The White Lotus

The White Lotus
Title card for the first season
Genre	Comedy drama[1] Satire[2] Black comedy[3] Anthology
Created by	Mike White
Written by	Mike White
Directed by	Mike White
Starring	see below
Music by	Cristobal Tapia de Veer Kim Neundorf
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	13
Production
Executive producers	Nick Hall David Bernad Mike White Mark Kamine
Producers	John M. Valerio Heather Persons Todd Brown
Production locations	Hawaii Sicily
Cinematography	Ben Kutchins Xavier Grobet
Editors	Heather Persons John M. Valerio
Running time	54–77 minutes
Production companies	HBO Entertainment Pallogram The District Rip Cord Productions
Distributor	Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Release
Original network	HBO
Original release	July 11, 2021 (2021-07-11) – present (present)

The White Lotus is an American black comedy-drama anthology television series created by Mike White for HBO.^[4][5] It follows the guests and employees of the fictional White Lotus resort chain, whose stay is affected by their various psychosocial dysfunctions. The first season is set in Hawaii and the second season is set in Sicily.

Intended as a six-part limited series, The White Lotus premiered on July 11, 2021, to critical acclaim and high ratings. The show's success led to HBO renewing it as an anthology series; a second season premiered on October 30, 2022.^[6] In November 2022, the series was renewed for a third season.^[7]

The American Film Institute named it one of the ten best television programs of 2021 and 2022.^[8][9] The first season was the most-awarded series at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards, winning 10 awards, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series, Outstanding Writing and Outstanding Directing for White, Outstanding Supporting Actress for Jennifer Coolidge, and Outstanding Supporting Actor for Murray Bartlett.^[10]

Premise

The series details "a week in the life of vacationers as they relax and rejuvenate in paradise. With each passing day, a darker complexity emerges in these picture-perfect travelers, the hotel's cheerful employees, and the idyllic locale itself."^[11]

Cast and characters

Season 1

Main

• Murray Bartlett as Armond,^[12] the manager of the White Lotus resort and a recovering drug addict who has been sober for five years
• Connie Britton as Nicole Mossbacher,^[12] a CFO of a search engine company
• Jennifer Coolidge as Tanya McQuoid,^[12] a troubled woman whose mother recently died who seeks inner peace and discovery
• Alexandra Daddario as Rachel Patton,^[12] a newlywed struggling journalist who does clickbait gigs
• Fred Hechinger as Quinn Mossbacher,^[12] Nicole and Mark's socially awkward, screen-addicted teenage son
• Jake Lacy as Shane Patton,^[12] Rachel's husband, who is a demanding and entitled wealthy real estate agent
• Brittany O'Grady as Paula,^[12] Olivia's less privileged but equally caustic mixed-race friend from college
• Natasha Rothwell as Belinda Lindsey,^[12] the resort's kindly spa manager, who develops a complicated relationship with Tanya
• Sydney Sweeney as Olivia Mossbacher,^[12] Nicole and Mark's sardonic daughter who is a college sophomore
• Steve Zahn as Mark Mossbacher,^[12] Nicole's husband who is dealing with a health crisis
• Molly Shannon as Kitty Patton,^[13] Shane's overbearing mother, who pays for his honeymoon and makes a less than welcome unannounced visit

Recurring

• Lukas Gage as Dillon,^[13] a staffer at the White Lotus
• Kekoa Scott Kekumano as Kai,^[13] a Native Hawaiian staffer at the White Lotus who forms a connection with Paula
• Jon Gries as Greg Hunt,^[13] a White Lotus guest who connects with Tanya
• Alec Merlino as Hutch,^[14] a waiter at the White Lotus

Guest

• Jolene Purdy as Lani,^[13] a trainee at the White Lotus who disguises her pregnancy

Season 2

Main

• F. Murray Abraham as Bert Di Grasso,^[15] Dominic's elderly, womanizing father
• Jennifer Coolidge as Tanya McQuoid-Hunt,^[12] reprising her role from the first season
• Adam DiMarco as Albie Di Grasso,^[15] Dominic's affable, socially awkward son, a recent Stanford graduate
• Meghann Fahy as Daphne Sullivan,^[16] Cameron's seemingly sweet but manipulative stay-at-home wife
• Beatrice Grannò as Mia, a local aspiring singer who resists her friend Lucia's attempts to introduce her to sex work^[17]
• Jon Gries as Greg Hunt, Tanya's volatile husband, reprising his role from the first season^[18]
• Tom Hollander as Quentin,^[15] a wealthy gay English expat traveling with his friends and nephew, Jack
• Sabrina Impacciatore as Valentina, the strict, no-nonsense manager of the White Lotus in Sicily^[17]
• Michael Imperioli as Dominic Di Grasso,^[19] a sex-addicted Hollywood producer traveling with his father Bert and son Albie
• Theo James as Cameron Sullivan,^[16] a cocky and scheming investments manager, Daphne's husband and Ethan's college friend
• Aubrey Plaza as Harper Spiller,^[20] a straitlaced lawyer, Ethan's wife
• Haley Lu Richardson as Portia,^[15] Tanya's rudderless young assistant whom she brings on her vacation
• Will Sharpe as Ethan Spiller,^[16] a newly wealthy tech entrepreneur, Harper's husband and Cameron's college friend
• Simona Tabasco as Lucia, a local hustler and sex worker^[17]
• Leo Woodall as Jack, a cheeky and charismatic young man from Essex, whom Quentin introduces as his nephew.^[16]

