Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for Season 2 of The White Lotus.
It’s safe to say that HBO’s hit seriesThe White Lotushas its fair share of unique takes and stances. Of all the things you could call this unusual series, though, “hopeful” really isn’t one of them. AsThe White Lotusweaves through the myriad storylines in its second season, among the many echoes of its first, there’s one in particular that sticks out. It’s difficult to ignore that while Season 2 has given viewers an entirely new cast of characters, it’s also given us yet another host of deteriorating marriages. Like its first season,The White Lotus’s second season has a lot to say about marriage, and what it has to say is surely cynical, but it just may be realistic, as well.
Immediately upon introduction to Season 2’s new characters, it’s clear that a messy marriage is at the forefront. It’s so messy, in fact, that only one-half of the couple even made it to the resort for which the series is named. Dominic (Michael Imperioli) is on vacation with his father and son in the wake of destroying his marriage as a result of his infidelity. While his wife didn’t join the family on this trip and viewers don’t actually meet her, her presence in the following episodes is palpable as Dominic grapples with the end of his marriage and his responsibility for it.
Though it seems clear off the bat that Dominic’s marriage will be the one at the season’s center, viewers are quickly reacquainted with Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) and Greg (John Gries), who met during Season 1 and are now married. Once again, it’s clear that Greg (who mentions that he is now on his fourth marriage) is having an affair, and he quickly leaves the resort with Tanya staying behind and contemplating an annulment.
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The Most Deeply Doomed Marriages in ‘The White Lotus’ Belong to Younger Couples
Still, despite these main characters being deep in marriage-related turmoil, these aren’t the most deeply doomed marriages at the core of this season. That award goes to Harper (Aubrey Plaza) and her husband Ethan (Will Sharpe), as well as their vacation companions, Daphne (Meghann Fahy) and Cameron (Theo James). At first glance, Daphne and Cameron seem to have a picture-perfect, albeit often obnoxious marriage, and Harper and Ethan seem slightly out-of-sync yet reasonably stable. Of course, though, as is always true withThe White Lotus,things get much more complicated than they seem at first glance.
Throughout the season, Harper is consistently hyper-focused on proving that Daphne and Cameron’s marriage is not as happy as it seems, and thereby, in her eyes, further validating her own. In fact, when she discovers some of the underlying darkness in Daphne and Cameron’s relationship, she tells Ethan, “They have a twisted relationship, and we are fine. Compared to them, we are fine.” Ultimately, Harper isn’t half as concerned about the actual health of her marriage as she is about how it stacks up to someone else’s.
As scenes between these couples continue on, it’s easy to constantly flip-flop about which pair seems more stable. Harper and Ethan appear to be the stable ones at first glance until we see Daphne and Cameron laughing together when the other couple is fighting. In Season 2’s third episode, “Bull Elephants,” things come to a bit of a head when it’s revealed that Daphne is lying to Cameron, and Cameron is cheating on Daphne. At the same time, Ethan refuses to betray Harper. Once again, the notion of which couple is suffering the most in the perceived competition that Harper is focused on seems to flip in her favor.
Ultimately, the complex dynamics between these two couples prove that not only is one’s perception of anyone else’s marriage impossible to rely on but that how stable a couple is can change like the flip of a switch. While Harper and Ethan certainly have their problems, honesty, faithfulness, and trust seemed like some of their strong suits. Still, those strong suits crumble suddenly at the discovery of a condom wrapper.
In the fifth episode, “That’s Amore,” Harper confides in Daphne about her suspicions that their husbands are having affairs. Daphne seems entirely unconcerned and reveals that she has affairs, as well, before suggesting that Harper do the same, saying “do whatever you have to do to make yourself feel better.” Ultimately, when dealt the same cards, Daphne seems content, while Harper is distraught. Consequently, this revelation seems to suggest that the best solution to your expectations in a marriage being shattered is to further abandon them, rather than trying to live up to them.
The Theme of Marriage in ‘The White Lotus’ Isn’t New
While Season 2 is quite a bit different from Season 1, the theme of marriage is not new for the series’ second season. In the first season, Mark’s (Steve Zahn) affair and betrayal of Nicole (Connie Britton) are revealed and become a central plot point. Of course, also at the story’s center, Shane (Jake Lacy) and Rachel (Alexandra Daddario) are on a honeymoon that makes some of the other marriages look desirable in comparison.
While it’s not at the forefront until Season 2, Episode 5, a poignant scene takes place when Dominic confronts his father, Bert (F. Murray Abraham) about the role he played in Dominic’s penchant for infidelity by cheating on his mother and showing little remorse when he was growing up. In response to the accusation, Bert says, “I loved your mother, and she loved me.” Dominic tells him, “it’s not that simple,” to which he replies, “yes, it is.”
Truthfully, inThe White Lotus, nothing is simple, and no one would argue that depicting marriage as complex can only be considered accurate. Even so, though, while plenty of TV dramas capture the complexities of marriage, few convey it in such a bleak way that seems so definite. Ultimately, the series presents us with many marriages, but not a single one without deep, likely deal-breaking flaws.The White Lotus’s themes and undertones are realistic and gritty, cynical and matter-of-fact. The series has a particular worldview and lens through which it tells its intertwining stories, and as the story has snaked around multiple failing marriages, it’s easy to see how the series feels about these relationships.
The White Lotusplays with what goes on behind closed doors in a marriage and how no marriage is quite as “good” as it seems. And, when Mia (Beatrice Grannò) sings “That’s Amore” as the relationships around her crumble, it’s clear that forThe White Lotus,“amore” is far from happily ever after.
The White LotusSeason 2 premieres new episodes every Sunday on HBO and HBO Max.
