I loved the finale of The White Lotus. Let’s talk about Season 2.

After seven straight Sundays of gripping television, our anticipation finally concluded with a 70-minute jaw-dropping season finale. The sex-crazed Italian vacation defined by infidelity, sex-for-hire, and all-too-suspicious coincidences finally came to a close with, as promised, multiple bodies being carted off the beach of the White Lotus in Sicily.

And so while we wait for Season 3 (set in whichever vacation town White would like to visit next) let’s go through each character/plot-line from the season, how it ended, and what the show was trying to say with each of these people. I’ll try to group them together as best I can.

*** Spoilers Ahead ***

The Gays, Tonya, and Greg

Well, I guess she’s not in Season 3, then! After being brought along as the sole carry-over from Season 1, Tonya is axed in the finale due to her own maladroitness.

I really liked how the final scene on Quentin’s yacht played out. Tonya, even with her airheadedness, wasn’t so stupid; she deserved that “ah-ha” moment on the phone with Portia. She was smart enough to uncover The Gays’ scheme for her demise and understand how it all connected back to Greg. And yet, that Rambo-style sequence of her firing away perfectly epitomized her character. Through tears, she fired away in a crowded hallway, then a concealed living space, connecting on most of her targets even with her eyes closed.

Many on Twitter and on the White Lotus subreddit (of which I have become a relatively active lurker) made this scene out to be a theory-buster of sorts, but I don’t agree at all. Sure, no one saw Jennifer Coolidge clumsily falling off the guardrail of a yacht after successfully taking out the mafioso man there to kill her — which, by the way, I can’t believe she actually though she could make that jump — but the eagled-eyed viewers predicted the Cowboy Greg storyline even before the proof in Quentin’s bedside keepsake (pictured above).

The humor in these scenes of the culminating episode cannot be lost. Tonya felt like the proverbial walls were closing in on her, and they were! She spilled her guts to the boat captain… only to realize he could not discern any of her english ramblings besides that, of course, he, too, was gay. Later in the night, all Quentin could spit out were guts when Tonya used her final moments with him to pitifully ask “was Greg having an affair?” Girl, who cares?

The Gays, like Cameron, (but more on that later) represented an affluent class of people who put on an affront of wealth while trying to act as if their true intentions lie in maintaining public spaces. From the first episode that we are introduced to the palazzo in Palermo, Quentin gripes about how the dwelling should stay private and not let any old tourist wander through. Jack spills the drunken beans to Portia in Episode 6 that they need money to maintain the lavish institution.

I’m just happy the storyline ultimately got us somewhere, because in the beginning I was almost as bored as Greg seemed on the Vespa. Ultimately, Quentin and his posse get what they deserve, and Tonya’s death is very on-the-nose for her character. Like Mike White said in the Behind The Scenes for HBO after the episode, it just wouldn’t have been right for her to have been murdered.

The Two Young Couples

The Yale roommates were back to their old tricks, or so it seemed. This storyline was by far in a way the most unpredictable in my opinion. Much of the credit is owed to Meghann Fahy, whose composed facial expressions told the audience as much, if not more, than any dialogue could have attempted to.

All season, tension existed between Cameron and Harper as it became clear that he wanted to have sex with her. Maybe it was a power move against Ethan, whose girls he would pounce on back in college, or maybe that was just his desire — we saw him with Lucia, after all.

In the final panning scene at the airport, the audience is treated to the two couples seating with their backs facing each other waiting to board. Cameron is looking off into the distance, oblivious of his wife, who caresses his cheek, begging for a kiss. As the camera pans away, Cameron looks away and Daphne sits back in her chair. Harper and Ethan, on the other hand, are gazing off into the sunset together.

Ethan gives his wife a kiss on the head, prompting a deep look into each others eyes. The latter couple’s kiss, although much subtler, reflected a much more genuine romance in my eyes.

This storyline was defined by unanswered questions — and one that I think we got the answer to.

Why did Cameron invited Ethan and Harper on this vacation, and is it because he needs money? Did Cameron and Harper have sex? Does Daphne cheat on Cameron with her trainer, the real father of (at least one of) her children? What did Daphne and Ethan do on that island?