Recurring

• Federico Ferrante as Rocco, a concierge at the White Lotus to whom Valentina has taken an inordinate dislike
• Eleonora Romandini as Isabella, a concierge at the White Lotus with a permanent smile
• Federico Scribani Rossi as Giuseppe, a lecherous middle-aged lounge singer and pianist at the White Lotus
• Francesco Zecca as Matteo, Quentin's friend
• Paolo Camilli as Hugo, Quentin's friend
• Bruno Gouery as Didier, Quentin's friend

Guest

• Laura Dern (voice) as Abby, Dominic's estranged wife^[21]

Episodes

Season	Episodes		Originally aired
			First aired	Last aired
1	6		July 11, 2021 (2021-07-11)	August 15, 2021 (2021-08-15)
2	7		October 30, 2022 (2022-10-30)	December 11, 2022 (2022-12-11)

Season 1 (2021)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	U.S. viewers (millions)
1	1	"Arrivals"	Mike White	Mike White	July 11, 2021 (2021-07-11)	0.420[22]
Shane Patton watches as a box containing human remains is loaded onto an airplane. Seven days earlier: wealthy patrons arrive at the White Lotus resort on Maui. They are greeted by manager Armond and his pregnant employee Lani. Shane and his new wife Rachel arrive for their honeymoon. Shane becomes fixated on a booking error, causing Rachel to question their relationship. Tanya McQuoid, who has come to spread her mother's ashes, is desperate for a massage, but the spa is fully booked. Belinda, the spa's manager, instead guides her in a ceremonial chant. Tech CFO Nicole Mossbacher argues with her husband Mark about his potential cancer diagnosis; Mark decides to spend time with their son Quinn. Their daughter Olivia and her friend Paula lounge by the pool and make snide remarks about Rachel, a professional listicle writer. Lani's waters break, but Armond ignores her. Lani begins to give birth as the guests dine. Mark receives a call from his doctor, but is disconnected before he learns his diagnosis. Rachel and Shane agree to put the day's conflict behind them and resume their earlier tryst.
2	2	"New Day"	Mike White	Mike White	July 18, 2021 (2021-07-18)	0.459[23]
Mark is elated when his cancer diagnosis comes back negative, but he learns from his uncle that his father actually died of AIDS and lived a double life as a gay man. Shane calls his mother to have their travel agent reprimand Armond over the booking error. Rachel considers taking a new writing assignment, but Shane insists she does not have to work again. Rachel meets Nicole, who advises her to maintain her independence. However, when Nicole learns that Rachel wrote a listicle mentioning her, Nicole criticizes Rachel's reporting, making Rachel question her career further. After more pestering from Shane, Rachel abandons the job. Olivia and Paula enjoy drugs on the beach until they are approached by Tanya and leave, forgetting Paula's bag of drugs. The bag is turned over to Armond, who keeps it and uses the drugs due to his stress despite being a recovering addict. Olivia becomes jealous when she sees Paula flirting with Kai, a hotel employee. Tanya invites Belinda to dinner and offers to fund a possible wellness business, which Belinda considers. When Quinn is kicked out of the hotel room by Olivia, he decides to go to the beach where he watches in awe of a group of whales jumping in the ocean.
3	3	"Mysterious Monkeys"	Mike White	Mike White	July 25, 2021 (2021-07-25)	0.478[24]
As the guests of the White Lotus wake for the day, Paula remains cagey about her tryst to an increasingly suspicious Olivia, while Quinn's electronics are washed away as he sleeps on the beach. Shane and Rachel have sex, but Rachel worries whether their marriage is predicated on Shane's sexual attraction to her. To console her, Shane plans a romantic dinner, but Armond, fed up with Shane's incessant complaining, recommends for their dinner a sunset boat ride, without revealing that Tanya has chartered it to spread her mother's ashes in the ocean. Tanya believes the honeymooners have joined to support her, and the ensuing discomfort enrages Shane. Mark remains distraught over his discovery about his father, and gets increasingly drunk while proceeding through awkward encounters with his son, Rachel, and other women at the bar, culminating in a tepid speech when he joins his family for dinner and a rebuffed attempt to initiate sex with Nicole. Armond also spirals after relapsing from his five-year sobriety, drinking and taking Paula's prescription medication. He flirts with hotel staffer Dillon, and reveals to Mark that he is gay, even propositioning Mark when he expresses his curiosity about anal sex. As the guests return to bed, Olivia follows Paula and sees her and Kai have sex.
4	4	"Recentering"	Mike White	Mike White	August 1, 2021 (2021-08-01)	0.515[25]
Quinn wakes on the beach again to see Hawaiians singing and bringing their canoe ashore. He introduces himself later that afternoon. Tanya informs the girls that Armond does have Paula's backpack, and when they confront him, he decides to give it back, drugs and all; however, after Shane angrily demands to speak with Armond's boss, a livid Armond takes the drugs and returns the backpack without them. Tanya and Belinda plan to have dinner together to discuss the wellness center, but the former cancels when she is asked out by Greg, a sport fisherman staying in the room next to hers. Kitty, Shane's mother, arrives at their honeymoon hotel, much to Rachel's chagrin. Mark reveals to Quinn that he cheated on Nicole. However, at dinner, Quinn unwittingly reveals knowledge of Mark's affair in front of Nicole. Armond invites Dillon to his office to take drugs and have sex, for money. When Shane learns that Armond gave him a fake number for his boss, he storms into the manager's office and comes upon Armond performing anilingus on Dillon.
5	5	"The Lotus-Eaters"	Mike White	Mike White	August 8, 2021 (2021-08-08)	0.541[25]
After getting caught having sex with Dillon by Shane, Armond is forced to move Shane and Rachel into the Pineapple Suite free of charge to avoid repercussions. Rachel begins to worry that she has become a trophy wife after talking with Kitty and second-guesses marrying Shane. Belinda tries to get Tanya to look at her business proposal, but Tanya is more concerned about Greg's interest in her. Tanya admits to Greg that she is an emotional wreck, but Greg is undeterred. Quinn enjoys paddling with a group of locals. Paula gives Kai the code to the Mossbachers' safe and convinces him to steal a pair of expensive bracelets to pay for a lawsuit against the hotel. Nicole rebukes Mark for confessing his affair to Quinn. As the Mossbachers prepare to go scuba diving in the ocean, Nicole breaks down over the pressure of having to provide for her family and receiving no respect for it and goes back to the hotel, with Mark following her. Unbeknownst to them, Kai is in their hotel room trying to steal the bracelets. Mark saves Nicole, but is beaten by Kai, who escapes. The hotel comps their stay and Mark finally gets respect from Nicole and their children, but Olivia is suspicious that Paula is involved with the robbery.
6	6	"Departures"	Mike White	Mike White	August 15, 2021 (2021-08-15)	0.850[26]
Rachel tells Shane that she regrets marrying him. Tanya decides to stay with Greg despite his terminal illness and tells Belinda she wants to end her dependency on transactional relationships, leaving her a large sum of cash instead. Dejected, Belinda discards her business plan. Kai gets arrested and the Mossbachers' stolen jewelry is recovered, confirming Olivia's suspicions about Paula. Paula admits her involvement in the robbery, but accuses Olivia of being as privileged as the rest of her family. The two later reconcile when Paula expresses her regret. Quinn tells his parents he wants to stay on the island to join the local paddlers, which they dismiss outright. Shane hears of the robbery while talking to the Mossbachers and calls his travel agent, who informs Armond's superior. This in turn gets Armond fired from the White Lotus. Armond spends his last workday getting heavily intoxicated on Olivia and Paula's remaining drugs. That night, after serving dinner, Armond sneaks into Shane's suite and defecates in his suitcase. However, Shane returns before Armond can leave. Sensing an intruder, Shane arms himself with a pineapple knife and inadvertently stabs Armond, killing him. Armond's body is loaded onto the guests' return flight. Rachel arrives at the airport and decides to stay with Shane. Quinn leaves the airport after the rest of his family boards the plane and joins the Hawaiian paddlers.

