The White Lotus season 2

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't imagine wanting to have sex with Cameron if I was Daphne. I'd be so pissed off at him and thinking about whatever gross diseases he might have and how he takes me for granted. And yet she always seems into it.

Is she just putting on a front bc she wants to be the perfect wife/mom/hottie? Or she and I are just very different people haha.

Same. It's weird to me that this isn't the first thing most people think of. The idea of being married to a man who thinks nothing of hiring prostitutes just because is insane to me. And not that it would make it better in my mind, but it's not even like he vetted this women in any way. He spotted them at the bar, found out they were available for purchase and had drugs, and was ready to go. That is completely alarming behavior way beyond just the cheating aspect (which is also awful).

Cameron is G.R.O.S.S.

Which is actually why I don't think anything happened between him and Harper, because I think Harper feels this immediately and it's only confirmed the more she gets to know him -- she might be mad at Ethan and maybe even messing with him a bit, but she's not going to do anything with Cameron, a man she know just had sex with not one but two hookers, while on vacation WITH his wife, ugh.

I think many viewers are blinded by Theo James' sheer hotness and are missing that Cameron is revolting.

I think some of you are just so blinded by your own beliefs about what happiness and love and marriage and acceptable behavior are that you're incapable of imagining people living a different life.

I think Cameron is revolting and I think Theo James is very hot and I think they intentionally chose someone blindingly attractive to play this role to make you question the fact that despite him being incredibly revolting, he's just so handsome that its almost hard to focus on it. That is a choice to make the audience question their own reactions.

He is revolting, he is hot, he is extremely affectionate and caring towards his wife in the minute to minute. He's basically never mad at her, he never gets frustrated with her, he doesn't really criticize her. He showers her with affection, he shows her verbally and physically that he is attracted to her nonstop. And he provides her a great lifestyle with his money. While I do not think i could be happy in this situation, I actually DO think I could be happier as Daphne than as Harper. It would be easier for me to compartmentalize affairs that didn't matter than it would be to compartmentalize getting almost no affection at all from my husband (and to be clear neither of these relationships would be acceptable to me, this is a 'have to choose' hypothetical).

Different people react to cheating differently, some people stay together, some have don't ask don't tell, some divorce, some stay together but get more and more bitter. People are different.

Uh, no, I'm not "blinded by [my] own beliefs about what happiness and love and marriage and acceptable behavior" are. I know people can be happy all kinds of ways.

Being married to a man who regularly sleeps with prostitutes, takes drugs he bought off said prostitutes, refuses to pay said prostitutes despite promising to? Nope, not one of the ways to be happy. Sorry.

I can imagine people being happy in a marriage with infidelity, with an unspoken don't-ask-don't-tell policy. I get it. Life is long and marriage can be long and I think there is room for all kinds of different arrangements. But we're not talking about an arrangement. We're talking about someone who regularly takes risks with their sexual health (and takes them on your behalf too), lies about it, does drugs with strangers, hits on his friend's wife... thinking Cameron is grotesque and that there is no way a woman could actually be happily married to him is not something that only a closed minded prude would think. It's the natural reaction of someone with a sense of self worth. I do not care how hot he is or how many times he tells me I'm pretty, this would work for like a month and then I wouldn't even be able to look on those things favorably because I'd view his hotness as a liability and his compliments as the efforts to cover his tracks that they definitely are.

This show has a lot of nuance but there's no nuance here. Cameron is absolute $hit.

Daphne doesn't know the details. You do, but she's happy because she doesn't know them and doesn't want to know them and doesn't seek to know them. And I have not once said that I think Cameron is anything other than an ahole.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't imagine wanting to have sex with Cameron if I was Daphne. I'd be so pissed off at him and thinking about whatever gross diseases he might have and how he takes me for granted. And yet she always seems into it.

Is she just putting on a front bc she wants to be the perfect wife/mom/hottie? Or she and I are just very different people haha.

Same. It's weird to me that this isn't the first thing most people think of. The idea of being married to a man who thinks nothing of hiring prostitutes just because is insane to me. And not that it would make it better in my mind, but it's not even like he vetted this women in any way. He spotted them at the bar, found out they were available for purchase and had drugs, and was ready to go. That is completely alarming behavior way beyond just the cheating aspect (which is also awful).

Cameron is G.R.O.S.S.

Which is actually why I don't think anything happened between him and Harper, because I think Harper feels this immediately and it's only confirmed the more she gets to know him -- she might be mad at Ethan and maybe even messing with him a bit, but she's not going to do anything with Cameron, a man she know just had sex with not one but two hookers, while on vacation WITH his wife, ugh.

