

Just by the nature of the show, lead characters are often shrouded in mystery regardless of the screen time they receive. For the most part, we only see them for one week of their lives, leaving a lot to be curious about. The White Lotus season 3 takes place in Thailand, where the cast also filmed, but many of the characters are carrying baggage into their exotic vacation — or in Chelsea's case, trying to carry her much older boyfriend's secret baggage for him.

ScreenRant chatted with Aimee Lou Wood and Michelle Monaghan about the new season of The White Lotus and their characters' backgrounds. Wood reveals what was discussed between herself, Goggins, and show creator and writer Mike White, about how Rick and Chelsea met.

"There Was More Stuff Originally In There About How They Met"

Aimee Lou Wood Reveals Original Script Details That Offer Insight Into Rick & Chelsea's Relationship

The White Lotus season 3 has to balance several different storylines and plot points, each of which is thrilling and exciting in its own way. Rick and Chelsea's appears to be the most mysterious, with viewers never learning how they met and ended up together. "Mike's been so clever with that stuff because he's kept such mystery, and we're saying he's so good at pace, so you find out more and more and more," Wood teases, before adding "I love the fact that Chelsea's constantly saying to Rick, he's so mysterious, and actually she's just as mysterious. It's like one finger pointing and three pointing back."

Wood explains that Chelsea likes being in the present and does not care about the past. "Ironically, you actually learn more about Rick's life than Chelsea's life. She's very good at deflecting," Wood confesses. She adds that "there was more stuff originally in there about how they met," divulging that "it was while she was traveling. They did a lot of drugs together and she just kind of decided that is my soulmate. This is my life's mission."

"I think in a great way, it's a mystery to her and to him as well as it is to the audience," Wood says. "Walton and I definitely were like, this bond is so mysterious, but we just totally have to buy into it. And we did."

"We've Been Socially Conditioned To Constantly Compare Or Judge Ourselves Against One Another"

Michelle Monaghan Dives Into The Relationship The Friend Group Has & Why It Has Become This Way

Laurie (Carrie Coon), Kate (Leslie Bibb), and Jaclyn (Monaghan) might appear to be best friends, but it doesn't take long to realize that their relationship is strained. Whenever two of them are together, they are constantly complaining and gossiping about the other one. Monaghan says it was fun to explore what Mike White is doing this season in of "the extreme expectations that we put on each other as women."

She its that "we've been socially conditioned to constantly compare or judge ourselves against one another" and that she loves that Mike is going there in season three. "These are relationships that, of course, are heightened in the White Lotusy way, but are also very, very relatable and, I think, ring true for a lot of women out there."

It's just all such juicy and gooey and gossipy goodness.

Monaghan confesses that the three of them had a lot of fun "leaning into those gossipy, designed by Mike, round Robin gossip," before gushing over Mike's work. "He's just so great to collaborate with, and it's just all such juicy and gooey and gossipy goodness." She also teases what is to come later down the road for the women, "we start to see that facade start to come down. They're all struggling in their own way and that just manifests as the season goes on, it starts to devolve more and more."

"It's Like Holding A Mirror Up To Unhealthy Dynamics And Codependency"

Aimee Lou Wood & Michelle Monaghan Dish On Their Favorite Storylines Of Season 3

Chelsea and Jaclyn do not get to spend much time together on screen, but both Wood and Monaghan wish they were able to because they feel the two characters could help each other out. Because of the nature of the show, however, the two became close in real life as they spent six months together living in the same hotel. Both actresses it that they could not wait to see how each other's storylines played out on the screen.

Wood its that when she was on set, during the dinner and breakfast scenes when the whole cast came together, she would constantly find herself watching them: "I would hear Leslie, Carrie and Michelle just doing their thing and I would be like, I need to watch and I have to pretend to be eating my watermelon, or whatever, but I want to turn and watch." She explains that this is because she could relate to the ladies' storyline and found it the "most confronting".

She details, "it's so relatable, and it's so claustrophobic. It's like holding a mirror up to unhealthy dynamics and codependency and all that stuff. That's the one that gets me the most. When I'm watching those scenes, I'm just looking through my fingers because I think they're so real and so tense and so confronting and challenging."

They promise they were not just hyping each other up, and were genuine about their answers, but Monaghan chose the Chelsea and Rick plot point as the one she found to be the most interesting. "They were always to the side during those iconic dinner scenes, and she's not lying, that's the thing that you live to be on the White Lotus for." She praises Goggins and Wood, saying "they have such a banter. Their back and forth is so fast and sort of furious. I really loved it so much."

The White Lotus season 3 will air on HBO every Sunday at 9PM through its season finale on April 6. The series has already been renewed for a fourth season.

Check out our other The White Lotus Season 3 interviews here:

• Parker Posey
• Sarah Catherine Hook & Sam Nivola
• Natasha Rothwell (coming after episode 6)
• Jason Isaacs & Patrick Schwarzenegger (coming after episode 6)

Source: Screen Rant Plus