Season 2 (2022)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	U.S. viewers (millions)
7	1	"Ciao"	Mike White	Mike White	October 30, 2022 (2022-10-30)	0.460[27]
Several guests at the White Lotus in Taormina, Sicily, are found to have died at a nearby beach. A week earlier, a group of guests arrives at the White Lotus, greeted by its short-tempered manager Valentina. Among them is Tanya, who is now married to Greg, though their relationship has begun to strain. Greg is angered to learn that Tanya brought along her young assistant Portia to a romantic getaway; to appease him while still retaining Portia's services, Tanya orders Portia to stay in her room to remain out of sight. An upset Portia later meets and bonds with Albie Di Grasso, a recent Stanford graduate who is exploring his ancestral roots in Sicily alongside his father Dominic – a Hollywood producer whose marriage is failing due to his numerous infidelities – and womanizing grandfather Bert. Meanwhile, married couple Ethan and Harper Spiller join Ethan's brash college roommate Cameron Sullivan and his wife Daphne on a trip to Sicily. Harper is quickly put off by Cameron and Daphne, believing their constant displays of affection to be insincere. Cameron deliberately exposes himself to Harper while changing into his swimming trunks. Ethan brushes off Harper's concerns and says Cameron probably didn't realize she could see him. Lucia, a local sex worker, sneaks into the resort with her friend Mia, and goes to meet her latest client, Dominic.
8	2	"Italian Dream"	Mike White	Mike White	November 6, 2022 (2022-11-06)	0.421[28]
Dominic sets up Lucia and Mia at the hotel as his guests. Portia joins the Di Grasso family on a visit to the ancient theatre of Taormina, where Bert continues to make inappropriate conversation. Albie and Portia discuss their romantic preferences over dinner, and Portia later violates her non-disclosure agreement with Tanya by divulging sordid details of Tanya's past to Albie. Albie awkwardly kisses Portia at the end of their night. Bert, meanwhile, chastises Dominic for being "sloppy" in how he conducts his extramarital affairs. Dominic later explains to Lucia that he wants to overcome his sex addiction, but relents when she and Mia offer to "thank" him for letting them enjoy the hotel's amenities on his tab. Ethan and Harper struggle to build sexual chemistry while on the trip, in contrast to Cameron and Daphne. Cameron makes another pass at Harper while swimming. Harper later apologizes to Ethan for being a "shrew" and promises to enjoy their trip. Greg tells Tanya he has to fly back to Denver for work. She later overhears him on the phone with his possible lover.
9	3	"Bull Elephants"	Mike White	Mike White	November 13, 2022 (2022-11-13)	0.474[29]
Bert tells Dominic he spotted Lucia and Mia leaving his room; Dominic, feeling guilty and ashamed, severs ties with Lucia. Albie tries to impress Portia on a day trip with his family, but Tanya calls her away; she is very upset about Greg's departure and needs Portia's support. Tanya consults a tarot reader, who tells her that Greg is in love with someone else. That evening, Albie attempts to be more sexually forward with Portia, but she finds herself instead attracted to a British man she spots at the hotel pool. Daphne and Harper visit Noto while Cameron and Ethan spend the day jetskiing. Daphne has secretly rented a palazzo in Noto for one night, where she tells Harper that although she is aware of Cameron's infidelity, she chooses not to see herself as a victim. She also insinuates that Cameron's business partners are engaged in criminal activity. Disappointed that Ethan did not give him any insider trading tips, Cameron attempts to persuade Ethan to invest in his company. They spend the night drinking, taking MDMA and partying with Lucia and Mia; Cameron has sex with Lucia, but Ethan turns down Mia.
10	4	"In the Sandbox"	Mike White	Mike White	November 20, 2022 (2022-11-20)	0.416[30]
Cameron does not pay Lucia and Mia in full. Harper and Daphne return from Noto. When Harper presses Ethan about last night, he admits only to getting drunk, concealing Cameron's infidelity. Harper is shocked to discover a condom wrapper in their room but spends the day fuming about it rather than confronting Ethan. Tanya is befriended by Quentin, a wealthy British gay man who lives in Palermo. He introduces her to his friends and she has a great time. Portia meets his nephew Jack, whom she had earlier spotted at the pool, and they hit it off. Albie, meanwhile, meets Lucia while waiting for Portia. Unaware that she is a sex worker who slept with his father, they get on well. While Lucia is beginning to question her own life choices, Mia suddenly decides to have sex with Giuseppe in order to further her musical career, ignoring Lucia's attempts to dissuade her. This backfires when Giuseppe, unable to perform sexually, takes some pills thinking they are Viagra. He later collapses during his evening gig and is taken away in an ambulance. Shortly after Jack and Portia leave the bar to sleep together, Albie and Lucia go back to his room, where she performs oral sex on him.
