‘The White Lotus’ ends season 2 with many unanswered questions

HBO the white lotus wrapped up its second season with an incredible finale, as all that simmering tension and sneaky suspicion finally exploded into a bloodbath.

spoilers ahead

As the credits of a satisfying story rolled, there were still more than a few unanswered questions, such as…

Unfaithful

Harper (Aubrey Plaza) and her husband Ethan (Will Sharpe) have been fighting for most of their vacation, their sex life constantly corroding, forced to spend quality time with Cameron (Theo James) and Daphne (Meghann Fahy) a wealthy and unsavory couple with whom they share little in common, other than the means to stay at the titular resort.

Harper has been holding a grudge, suspecting (with strong evidence) that Ethan slept with a prostitute, while Ethan also suspects Harper of being unfaithful, having found Harper and Cameron alone in a hotel room together, with the door locked. . After lengthy questioning, Harper admits to kissing Cameron, framing herself as something of a passive participant.

Part of what makes the pair’s big fight so interesting is that we don’t know the extent of Harper’s cheating; Is she telling the truth that her and Cameron’s intimate moment was just a kiss? We have to measure Plaza’s performance to find out.

For what it’s worth, I think Harper is telling the truth, but a little damage control isn’t beyond the realm, since her marriage is on the line, along with Cameron and Ethan’s friendship (which, to be honest, , it doesn’t seem worth saving).

Then there’s the matter of Ethan and Daphne, who clearly shared a moment of passion on a secluded island, after Ethan seemed determined to exact revenge for Harper and Cameron’s betrayal. We have no idea what the two of them did on that island, but we do know that Ethan didn’t walk away from her, and Daphne knows how to keep a secret, for her own sanity.

The story ends with Cameron and Daphne back in their toxic but strangely functional relationship, and with Harper and Ethan’s struggles seemingly strengthening their bond. The couple does not know the extent of each other’s cheating, and probably never will; like the audience, they are left to draw their own conclusions.

By now, they’ve both been unfaithful, but there’s nothing left to be gained by delving into the details; The only question worth asking is, is your relationship meaningful enough to save?

From their body language, the two seem to have discovered something, and their worst moments are left behind in the shadows, tucked away in the same dark place where Daphne suppresses her anger.

The murder plot

Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) and her assistant Portia (Haley Lu Richardson) find themselves embroiled in a mysterious and sinister plot, with Tanya’s gay best friend Quentin (Tom Hollander) and Portia’s crush Jack (Leo Woodall) separating deliberately targeting the two women, apparently so that Tanya could be killed, without bothering eyewitnesses.

While the series never fully answered questions about the murder plot, it appears that Tanya’s husband Greg (Jon Gries) was in league with Quentin, had signed a prenup, and only had the right to collect if Tanya dies.

By the middle of the finale, he was convinced that the murder plot was a grand hoax, as Tanya spent a paranoid night on a boat with Quentin and his friends, convinced that they intended to kill her. But as the finale progressed and it was revealed that Jack had been deliberately distracting Portia, even removing her mask from her and warning her to stay away from what was going on with Tanya, he seems almost certain that the murder plot was true. .

Tanya discovers a suspiciously planted gun and decides to shoot her way out of the situation, but never gets a straight answer; the dying Quentin refuses to elaborate on what his intentions really were, and if anyone else is involved behind the scenes.

Interestingly, Tanya really wanted to know if Greg was cheating on her, but unfortunately, even that question went unanswered.

In the end, the exact details of the murder plot didn’t make much of a difference to Tanya, as she tries to get on the yacht’s lifeboat in a drunken panic and slides into the sea, hitting her head on the way down. It’s a tragic and uncomfortably realistic ending for one of the best characters on the show.

Coolidge really nailed this performance, imbuing this regally messy, selfish woman with deep vulnerability; In her hands, Tanya was incredibly likeable and convincing, not despite, but because of her many flaws.

As for Portia, it is unclear if Jack was also tasked with murdering her or simply keeping her away from the scene of the crime; Either way, she survived the White Lotus and perhaps gained a bit more insight about strangers she can’t trust.

What will the scenario be? the white lotus season 3?

So far, the series has moved from Hawaii to Italy, and both locations provide beautiful backdrops, shot to look like paradise on Earth (and Italy inspired Season 2’s killer opening sequence).

In an interview about the finale, series creator Mike White hinted that season 3 could take place in Asia:

“Season one featured money, and then season two is sex,” White explained. “I think season three would perhaps be a funny, satirical look at death and Eastern religion and spirituality. It looks like it could be a rich tapestry to do another round on White Lotus.”

Wherever season 3 ends, it seems likely that there will be another scenic beach, where the next body may wash up on shore.