I think many viewers are blinded by Theo James' sheer hotness and are missing that Cameron is revolting.

I think some of you are just so blinded by your own beliefs about what happiness and love and marriage and acceptable behavior are that you're incapable of imagining people living a different life.

I think Cameron is revolting and I think Theo James is very hot and I think they intentionally chose someone blindingly attractive to play this role to make you question the fact that despite him being incredibly revolting, he's just so handsome that its almost hard to focus on it. That is a choice to make the audience question their own reactions.

He is revolting, he is hot, he is extremely affectionate and caring towards his wife in the minute to minute. He's basically never mad at her, he never gets frustrated with her, he doesn't really criticize her. He showers her with affection, he shows her verbally and physically that he is attracted to her nonstop. And he provides her a great lifestyle with his money. While I do not think i could be happy in this situation, I actually DO think I could be happier as Daphne than as Harper. It would be easier for me to compartmentalize affairs that didn't matter than it would be to compartmentalize getting almost no affection at all from my husband (and to be clear neither of these relationships would be acceptable to me, this is a 'have to choose' hypothetical).

Different people react to cheating differently, some people stay together, some have don't ask don't tell, some divorce, some stay together but get more and more bitter. People are different.

Uh, no, I'm not "blinded by [my] own beliefs about what happiness and love and marriage and acceptable behavior" are. I know people can be happy all kinds of ways.

Being married to a man who regularly sleeps with prostitutes, takes drugs he bought off said prostitutes, refuses to pay said prostitutes despite promising to? Nope, not one of the ways to be happy. Sorry.

I can imagine people being happy in a marriage with infidelity, with an unspoken don't-ask-don't-tell policy. I get it. Life is long and marriage can be long and I think there is room for all kinds of different arrangements. But we're not talking about an arrangement. We're talking about someone who regularly takes risks with their sexual health (and takes them on your behalf too), lies about it, does drugs with strangers, hits on his friend's wife... thinking Cameron is grotesque and that there is no way a woman could actually be happily married to him is not something that only a closed minded prude would think. It's the natural reaction of someone with a sense of self worth. I do not care how hot he is or how many times he tells me I'm pretty, this would work for like a month and then I wouldn't even be able to look on those things favorably because I'd view his hotness as a liability and his compliments as the efforts to cover his tracks that they definitely are.

This show has a lot of nuance but there's no nuance here. Cameron is absolute $hit.

Daphne doesn't know the details. You do, but she's happy because she doesn't know them and doesn't want to know them and doesn't seek to know them. And I have not once said that I think Cameron is anything other than an ahole.

You keep moving the goal posts. First you say that people who think Cameron is terrible based on what we know about him from watching the show are blinded by their own experiences into assuming that the Cam/Daphne marriage is bad. Now you say, oh well Daphne is unaware that her husband is taking these massive risks with his (and her) health and safety since she doesn't know about the prostitutes, so of course she can be happy.

Her marriage is objectively bad. Her DH risks a lot every time he screws around on her with random women (especially while traveling, especially while doing drugs, especially while essentially offering to share these women with his friend) and whether she is aware of this or not, it's disrespectful, unkind, and dangerous. I personally think Daphne knows a lot more than she lets on but even if she were truly oblivious (look at her face when Harper tells her that she thinks the guys got up to something while they were in Noto and tell me she's oblivious), that's not a happy marriage. It's laughable that anyone is making this argument.

[Anonymous]

With regard to Ethan and Albie being the same person, I can see Harper knowing and not having a problem with it or even caring much. She’s that kind of oh-well type of chick. As far as Dom and Bert, it feels like Dom would have a problem with it but Bert, being older, would be more likely to take a To Each His Own stance. But the wild card is Cameron. I could see him having a complete freakout if (when?) he finds out they are the same person. But enough to commit murder? Not sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With regard to Ethan and Albie being the same person, I can see Harper knowing and not having a problem with it or even caring much. She’s that kind of oh-well type of chick. As far as Dom and Bert, it feels like Dom would have a problem with it but Bert, being older, would be more likely to take a To Each His Own stance. But the wild card is Cameron. I could see him having a complete freakout if (when?) he finds out they are the same person. But enough to commit murder? Not sure.

That scenario is so far fetched! Albie is there with family, Ethan was invited by a friend. How do those co-exist? They were all in the dining room the same night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't imagine wanting to have sex with Cameron if I was Daphne. I'd be so pissed off at him and thinking about whatever gross diseases he might have and how he takes me for granted. And yet she always seems into it.

Is she just putting on a front bc she wants to be the perfect wife/mom/hottie? Or she and I are just very different people haha.