11	5	"That's Amore"	Mike White	Mike White	November 27, 2022 (2022-11-27)	0.641[31]
Ethan finally comes clean with Harper after discovering the condom wrapper; she grudgingly accepts his apology. The two couples go on a wine-tasting trip on which an increasingly drunk Harper drops various hints that she knows about what happened. Ethan accuses Cameron of "mimetic desire" for his habit of seducing every woman Ethan was interested in at college. Throughout the day Harper continually undermines and embarrasses Ethan. Later at dinner, Cameron puts his hand on Harper's leg under the table. Albie is surprised when Lucia asks for payment for the previous night's sex. Dominic attempts to dissuade Albie and Lucia from seeing each other, but Albie seems to have fallen for her. Lucia is accosted by a man named Alessio, to whom she claims she owes money. Albie and Lucia again spend the night together. Discerning that Valentina is gay, Mia offers her sexual favors in exchange for Giuseppe's piano gig until he recovers. Tanya and Portia visit Palermo with Quentin and his friends. Quentin accompanies Tanya to a performance of Madama Butterfly at the Teatro Massimo. Meanwhile Jack and Portia explore the town, doing a dine and dash after sampling the arancini at a local restaurant. Tanya is later shocked to discover Jack having sex with his "uncle", Quentin.
12	6	"Abductions"	Mike White	Mike White	December 4, 2022 (2022-12-04)	0.684[32]
Ethan and Harper discuss their mutual lack of attraction, with Harper asking Ethan if he still desires her. After later seeing Harper interacting with Cameron on the beach, Ethan becomes increasingly suspicious that Harper is cheating on him with Cameron. The Di Grassos go to visit the home of their apparent blood relatives. Albie brings Lucia along as a translator, but Alessio follows them; Lucia eventually agrees to accompany him, against the Di Grassos' protests. The Di Grassos arrive at their ancestral village and locate a Di Grasso family there, whom they visit unannounced. The remaining family members are three women of different generations, who angrily turn them away. Bert is despondent, having hoped for a happier family reunion. Lucia returns to the hotel that night and tells Albie that she can only leave Alessio once she pays him the money she owes. Valentina enjoys her first lesbian tryst with Mia, after Isabella, a concierge with whom Valentina has been infatuated, reveals her engagement to fellow concierge Rocco. Tanya hints to Portia that Jack may not be Quentin's nephew. Quentin sets up Tanya with his cocaine dealer, Niccoló; before they have sex, Tanya finds a framed photo of Quentin with a man, possibly Greg, when they were younger. A drunken Jack admits to Portia that Quentin and his friends have spent all their money on their luxuries, and cryptically implies that Quentin rescued him from dire circumstances in exchange for sex.
13	7	"Arrivederci"	Mike White	Mike White	December 11, 2022 (2022-12-11)	0.854[33]
Harper admits to Ethan that Cameron kissed her. He furiously attacks Cameron, nearly drowning him before a bystander intervenes. Ethan shares his suspicions with Daphne, who repeats the advice she gave Harper, to do whatever makes him feel better; she then invites him to join her on a walk to a nearby island, possibly to have sex. An invigorated Ethan later has sex with Harper, reigniting the passion in their marriage. Albie convinces Dominic to wire €50,000 to Lucia to save her from Alessio, in exchange for Albie's help in salvaging Dominic's marriage. Lucia quietly leaves Albie and celebrates her successful scam with Mia and Alessio. Valentina hires Mia as the resort’s new piano player, angering Giuseppe. Portia wakes up and finds that her phone is missing. She takes Jack's phone and calls Tanya, alerting her that something is wrong. Tanya suspects that Greg hired Quentin and his associates to kill her so that he can inherit her fortune. Panicking, she retrieves Niccolo's gun and kills him, Quentin, and Didier but, while attempting to board a dinghy to escape, she slips, hits her head and drowns. Her body washes up to shore the next day and is discovered by Daphne, and the other bodies on the yacht are found soon after. Portia confronts Jack about his relationship with Quentin; he angrily drives off, eventually dropping her off near Catania–Fontanarossa Airport and warning her not to return to the White Lotus for her own safety. Albie and Portia reunite as friends at the airport.

