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When people talk about the joys of travelling overseas, they typically rattle off points that make them sound more worldly: “sampling local foods”, “experiencing new cultures” or “exploring foreign towns”. But if we’re being honest with ourselves, one of the true upsides to travelling is meeting, and subsequently judging, other holidaymakers.
Travelling is people-watching on steroids, and it’s this internalised voyeurism that played a large part in the success of The White Lotus. Season one introduced us to an awful cast of awfully rich travellers, and we revelled in dissecting the dynamics between groups. It was a breakout hit, and while creator Mike White originally wrote it as a one-off limited series, the show’s success created a demand for more.
Coolidge’s character Tanya and Greg (Jon Gries) return as a married couple holidaying in Italy in the new season of The White Lotus.Credit:HBO/Binge
Season two sees The White Lotus swap Hawaii for Sicily, with a (mostly) new cast of detestable yet compelling characters ready to check-in.
The newlyweds: Tanya McQuoid-Hunt and Greg Hunt
She stole the show in season one (and picked up an Emmy for her efforts), so perhaps it makes sense that Jennifer Coolidge is the only familiar face from The White Lotus: Hawaii. Tanya is freshly married to Greg (Jon Gries), the guy with the aggressive cough she met in season one. Despite having found her happily ever after, Tanya doesn’t seem to be happy at all. She remains self-absorbed and insecure, while her new husband appears resentful of his situation. Much to Greg’s dismay, Tanya has brought her personal assistant Portia (Haley Lu Richardson) along as moral support.
The worst of friends. Holidaying American couples Harper (Aubrey Plaza) and Ethan Spiller (Will Sharpe), and Cameron (Theo James) and Daphne Sullivan (Meghann Fahy) in The White Lotus.Credit:HBO/Binge
The couples’ holiday: Harper and Ethan Spiller, Daphne and Cameron Sullivan
They say comparison is the thief of joy, which certainly seems to be the case for the two couples travelling together in The White Lotus. Harper (Aubrey Plaza) and Ethan (Will Sharpe) are disconnected; Ethan has just made a fortune thanks to his tech company, but he’s addicted to the job, while Harper seems unimpressed and unenthused by everything and everyone.
They’ve been invited to Sicily by Cameron (Theo James), Ethan’s obnoxious college roommate. On the surface, Cameron has the picture-perfect life, a Stepford wife in Daphne (Meghann Fahy) and not an ounce of body fat. But nothing is ever as it seems in The White Lotus, and cracks begin to appear before long.