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Season Finale of the White Lotus Explained

What a ride it's been. If the finale of HBO Max's White Lotus left you with questions, we've got the answers.


We've reached the final step of the journey in Sicily for HBO Max's The White Lotus created by Mike White, and the season two finale was shocking to say the least. Just to recap, as we headed into the final episode there were lingering questions in the air.


What were Quentin's intentions for Tanya?


Would Albie help Lucia escape the pimp that was blackmailing her?


Did Cameron have sex with Harper?


All these questions were expected to be answered in the season finale, and as far as we know, it seems like they were. But not in the most clear and helpful way. That's why we're here to explain the season two finale of the White Lotus.


What happened between Daphne and Ethan?


After a tech-bro showdown on the beach, Ethan (Will Sharpe) sets off for a walk along the shore with a magically dried t-shirt. He stumbles into Daphne, who is soaking the Sicilian sun before it's time to leave. It doesn't take long for Ethan to reveal to Daphne (Meghann Fahy) what happened with their respective partners. And despite the glimmer of sadness in Daphne's eyes, she quickly shakes it off and goes on a Daisy Buchanan tangent.


But before they can part ways, Daphne says she's been wanting to explore the isolated island that is near the resort. She asks Ethan to join her, and the camera fades out as they disappear in the island's bushes.


If you're wondering what happened between Daphne and Ethan on the island, then we are sorry to tell you that it's not that deep. The two clearly hooked up. After Daphne's speech about not being a victim of life, Ethan understands that Daphne deals with Cameron (Theo James) by doing the same things he does, herself.


Was Harper lying to Ethan?


We think that something else happened between Cameron and Harper (Aubrey Plaza). At least more than what she told Ethan. Now, I don't want to say that they obviously had sex, as Ethan is convinced, but it's clear that something else went on.


And when it comes down to Cameron, our guess is that he's just trash. Not too much to explore there, to be honest.


Why did Jack help Portia?


As the events of the episode begin to unravel, it's clear that Jack's role all along was to distract Portia. As the only person who would check in on Tanya throughout the trip, Quentin (Tom Hollander) needed her either gone or distracted. Our assumption is that Jack was supposed to kill her. But Portia confronts him about his secret relationship with Quentin (if you can even call it that), and that changes something in him.


Before reaching the hotel, Jack drops Portia off near the airport and tells her to go home. Based on what Jack told Portia the night he was drunk, Jack was either in debt to Quentin or forced to be with him and help out with his weird, Anna Delvey-esque plans. We want to believe that Jack grew to care for her, so he didn't want the same fate for Portia.


Did Lucia feel something for Albie?


No. At least not the point of changing her plans of scamming him. In just a couple of days, Albie goes from Portia to Lucia, acting like he's in love with someone he just met. He's the kind of guy who seems nice on the outside, but ultimately, his MO is becoming obsessed with women.


All along, Lucia had planned to get money from him, and it's probable this isn't the first "Albie" she's being able to outsmart.


Did Albie's dad change at all?


Yes and no. Dominic Di Grasso appears to reflect on his life choices, and by helping his son out, he is trying to commit to being a better father. However, one of the final moments at the airport reveals that Dominic may not have changed that much. In fact, it shows that all the Di Grasso men are more similar than they would like to admit.


Did Greg want to kill Tanya?


This one shocked me. I still can't believe that it was Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) who died, along the rest of the rich gays on the boat. But it wasn't literally confirmed that Greg (Jon Gries) was behind this. After shooting Quentin, Tanya asks him if Greg is involved, but the man is on the brink of death so he dies before revealing anything.


If you ask us, it's likely that Greg was part of the scam. He insisted that they went to Sicily, his prenup would grant him all of Tanya's money if she died, and he had that suspicious phone call before he left her alone at the hotel. Besides, let's not forget the weird photo of him with Quentin. It all indicates that he was behind this. But where is Greg as the events unravel? That's something the show doesn't even seem to be concerned about.


Did anyone get a happy ending?


I think Valentina, the resort manager, had somewhat of a happy ending. It's going to be a drag to deal with the PR and press of having dead bodies in the hotel she manages, but if anyone can recover, it's her. Besides, the show hints that Valentina (Sabrina Impacciatore) found a true friend in Mia (Beatrice Grannò), someone who helped her be more comfortable with her sexuality and that presented herself as a friend and ally for the foreseeable future.

 

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