Production

Development

Season one

On October 19, 2020, HBO gave The White Lotus a limited series order that consisted of six episodes.^[4] The series was created, written and directed by Mike White. White also serves as executive producer alongside David Bernad and Nick Hall.^[34] In an interview with Ben Travers of IndieWire at the 2021 ATX Television Festival, White explained his creative inspiration for the first season. White wished to explore the question of "how money can pervert even our most intimate relationships," to examine the "ethics of vacationing in other people's realities," and to present the "flesh and blood" experience of being gripped by the power dynamics of "today's culture wars."^[35] Cristobal Tapia de Veer is the series' composer and Ben Kutchins is the cinematographer for the series.^[36]

Season two

On August 10, 2021, HBO renewed the series for a second season,^[37] which consists of seven episodes and is titled The White Lotus: Sicily.^[38] White initially envisioned the second season taking place in a political setting, such as a Bilderberg conference, but scrapped this idea and chose Italy instead.^[39] Said White, "The kind of mythology of Sicily, at least from the point of view of Americans, is the archetypal sexual politics and role play that you associate with, like, opera and the mafia and Italian romance. I felt like it should be more focused on men and women and relationships and adultery and have an operatic feel to it, so I pivoted."^[39] Asked to describe the second season, White likened it to "a bedroom farce with teeth."^[40] Kim Neundorf served as an additional composer for season two.^[41]

Season three

On November 18, 2022, HBO renewed the series for a third season.^[7] Following the season two finale, creator Mike White hinted that the third season would be set in Asia and center around death and spirituality, similarly to how the first season focused on class inequality, and the second season on sex and infidelity.^[42]

Casting

Upon the limited series order announcement, Murray Bartlett, Connie Britton, Jennifer Coolidge, Alexandra Daddario, Fred Hechinger, Jake Lacy, Brittany O'Grady, Natasha Rothwell, Sydney Sweeney, and Steve Zahn were cast to star.^[43] On October 30, 2020, Molly Shannon, Jon Gries, Jolene Purdy, Kekoa Kekumano, and Lukas Gage joined the cast in recurring roles.^[44] Alec Merlino, who was a fellow contestant on Survivor: David vs. Goliath with Mike White, was cast as a waiter.^[14]

Upon the announcement of the second season renewal, it was reported that a predominantly new cast of characters would be focused on at another White Lotus property for the second season, though Mike White had stated there was a possibility for a few cast members from the first season to return as their characters.^[45] On October 15, 2021, it was reported that Coolidge was set to return for the second season.^[46] In January 2022, it was announced that Michael Imperioli, Aubrey Plaza, F. Murray Abraham, Adam DiMarco, Tom Hollander, and Haley Lu Richardson were cast to star in the second season.^[19][20][15] In February 2022, Theo James, Meghann Fahy, and Will Sharpe joined the cast as series regulars while Leo Woodall was cast in a recurring role for the second season.^[16] In March 2022, Beatrice Grannò, Sabrina Impacciatore, and Simona Tabasco joined the starring cast for the second season.^[17] The second season features White's fellow Survivor: David vs. Goliath contestants Kara Kay and Angelina Keeley in cameo roles.^[47] Upon the third season renewal announcement, it was reported that there will be a new cast of characters on another White Lotus resort.^[7]

Filming

Principal photography for the first season began in October 2020 in Hawaii under COVID-19 guidelines.^[48] On November 21, 2020, it was reported that the series was halfway through filming at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea and was scheduled to film in December at locations around Maui.^[49][50]