Same. It's weird to me that this isn't the first thing most people think of. The idea of being married to a man who thinks nothing of hiring prostitutes just because is insane to me. And not that it would make it better in my mind, but it's not even like he vetted this women in any way. He spotted them at the bar, found out they were available for purchase and had drugs, and was ready to go. That is completely alarming behavior way beyond just the cheating aspect (which is also awful).

Cameron is G.R.O.S.S.

Which is actually why I don't think anything happened between him and Harper, because I think Harper feels this immediately and it's only confirmed the more she gets to know him -- she might be mad at Ethan and maybe even messing with him a bit, but she's not going to do anything with Cameron, a man she know just had sex with not one but two hookers, while on vacation WITH his wife, ugh.

I think many viewers are blinded by Theo James' sheer hotness and are missing that Cameron is revolting.

I think some of you are just so blinded by your own beliefs about what happiness and love and marriage and acceptable behavior are that you're incapable of imagining people living a different life.

I think Cameron is revolting and I think Theo James is very hot and I think they intentionally chose someone blindingly attractive to play this role to make you question the fact that despite him being incredibly revolting, he's just so handsome that its almost hard to focus on it. That is a choice to make the audience question their own reactions.

He is revolting, he is hot, he is extremely affectionate and caring towards his wife in the minute to minute. He's basically never mad at her, he never gets frustrated with her, he doesn't really criticize her. He showers her with affection, he shows her verbally and physically that he is attracted to her nonstop. And he provides her a great lifestyle with his money. While I do not think i could be happy in this situation, I actually DO think I could be happier as Daphne than as Harper. It would be easier for me to compartmentalize affairs that didn't matter than it would be to compartmentalize getting almost no affection at all from my husband (and to be clear neither of these relationships would be acceptable to me, this is a 'have to choose' hypothetical).

Different people react to cheating differently, some people stay together, some have don't ask don't tell, some divorce, some stay together but get more and more bitter. People are different.

Uh, no, I'm not "blinded by [my] own beliefs about what happiness and love and marriage and acceptable behavior" are. I know people can be happy all kinds of ways.

Being married to a man who regularly sleeps with prostitutes, takes drugs he bought off said prostitutes, refuses to pay said prostitutes despite promising to? Nope, not one of the ways to be happy. Sorry.

I can imagine people being happy in a marriage with infidelity, with an unspoken don't-ask-don't-tell policy. I get it. Life is long and marriage can be long and I think there is room for all kinds of different arrangements. But we're not talking about an arrangement. We're talking about someone who regularly takes risks with their sexual health (and takes them on your behalf too), lies about it, does drugs with strangers, hits on his friend's wife... thinking Cameron is grotesque and that there is no way a woman could actually be happily married to him is not something that only a closed minded prude would think. It's the natural reaction of someone with a sense of self worth. I do not care how hot he is or how many times he tells me I'm pretty, this would work for like a month and then I wouldn't even be able to look on those things favorably because I'd view his hotness as a liability and his compliments as the efforts to cover his tracks that they definitely are.

This show has a lot of nuance but there's no nuance here. Cameron is absolute $hit.

Daphne doesn't know the details. You do, but she's happy because she doesn't know them and doesn't want to know them and doesn't seek to know them. And I have not once said that I think Cameron is anything other than an ahole.

You keep moving the goal posts. First you say that people who think Cameron is terrible based on what we know about him from watching the show are blinded by their own experiences into assuming that the Cam/Daphne marriage is bad. Now you say, oh well Daphne is unaware that her husband is taking these massive risks with his (and her) health and safety since she doesn't know about the prostitutes, so of course she can be happy.

Her marriage is objectively bad. Her DH risks a lot every time he screws around on her with random women (especially while traveling, especially while doing drugs, especially while essentially offering to share these women with his friend) and whether she is aware of this or not, it's disrespectful, unkind, and dangerous. I personally think Daphne knows a lot more than she lets on but even if she were truly oblivious (look at her face when Harper tells her that she thinks the guys got up to something while they were in Noto and tell me she's oblivious), that's not a happy marriage. It's laughable that anyone is making this argument.

I’m not moving any goalposts you just don’t like what I’m saying. Which is fine. We can disagree!

[Anonymous]

There’s a spoiler in the poster for the series. Can you spot it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure why my post didn’t work but was saying Cam comes onto Daphne and she’s delighted, and they’ve got the dream dynamic but they really really don’t. So then what is really the dream dynamic and is it even possible?

There is no dream dynamic. Other people suck. The show seem to be saying that you can compartmentalize/ignore the things that are negative about your spouse and continue to live a happy life.