The story proved to be one of catharsis. Cameron appeared to haveeach of them, in one way or another, wrapped around his finger. Daphne, whom he was married to, knew he cheated on her. Cam was Ethan’s old college roommate who always “stole” his girls. He was doing it again to Harper, who despised him and his idiot worldview, but still couldn’t resist the allure of another man while her husband more interested in porn.

Daphne had her ways of dealing with him, she told both Harper and Ethan. Harper was advised to “get trainer,” and not even Mike White seems to know what took place on the island between Ethan and Daphne. Ethan pummeled Cameron mid-swim, releasing a tension that had been building up for episodes. Harper’s catharsis came after being kissed by Cameron, which finally put her on even ground with Ethan after discovering a condom in their couch days earlier.

Cameron’s pitch to Ethan earlier in the season to invest with his company seemed to indicate that he had, in fact, invited his newly rich former roommate along on vacation just to get a slice of the pie, but an elusive sequence in the finale revealed that he did still have funds. As Daphne approached the m’aître d’ before the couples final dinner as a foursome, Cameron slipped Lucia an envelope with the money she was owed for their molly & hot tub night. Turns out he had the funds, he was just a douchebag.

Ethan and Harper’s sex in the final episode saw a brief bump in the road when the creepy bust came crashing down to the ground. While it literally eroded into pieces, it metaphorically represented the death of the possibility of permanent infidelity and possible deathly consequences that could from it.

There was some beautiful blissful ignorance in Cameron and Daphne’s relationship that I think helped Harper and Cameron recapture their attraction and love for one another. But ultimately, the timid’s couple ability to be honest with each allowed for more a more honest, and less performative, love.

The Three Generations of Di Grasso

Oh, men. I found the Di Grasso storyline to be a wonderful representation of men and their complicated relationship with women. All three members of the family — Albie, Dominic, and Burt— depict various stages of a sexually adventurous man, but all echo common themes.

Burt, the grandfather, is a candle who has all but lost his flame. He no longer spends his nights with young women, instead satisfying his needs with longing looks in the hotel restaurant. He’s at peace with the relationship with his now-deceased wife, even though his son insists she knew of all his misdeeds. With little left to live for, he is content to share his most personal sexual thoughts without much of a filter at the dinner table even to the disgust of his son and grandson.

Dominic, the father, is still holding on to his crumbling marriage with Albie’s mother, who has seemingly left him out to dry for his infidelity. The worst of him is still there when he sleeps with Lucia, but he ultimately still works to regain the trust and love of his partner — which he hopes is reflected in the “karmic payment” he is forced to make at his son’s wishes.

Albie has yet to get attached to one girl, a surprising development considering he seems to flock to whichever bird is in his nest. He and Portia go their separate ways after each looking for better partners only to be re-united in the airport and immediately offer up their phone numbers. He won’t lose sleep over $50,000 of his dad’s money and just look for the next girl.

Each man thinks he knows best. Albie is the Gen Z progressive who will take any woman’s word at gospel, Dom a practical man who thinks either member of his family is way off target, while Burt… is from “a different generation.”

But no matter if any of these three men are working on self-improvement or are content to revert back to their ways, they’ll still all be stuck staring at the pretty girl in the airport when she walks by.

The Locals

Good for Lucia and Mia! They each entered the season with goals, accomplished them, and learned something themselves along the way. Lucia played Albie like a fiddle; Alessio was always on her side. She made her money and kept it moving. Mia was less sure about being an escort, but was ultimately able to land the pianist gig at the hotel… even if it required fucking the right people.

Speaking of the right people, Valentina showed some real growth by the end. Clearly swept off her feet by female attention, the moves she made towards Isabella were unprofessional and a bit gross. She finally accepts her relationship with Rocco in the finale.

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I loved the White Lotus and the new tone of the second season. While we await details for the third installment, you’ll find me listening to that theme song on repeat and recommending the HBO show to any friend that’ll listen.

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