On January 20, 2022, it was announced that the second season would film at the Four Seasons San Domenico Palace in Taormina, Sicily, Italy;^[51] on February 28, 2022, HBO confirmed that production had begun there.^[38] The opening theme of the second season, accompanied by a chorus of voices, shows scenes from the frescoes of Villa Tasca in Palermo. Filming took place in various locations in Sicily, in particular: throughout the city of Taormina, in particular the San Domenico Palace hotel which represents the main location, the ancient theatre of Taormina; in Cefalù, with the long beach and the view of the Norman Cathedral; in Fiumefreddo di Sicilia (with the famous Slave Castle); in Palermo, in particular at the Teatro Massimo and at Villa Tasca; the interior scenes of the Opera house in Catania at the Teatro Massimo Bellini; in the city of Noto, in particular Villa Elena; Giardini Naxos; and different views of the seafront of Sicily and Mount Etna.^[52][53][54]

Budget

According to Vulture, the costs of production of season 2 remained at under US$3 million per episode, the same as season 1. Italy, where season 2 was filmed, offers up to 40% tax credit to foreign productions taking place in the country.^[55]

Release

The series premiered on July 11, 2021, on HBO.^[5] In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, the series premiered on Sky Atlantic on August 16, 2021.^[56] The second season premiered on October 30, 2022.^[6]

Home media

The first season was released on DVD on September 13, 2022.^[57]

Reception

Critical response

Season 1

Critical response of The White Lotus

Season	Rotten Tomatoes	Metacritic
1	89% (95 reviews)[58]	82 (39 reviews)[59]
2	93% (94 reviews)[60]	81 (40 reviews)[61]

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 89% for the first season of The White Lotus based on 95 critic reviews, with an average rating of 8.4/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Though its true intentions can get a bit murky, gorgeous vistas, twisty drama, and a pitch perfect cast make The White Lotus a compelling—if uncomfortable—viewing destination."^[58] On Metacritic, the season has a score of 82 out of 100 based on 39 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".^[59]

Matthew Jacobs of TV Guide rated it 4.5 out of 5 and wrote that it is "some of the year's best television thus far."^[36] Rolling Stone's Alan Sepinwall graded it 3.5 out of 5 stars and called it "frequently uncomfortable, sometimes poetic, occasionally hilarious, and deeply idiosyncratic throughout."^[62] White's attention to character detail was praised, with Naomi Fry of The New Yorker lauding his "affection for his characters, who never feel like caricatures",^[2] and Judy Berman of Time commenting he is "uniquely attuned to characters' internal conflicts as well as their varying level of self-awareness."^[63]The New York Times's James Poniewozik commended White's signature balance of "sardonic and sincere" tones and his "ear for how people can weaponize idealism", though he also noted the writing "sometimes strains to be topical, with its culture-war Mad Libs references to triggering and cucking, canceling and doxxing."^[64] The performances of the ensemble cast were widely praised, with Roxana Hadadi of RogerEbert.com giving four stars out of four and writing it reveals a "combination of performances that are nearly universally enthralling."^[65] Of the character of Armond, Poniewozik wrote Bartlett shows "the invisible gymnastics that go into this job" and plays him like "a coiled spring."^[64] Hadadi lauded Rothwell's "nuanced, elastic work" with a "haunting" final onscreen moment.^[65] Berman said Coolidge is poised to be the series' breakout but also praised Zahn, Bartlett, Rothwell, Lacy, Sweeney, and Daddario.^[63]

Criticisms of the first season lamented that the nonwhite, native Hawaiian characters who work at the resort, such as Lani and Kai, received little screen time and were the least developed characters. In this way, critics argued the show did not sufficiently engage in the topics of imperialism and white privilege, issues the show seemed poised to critique in its satirization of the affluent, white upper class.^[64][66][67] Poniewozik felt the show "could use more attention to the downstairs half of its upstairs-downstairs story; it flicks at, but doesn’t really explore, the lives of the native Hawaiian staff busing tables and performing dinnertime rituals" for the guests.^[64] Mitchell Kuga of Vox wrote, "scraping at imperialism, The White Lotus mimes a moral center but never engages the topic beyond mere gesture...how successful can a piece of satire be if it replicates the very power structures it purports to satirize?"^[67] White has said the intention of giving native characters less screen time was to show how "interchangeable" the workers appear to the more privileged.^[68]

Inkoo Kang of The Washington Post said the characters and performances "make for a twisty, queasy, sweatily claustrophobic drama", but opined that next to other popular TV shows that center on white, affluent people, such as Succession, Big Little Lies, The Undoing, and The Crown, The White Lotus does not have anything new "to observe about the trail of casual destruction the moneyed and connected can leave in their unhappy wake."^[69] In The Observer, Kyle Turner wrote, "as someone who is very fond of White’s usually tender, deft hand at balancing tone", he hoped the show had "more precision in its aimed poisoned arrows."^[70] Turner added the show is "too broad to be a good satire, too pointedly critical to be a straight tragedy, too invested in its melodrama to be a broad comedy, until it becomes ouroborosian in its indecision on tone and ethos. It’s not that these genres and tropes can’t coexist. It’s that here, they float adrift, devoid of alchemical balance."^[70]

Critics were divided about the season one finale, with Kang saying the "swerve late in the series disappointingly sails the story toward calmer waters. Once the turbulence is over, only froth remains."^[69][71] Other critics, such as Emily St. James of Vox, argued the anticlimactic nature of the ending was precisely the point of the show and underscored White's commentary on the powerful and the privileged.^[72][73]

