Reel Thoughts: White Lotus Season Two was a television masterpiece

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Illustration by Gemma DeCetra

Stars Tom Hollander and Jennifer Coolidge, who play Quentin and Tanya respectively, were central to season two’s main conflict and buildup.

Kunjal Bastola, Assistant Sports Editor

This article contains spoilers. 

Season two of White Lotus delivered all the excitement, drama and intrigue we were hoping for. These are the top five takeaways from a must-watch second season. 

Tanya McQuoid is nothing short of iconic. 

It’s safe to say Tanya’s life sucks, and it’s quite understandable why she is so miserable. From her dead mother to her cheating husband, she’s lucky that she’s got loads of money to keep her somewhat sane and happy. However, she moves past all of the sadness and shines in her own way. No one other than Tanya McQuoid herself sob inconsolably while killing off an entire boatload of men who are plotting to kill her for her money. 

Her Italian fantasy? No, I don’t know who Monica Vitti is, but do I want to dress like her and ride on a motorcycle with a handsome man in a suit around Sicilian mountains just because Tanya McQuoid did? Absolutely. And so what if she ate all five macarons? I would too. Jennifer Coolidge does a fantastic job playing a character that is both so complex yet also extremely easy to read. 

Last but not least, we can’t forget about the amazing foreshadowing from the first season, where Tanya says death is an immersive experience she has yet to try and ends up drowning in season two. Talk about immersion. 

Portia and Albie were better off with each other.

I mean, let’s face it: neither of them got the happy ending they expected after ending a relationship (if we can even call it that) that was cute, albeit awkward at times. Portia gets left in the dark on the side of the road by Jack, who has the most puzzling relationship with his so-called “Uncle” Quentin, and Albie gets duped out of 50,000 euros. After all that, they still find their way back to each other, ending the season with the classic exchange of phone numbers. 

Harper, Ethan, Cameron and Daphne: rich people and their marriage facades

The dynamic within each couple was both odd and intriguing. Daphne uses her money to buy happiness and forgets the fact that her husband, Cameron, cheats on her. Cameron … well, it’s safe to say other than the fact that Theo James is so incredibly attractive, Cameron sucks. Harper and Ethan, newly rich, find themselves exposed to a world of lies and deceit, especially when it comes to marriage. It was nice to see that Harper and Ethan were able to get past their fighting and be somewhat happy in the end. However, the real question is: what happened between Ethan and Daphne on the island? 

Greg Hunt left early on, yet somehow he was the ultimate winner of this season. 

When it comes to sub-par men, this season had quite the pool, including everyone’s favorite (hint: sarcasm) Greg Hunt. He was there for like, what, one day? His plan was good. Actually, you have to hand it to the guy. I was not expecting him and Quentin to know each other, and I was definitely not expecting Quentin to kill Tanya for her money on behalf of Greg. Poor Tanya. By killing the boatload of men and proceeding to die herself, she ended up leaving Greg with all the money. The best part for him is that he doesn’t even have to share it. What an ending. 

If season two was this good, what can we expect for season 3?

Season two was delivered. HBO has officially renewed the show for a third season, meaning we can expect more mystery, drama and doomed romances very soon. I’m thinking season three will be set in a ski resort in the Swiss Alps or on a cruise ship in the Bahamas, Jennifer Coolidge will somehow make a cameo as Tanya McQuoid — perhaps through a flashback — and, of course, a brand new cast of hot people will be introduced. I’m counting down the days.    

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Twitter: @kunjal_bastola

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