My favorite scene from the last episode was when both couples were on the beach. Ethan was stewing and just glaring at Cameron & Daphne, who were acting like lovey teenagers and joking around. You could see the wheels turning in his head - “Why am I in trouble with my wife when I did nothing wrong, while this prick who banged a prostitute gets lavished with romantic attention from his wife? IT’S NOT FAIR.”

I hate how everyone is maintaining lies / unspoken truths on behalf of Cameron. No one seems to want to disrupt his Apple cart and clear the air. Instead, everyone tiptoes around the truth of Cameron’s shitty behavior. Maybe that’s real power.

I don't think the show insinuated that anyone leads a happy life.

+1

I can't remember where (maybe that Fresh Air interview with Mike White) but I heard/read someone describe this show as being about people are mostly old enough and self-aware to know what their problem is, but also limited enough to feel that whatever it is about them that is getting in the way of their happiness is not quite fixable. So the show is kind of about the triage people do in that situation. Like Dom knows he's a cheat, he understands that the behavior was learned from his dad and worries that it will be passed onto his son, but he's also just kind of flailing a bit trying to figure out what to do about it. Bargaining, secrecy, lectures. He knows just "not wanting to cheat" is not really an option. It's hard. I think Dom sucks but I do understand the difficulty of that situation. What do you do when you realize you are weak and broken, even understand why, but there's not really a blueprint for fixing it?

Tanya is another good example. That speech she gives Portia in the last episode showed a ton of self-awareness. And we've seen glimpses of that before. She knows that she's messed up and she sounds like she's spent years in therapy figuring out how her weird childhood caused it. But she's also just kind of like "well this is what it is." It's what makes her infuriating but also what makes her charming at times. She's not really trying to fix herself, just make herself as reasonably happy as she can given the situation.

Which brings us to Daphne, and that's exactly what Daphne is doing. All these rich people who mostly rely on their wealth and privilege to make themselves more comfortable, even if they've given up on really making things "correct." It's an option! It's what a lot of people do.

But then there are people on the show who are more "awake" if you will. Like Lucia and Mia, like Harper, like Albie and Portia to some degree. They are younger and/or more naive. They don't understand their own problems as well as some of these other people. But they also still have a belief in their capacity to change, to some degree. Lucia and Mia really believe that if they can just get enough cash on hand, they can achieve their dreams. Harper, in her own words: "I'm too young to be this old." Portia and Albie are way less proactive, both basically looking for a romantic partner who will validate them and solve them. But that's so common for people their age. Portia is getting an education in the problems with that approach that will hopefully wake her up (or get her killed). Albie... we'll see how this ends and what, if anything, he learns from it.

Albie and Portia might just be future Dom and Tanya. Mia and Lucia might be dead, or simply stay smalltime scammers and prostitutes. Harper might ultimately make a different version of the same bargain Daphne has made. Is it about finding happiness? Not exactly. It's more about making do. I think that's what makes the show so watchable. Most of us are just making do.

+100. This eloquently said what I have been feeling about both seasons but couldn't articulate.

In season one Rachel figured out what was "correct" when she realized she was married to a man-baby, but ultimately decided 'it could be worse'. As viewers we would like to condone her for choosing that option, but when we look at our own lives we have all make similar choices that aren't "correct". And it's uncomfortable.

[Anonymous]

Nonna (the grandfather, not sure on his name) has had two head injuries at the white lotus. My money is on him as one of the deaths (not necessarily in the water).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There’s a spoiler in the poster for the series. Can you spot it?

Tanya is driving away ALONE and disguised.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nonna (the grandfather, not sure on his name) has had two head injuries at the white lotus. My money is on him as one of the deaths (not necessarily in the water).

I agree. Letting him walk around with that goofy bandage on his head is definitely foreshadowing. Nonno’s going home in a box.

[Anonymous]

I can’t wait until this thread dies in about a week

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There’s a spoiler in the poster for the series. Can you spot it?

Maybe that it's Cameron says "La dolce vita" at the winery and it turns out not to be sweet for him??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nonna (the grandfather, not sure on his name) has had two head injuries at the white lotus. My money is on him as one of the deaths (not necessarily in the water).

I agree. Letting him walk around with that goofy bandage on his head is definitely foreshadowing. Nonno’s going home in a box.

Or could it be a red herring?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can’t wait until this thread dies in about a week

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can’t wait until this thread dies in about a week

The only thing weirder than this thread being this long is how many posters in it are like “oh my god, why do you all care?”

It’s like you’re mad at having to see the thread in “Recent Topics” or something. Just scroll past if you don’t want to read it.

Less self-awareness than most of the characters on White Lotus.