The White Lotus: Season 2 Episode 7 Finale – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

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So who died? Did anyone get a happy ending, or were there a lot of sour faces, some with tears and many ruined relationships?

Aired (HBO)	12/11/2022
Episode Title	Arrivederci
Director(s)	Mike White
Writer(s)	Mike White

Recap

This content contains pertinent spoilers. Also, images and text in this post may contain affiliate links which, if a purchase is made from those sites, we may earn money or products from the company.

Now Everyone Is Even – Cameron, Harper, Daphne, Ethan

While Harper is sure Ethan doesn’t find her attractive, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know her. So when she lies repeatedly, he calls her out, and eventually, she admits to a kiss between her and Cameron. Ethan thinks more has happened, but Harper isn’t budging regarding providing more information, so Ethan just goes to fight Cameron and nearly drowns him, and for that, Cameron tries to drown Ethan until their fight is broken up.

All of this Daphne apparently doesn’t see, despite being on the beach, but with Ethan revealing that something may have happened between Cameron and Harper, Daphne gives Ethan the same advice she gave Harper regarding how she handles marriage, i.e., not being the victim. This leads to her taking Ethan to that spooky island and us not learning what the hell happened between those two.

However, what does become clear is, by the time everyone is to leave Italy, Cameron and Daphne are in a good place, and for the first time in a long time, Ethan and Harper had sex! Which leads to them acting like newlyweds and more affectionate than we’ve ever seen them.

While You Got Played, At Least You Had Fun At One Time – Lucia, Dominic, Albie, Mia, Valentina, Portia, Jack, Tanya, Quentin, Giuseppe

Portia and Albie get played. Lucia gets 50,000 euros out of Albie, through Dominic, and then leaves him in the dust the morning he is to leave. Now, how did Albie get 50,000 euros from Dominic? That’s the price Dominic had to pay for Albie to help him get his mom back, and what little he has done thus far may have worked since now Albie’s mom isn’t yelling, screaming, and ready to hang up on Dominic anymore. But that doesn’t mean he still doesn’t have a wandering eye.

As for Portia? Things begin on a strange note with her inability to find her phone, and when she calls Tanya from Jack’s phone in secret, she reveals something has to be up. Tanya decides, with both dealing with men who are acting strange, it is time to tell Portia that Jack and Quentin have been having sex. She isn’t sure why, but with Portia talking about how Jack drunkenly talked about Quentin having no money but will be soon, Tanya’s wheels begin racing.

In her mind, Greg perhaps knew Quentin and was setting her up to be killed since he’d get nothing if they divorced. However, with Tanya on a boat, she can’t do much but hope for the best and prep for the worst. Meanwhile, Portia doesn’t take much time to confront Jack, who avoids confirming anything, including him having sex with his uncle. Instead, he just drives her to the airport, throws her phone at her, and after all, is said and done, Portia gets Albie’s number since she got all the excitement she needed out of her system.

Which leaves Mia. With her befriending Valentina and promising to help her find someone she can actually date, since Mia doesn’t plan to be her lover forever, Valentina decides to fire Giuseppe and give Mia his job. Thus, Mia and Lucia have the happiest endings out of the cast.

So Who Died In White Lotus Season 2? – Quentin, Tanya, Niccolo

But if Ethan, Cameron, Harper, and Daphne don’t die, who does? It isn’t Valentina, Mia, Lucia, Portia, Albie, Bert, Isabella, Rocco, Dominic, or even Giuseppe. The people who die in season 2 of “The White Lotus” are Tanya, Quentin, Niccolo, and one of Quentin’s friends. How and why? Well, simply put, Tanya feared for her life; Niccolo had showed up on Quentin’s yacht with duct tape, rope, and a gun, for reasons that aren’t explained, and with Tanya taking the bag, locking herself in a room, and discovering all of this? Well, she assumed the worst.

So, she shot her way out of the room, killing Niccolo, Quentin, and one of Quentin’s friends in the process. Leaving only the boat driver and Quentin’s other friend as survivors of the attack. But, when Tanya too tries to escape and jump onto the boat she was supposed to get on with Niccolo, she slips, hits her head, and drowns. This leads to her being the body Daphne discovers and all the commotion being about the other dead bodies found on the yacht.

Things To Note

Question(s) Left Unanswered

1. So, did Greg cheat, or was his situation back home legitimate?
2. What will Jack do, considering his meal ticket is dead?
3. Did Daphne and Ethan have sex?
4. Will Ethan and Cameron see each other ever again? Hell, would Daphne ever address Harper having something with her man?
5. What’s next for Portia? Beyond maybe dating Albie?
6. What is Lucia going to do with the 51,300 Euros she now has? Will she open the store or continue to be a sex worker?

What Could Happen Next

1. According to Mike White, season 3 of “The White Lotus” will deal with death, spirituality, and eastern religions.

Collected Quote(s)

You don’t have to know everything to love someone.
— Daphne

Review

Notable Performances or Moments

1. The way Tanya told Portia that Jack and Quentin were having sex – the line delivery was HILARIOUS.
2. Daphne processing that Cameron does cheat on her, never mind did with his best friend’s wife, and quickly figuring out a way to regain her strength, avoid being a victim, and making things even.

Highlights

Portia and Albie Got What They Needed Out Of Their System

Portia needed to have someone fun and wild, and though, in the short term, Jack gave her all of that and more, it seemed the chaos wasn’t worth the high. Portia seemed to realize that being with a guy like Jack requires something that isn’t in her. For while the attention is nice, never knowing what could happen next, the not knowing is what makes her life hell. Be it Tanya’s erratic behavior or her life being in shambles, and it seems what Jack gave her is perspective. Better to find something steady like Albie than look for something to shake things up when you can barely handle the ride, which is your own life.

Then, in terms of Albie, it seemed he needed to be played. He needed to learn discernment, that sweet talking, sex, all of that, leads men to be foolish. Heck, based on his family history, it is a genetic weakness he was doomed to inherit. But, hopefully, with Lucia conning 50,000 euros out of him, he can learn, break generational curses, and this generosity he so badly wants to give, Portia might be smarter and less exploitative about it.

Mind you, who knows? She could very well be as bad, or worse, than Lucia since she could play the long game, have kids by Albie, and really get him good? If not, if Albie follows in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps, do her wrong and drive her mad? But let’s hope for the best since these two kids probably just had one of the worst experiences of their lives thus far.

Tanya’s Death

One thing I didn’t want for Tanya is for her to become the mascot of “The White Lotus.” I love Jennifer Coolidge as much as the next person, but it was clear they were really milking Coolidge’s style of comedy through Tanya for all they could get. So killing her off was a mercy killing. For now, the character can end on a high, remain iconic, and not be someone we believe has long had better days.

Low Points

Mike White’s Aftershow Interview Left More Questions Than Answers

The after-show was immensely frustrating. White mentioned multiple storylines that had plot holes or didn’t get resolved and basically hunched about what ultimately happened. I don’t know about you, but that whole interview made it seem like he didn’t want to resolve anything because he didn’t know how best to pull it off. So, instead, he left things open for interpretation.

Did Greg cheat? “I don’t know.” What about Daphne and Ethan with each other? “Maybe they did.” How about Harper and Cameron, is there more there? “Well, there is time unaccounted for.” I swear to you, his answers and the hesitation in his voice really makes it seem that he pulled a “Sopranos” finale. Mainly due to him knowing whatever way he could have decided to end or resolve things wouldn’t leave people happy or satisfied. So, the better option for him was to let viewers choose their own adventure – like a coward (which I partly say in jest).

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