The American Film Institute named it one of the ten best television programs of 2021.^[8]

Season 2

For the second season, Rotten Tomatoes reported a 93% approval rating with an average score of 8.10/10, based on 94 reviews. The website's critics consensus states, "Swapping its tropical trappings for Euro chic while focusing primarily on the corrosive influence of carnal desire, The White Lotus remains a cookie full of arsenic that goes down smooth."^[60] On Metacritic, the season has a score of 81 out of 100 based on 40 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".^[61]

Multiple critics voiced that White repeated the success of the first season with sharp writing, his ensemble cast, and more focused plot lines, with some saying it is an improvement on the first season.^{[74][75][76][77]} Lucy Mangan of The Guardian rated it 5 out of 5 and wrote, "The writing is as dense and layered as ever, the plotting is immaculate and the viewers' sympathies – or loathings – are never allowed to rest in one place for too long."^[78] Writing for The New Yorker, Inkoo Kang gave a positive review, writing "the airless sociological fatalism of Season 1, which was matched by a claustrophobic production due to covid-19 restrictions, gives way to a more mature drama, as well as a deeper exploration of how the characters’ class concerns converge with gendered angst."^[79] Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com wrote, "Mike White is a writer that is as thrilled with a fascinating dinner conversation as he is a murder mystery, and so even as the plotting sags more than it did the first time, the way that his characters bounce off each other, unpacking their social constructs, remains fascinating."^[80] Alison Herman of The Ringer praised the series' pivot to the theme of gender politics, writing "White knows that sex, like money, is a form of power, and that each is intimately bound up in the other."^[81] Melanie McFarland of Salon observed, "You may not want to be in the same room with the people you're watching, but the sights alone provided a level of escapism like nothing else on TV."^[82] For The Washington Post, Travis M. Andrews wrote "though these new episodes meander at times, Season 2 is more tightly plotted and there are enough new ideas, with even the most staid insights heightened by White’s razor-sharp writing, for it to feel fresh."^[83] Some critics welcomed the characters Mia and Lucia, two Sicilian girls whose plot lines intersect with many of the hotel guests', saying their presence felt like a response by White to criticisms of the previous season’s focus on its white, well-off leads.^[81][84][85] Others noted how the second season "has invested in horror imagery in a way the previous outing didn't, and it's been one of this installment's best through lines."^[86]

Others thought the shift from the themes of class criticism to gender roles made for a less riveting watch.^[85] Writing for Vulture, Roxana Hadadi said season two "centers infidelity, to diminished effect", and that "there’s also a new bluntness, and a noticeable tentativeness, that keeps this second season from hitting as hard and bruising as immediately as its predecessor."^[84] Vanity Fair's Richard Lawson wrote season two is a "vibrant set of plates to set spinning, which White does with his usual mix of acerbic bite and melancholy. Though, things do feel a little less pointed this season."^[87] Shirley Li of The Atlantic noted "Season 2 is as juicy as season 1, but it's not as caustic in its approach."^[88] Commenting on the more diminished role of the hotel staff, Linda Holmes of NPR wrote, "Thematically, without that tension between how the guests see themselves and how the staff sees them, The White Lotus seems adrift. With all the criticism of the first season and the fair questions about whether it was satirizing its rich and white characters' lack of interest in the people around them or just reproducing it, it was always clear what the show was trying to be about, or thought it was about. It was trying to be about the foibles of wealth and carelessness; it's much less clear where White is going with this story."^[89]

Like the first season, the American Film Institute named it one of the ten best television programs of 2022.^[9]

Ratings

Season 1

Viewership and ratings per episode of The White Lotus

No.	Title	Air date	Rating (18–49)	Viewers (millions)	DVR (18–49)	DVR viewers (millions)	Total (18–49)	Total viewers (millions)
1	"Arrivals"	July 11, 2021	0.08	0.420[22]	0.04	0.198	0.12	0.618[22]
2	"New Day"	July 18, 2021	0.06	0.459[23]	0.06	0.298	0.12	0.757[23]
3	"Mysterious Monkeys"	July 25, 2021	0.11	0.478[24]	0.08	0.392	0.19	0.870[24]
4	"Recentering"	August 1, 2021	0.14	0.515[90]	—	—	—	—
5	"The Lotus-Eaters"	August 8, 2021	0.11	0.541[91]	—	—	—	—
6	"Departures"	August 15, 2021	0.17	0.850[26]	0.06	0.349	0.23	1.199[26]

Season 2

Viewership and ratings per episode of The White Lotus

No.	Title	Air date	Rating (18–49)	Viewers (millions)	DVR (18–49)	DVR viewers (millions)	Total (18–49)	Total viewers (millions)
1	"Ciao"	October 30, 2022	0.06	0.460[27]	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
2	"Italian Dream"	November 6, 2022	0.08	0.421[28]	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
3	"Bull Elephants"	November 13, 2022	0.06	0.474[29]	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
4	"In the Sandbox"	November 20, 2022	0.07	0.416[30]	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
5	"That's Amore"	November 27, 2022	0.11	0.641[31]	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
6	"Abductions"	December 4, 2022	0.10	0.684[32]	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
7	"Arrivederci"	December 11, 2022	0.19	0.854[33]	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD

Accolades

Season 1

Year	Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Result	Ref.
2022	AACTA International Awards	Best Comedy Series	The White Lotus	Won	[92]
		Best Actor in a Series	Murray Bartlett	Won
		Best Actress in a Series	Jennifer Coolidge	Nominated
	American Cinema Editors Awards	Best Edited Limited Series	Heather Persons (for "Mysterious Monkeys")	Nominated	[93]
			John M. Valerio (for "Departures")	Nominated
	American Film Institute Awards	Top 10 Programs of the Year	The White Lotus	Won	[8]
	Art Directors Guild Awards	Excellence in Production Design for a Television Movie or Limited Series	Laura Fox	Nominated	[94]
	Cinema Audio Society Awards	Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Series – One Hour	Walter Anderson, Christian Minkler, Ryan Collins, Jeffrey Roy, and Randy Wilson (for "The Lotus Eaters")	Nominated	[95]
	Critics' Choice Television Awards	Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television	Murray Bartlett	Won	[96]
		Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television	Jennifer Coolidge	Won
	Directors Guild of America Awards	Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series	Mike White (for "Mysterious Monkeys")	Nominated	[97]
	GLAAD Media Awards	Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series	The White Lotus	Nominated	[98]
	Golden Globe Awards	Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film	Jennifer Coolidge	Nominated	[99]
	Golden Reel Awards	Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Limited Series or Anthology	Kathryn Madsen, Paul Hammond, Mark Allen, Stefan Fraticelli, and Mikael Sandgren	Nominated	[100]
	Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards	Best Broadcast Network or Cable Limited or Anthology Series	The White Lotus	Won	[101]
		Best Supporting Actor in a Broadcast Network or Cable Limited or Anthology Series	Murray Bartlett	Won
			Steve Zahn	Nominated
		Best Supporting Actress in a Broadcast Network or Cable Limited or Anthology Series	Connie Britton	Nominated
			Jennifer Coolidge	Won
			Alexandra Daddario	Nominated
			Sydney Sweeney	Nominated
		Best Directing in a Broadcast Network or Cable Limited or Anthology Series	Mike White (for "Mysterious Monkeys")	Won
		Best Writing in a Broadcast Network or Cable Limited or Anthology Series		Won
	Independent Spirit Awards	Best Male Performance in a New Scripted Series	Murray Bartlett	Nominated	[102]
	NAACP Image Awards	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Television Movie, Limited-Series, or Dramatic Special	Natasha Rothwell	Nominated	[103]
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series	Mike White, David Bernad, Nick Hall, and Mark Kamine	Won	[104] [105] [106]
		Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie	Murray Bartlett	Won
			Jake Lacy	Nominated
			Steve Zahn	Nominated
		Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie	Connie Britton	Nominated
			Jennifer Coolidge	Won
			Alexandra Daddario	Nominated
			Natasha Rothwell	Nominated
			Sydney Sweeney	Nominated
		Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie	Mike White	Won
		Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie		Won
	Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards	Outstanding Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie	Meredith Tucker and Katie Doyle	Won
		Outstanding Contemporary Costumes	Alex Bovaird, Brian Sprouse, and Eileen Stroup (for "Arrivals")	Nominated
		Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special	Cristobal Tapia de Veer (for "Mysterious Monkeys")	Won
		Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music	Cristobal Tapia de Veer	Won
		Outstanding Music Supervision	Janet Lopez (for "Departures")	Nominated
		Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program (One Hour or More)	Laura Fox, Charles Varga, and Jennifer Lukehart	Nominated
		Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie	John M. Valerio (for "Departures")	Won
			Heather Persons (for "Mysterious Monkeys")	Nominated
		Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie	Christian Minkler, Ryan Collins, Walter Anderson, and Jeffrey Roy (for "Departures")	Won
	Producers Guild of America Awards	Outstanding Producer of Limited or Anthology Television Series	The White Lotus	Nominated	[107]
	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie	Murray Bartlett	Nominated	[108]
		Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie	Jennifer Coolidge	Nominated
	Set Decorators Society of America Awards	Best Achievement in Décor/Design of a One Hour Contemporary Series	Jennifer Lukehart and Laura Fox	Nominated	[109]
	Society of Composers & Lyricists Awards	Outstanding Original Score for a Television Production	Cristobal Tapia de Veer	Won	[110]
	Television Critics Association Awards	Program of the Year	The White Lotus	Nominated	[111]
		Outstanding New Program		Nominated
	Writers Guild of America Awards	Original Long Form	Mike White	Nominated	[112]

Season 2

Year	Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Result	Ref.
2022	American Film Institute Awards	Top 10 Programs of the Year	The White Lotus	Won	[9]
2023	Critics' Choice Television Awards	Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series	Jennifer Coolidge	Pending	[113]
	Golden Globe Awards	Best Limited or Anthology Series or Television Film	The White Lotus	Pending	[114]
		Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film	F. Murray Abraham	Pending
		Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film	Jennifer Coolidge	Pending
			Aubrey Plaza	Pending
	AACTA International Awards	Best Comedy Series	The White Lotus	Pending	[115]
		Best Actress in a Series	Jennifer Coolidge	Pending

References

External links

• Official website
• The White Lotus at IMDb