The White Lotus season 2

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m LOLing at the idea that some of you have that Daphne or Lucia have more power than the men. Open your eyes. Cameron is not a saver. He makes a lot but clearly spends a lot too. He’s dodging paying Lucia the money he owes her probably because he knows he doesn’t have enough to cover it. If he and Daphne get divorced, she’ll be the typical cliche. A formerly pretty, now middle aged, housewife on the prowl for husband #2 before her alimony runs out. If she can’t find one, she’ll have to become a realtor or secretary or cashier. something desperate like that.

And Albie is leaving Italy within the week to go back to his bright future as a Stanford grad with rich parents. Lucia has no power over him. She’ll stay in Sicily, getting older and older, losing her looks, trying to make money through sex.

Cynical? Yeah but this is what real life is like. At the end of the day, wealth and gender finger power.

I said that Lucia has fragile power that is tied to this specific moment in time. She has power in that Albie likes her and he is powerful and she has some control over his power in this moment. But this is fleeting power and could be used to help her or destroy her depending on how she wields it.

Daphne has tremendous power and if you can't see that then you are blinded by the men. She holds the power in that relationship. I would honestly like you to give an example where she doesn't. He pulls one move she's annoyed with and she punishes him by staying away for the night (although its interesting we didn't get to see that conversation) and then freezes him out so he's making it up to her the next day. He is afraid of losing her and has said it out loud twice in the series (once to Lucia, once when recounting her emergency birth). She has not said anything like that about him. She isn't afraid of losing him at all.

His "punishment" was a threesome - doesn't feel like he suffered too much because she was away for the night. I don't think we know who holds what power in that relationship.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really think that in every season of White Lotus there should be a nice middle aged couple that has good values and is well off but not super rich and makes good, decent choices and doesn’t kill anyone or take advantage of the help and has a really nice vacation. Just for contrast.

I’m living that life, why would I want to watch it on TV?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m LOLing at the idea that some of you have that Daphne or Lucia have more power than the men. Open your eyes. Cameron is not a saver. He makes a lot but clearly spends a lot too. He’s dodging paying Lucia the money he owes her probably because he knows he doesn’t have enough to cover it. If he and Daphne get divorced, she’ll be the typical cliche. A formerly pretty, now middle aged, housewife on the prowl for husband #2 before her alimony runs out. If she can’t find one, she’ll have to become a realtor or secretary or cashier. something desperate like that.

And Albie is leaving Italy within the week to go back to his bright future as a Stanford grad with rich parents. Lucia has no power over him. She’ll stay in Sicily, getting older and older, losing her looks, trying to make money through sex.

Cynical? Yeah but this is what real life is like. At the end of the day, wealth and gender finger power.

I disagree it's that straightforward. Sure, maybe that will be Daphne... but what will happen to Cameron in that situation? If he's not a saver and he's broke, then if he divorces Daphne he will truly have nothing at all -- no gorgeous wife, no kids, no money. And if he doesn't have money, how does he get the rest back? If his power lies in his money, and he's broke, and he didn't save for a rainy day... Cameron is screwed. Daphne has a very winning personality and I think it's more likely she lands on her feet, likely with help from her parents.

And while I agree in general that Albie is likely to make it out of this situation unscathed, I do think Lucia has real power because she is reading Dom pretty well. I absolutely think she has plans to gently blackmail him for cash to bankroll her own dreams. Whether this backfires or not is up in the air -- blackmail is dangerous. But Lucia is using her position of transactional intimacy in order to collect information and access, and she is at least attempting to play it to her advantage. I do think she has some power, the question is whether it will be enough to overcome the power Dom has. Dom is rich but has a fatal flaw, which is his weakness for sex and women. He is vulnerable.

Similarly, Mia is using her charm and attractiveness to wheedle job opportunities. And she has real talent. Is this massive power? No, but she's going to work it for all she's got.

I think one point of this season is that there are more kinds of power than just money or being a man. Women DO have power. Smart, insightful people DO have power. It takes more work and creativity to wield it than just being a rich white guy, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

If he doesn't have money now, I'm not sure how him not having any money as a divorced guy makes him worse off. He'd get a new gorgeous wife. He and Daphne seem to have a real thing together - I'm not saying that he wouldn't be sorry to lose it - but I don't think he's some guy doing everything he possibly can to keep his marriage going. He cheated the very first second he had the opportunity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand people who stan Daphne. Her marriage is a horrible shit show. Getting knocked up by your trainer and passing it off as your husband’s is not some cool power play. If she ever gets found out, she’d ruin that kid’s life.

OMG is that why she showed Harper the picture of the kids rather than the trainer?

I don’t think so. She talked about the trainer to make herself out as not being a victim. She may or may not have a trainer she sleeps with, but at the end of the day, it’s her kids who give her the motivation to get over whatever Cameron does and not focus on it.

Eh, she says my trainer has blond hair and blue eyes, want to see a picture? Then shows a picture of a blond haired kid. Cameron has brown hair. Google it.

https://www.today.com/popculture/tv/white-lotus-season-2-daphne-trainer-kids-theory-rcna59147

Thx for another oped on that.

No one knows if the notion of “find your trainer” is literal or figurative or metaphorical.
As in find your trainer- go exercise or hook up w someone, or live your best life for your children, or find your own interests and expand your orbit beyond a husband.

Whatever it is, it’s good advice. Esp for women with doofus spouses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really think that in every season of White Lotus there should be a nice middle aged couple that has good values and is well off but not super rich and makes good, decent choices and doesn’t kill anyone or take advantage of the help and has a really nice vacation. Just for contrast.

This show is kind of a study in dysfunction though and I really believe no relationship is 100% functional and healthy 100% of the time. I know that’s a cynical view and that there are many overall good relationships much less dysfunctional than those on the show but I bet even the best couple would have some issues to be highlighted and addressed

Yeah, I think that the nice middle aged couple with no issues having a great vacation is there, they are just in the background and we don't spend any time with them because while they have a nice life, they are exceedingly boring. Maybe we'll check in on them during a future season when they are in crisis.

Like all the happy older couples Dom saw on his emotional beach walk, ending with phoning his estranged wife?

You never know what someone is going through - health, finances, job, relationships - so just be kind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m LOLing at the idea that some of you have that Daphne or Lucia have more power than the men. Open your eyes. Cameron is not a saver. He makes a lot but clearly spends a lot too. He’s dodging paying Lucia the money he owes her probably because he knows he doesn’t have enough to cover it. If he and Daphne get divorced, she’ll be the typical cliche. A formerly pretty, now middle aged, housewife on the prowl for husband #2 before her alimony runs out. If she can’t find one, she’ll have to become a realtor or secretary or cashier. something desperate like that.

And Albie is leaving Italy within the week to go back to his bright future as a Stanford grad with rich parents. Lucia has no power over him. She’ll stay in Sicily, getting older and older, losing her looks, trying to make money through sex.

Cynical? Yeah but this is what real life is like. At the end of the day, wealth and gender finger power.

I said that Lucia has fragile power that is tied to this specific moment in time. She has power in that Albie likes her and he is powerful and she has some control over his power in this moment. But this is fleeting power and could be used to help her or destroy her depending on how she wields it.

Daphne has tremendous power and if you can't see that then you are blinded by the men. She holds the power in that relationship. I would honestly like you to give an example where she doesn't. He pulls one move she's annoyed with and she punishes him by staying away for the night (although its interesting we didn't get to see that conversation) and then freezes him out so he's making it up to her the next day. He is afraid of losing her and has said it out loud twice in the series (once to Lucia, once when recounting her emergency birth). She has not said anything like that about him. She isn't afraid of losing him at all.

Lol it’s clear that she doesn’t want Cam cheating but she can’t get him to stop. She only sleeps with the trainer because it makes her feel less internally humiliated. Cam doesn’t even know about it. We’re supposed to realize she’s lying to herself and Harper when she says things like “I’m not a victim.” She’d much rather have a faithful husband and perfect marriage. If you think that’s power, and a healthy happy relationship, I feel really sorry for you.

She’s out there doing her least worst option for herself and kids. Run the scenarios and probabilities yourself.

She’s really pretty though. I would bet she could find another rich guy who would be faithful. Maybe not quite as good looking as Theo James but still handsome.

[Anonymous]

Daphne is pretty happy before taking her farewell ocean swim before her flight, so there’s that!

She’s a positive person. And realistic. And maybe sinister….or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you watched season 1 and throughly Tanya was going to find that spa, I have a bridge to sell ya. Come on.

Belinda should have known better. Hope for the best, expect the worst. If she’s working at the Four Seasons/White Lotus in a customer service job, I’d have to assume she’d come into contact with people much more demanding and abusive than Tanya.

The storyline was funny but not realistic at all.

Literally no one is saying we thought she was going to fund the spa. But the fact that you can't put yourself in the position of someone for whom that was the equivalent of dangling a winning lottery ticket in front of their eyes. You are unaware of your OWN position of power there. Anyone would be susceptible to believing and getting their hopes up if someone showed up and came to them again and again promising they would give them the one thing they wanted most in the world. Belinda won't have many opportunities, she was ok with that, and Tanya worked to convince her she would help her.

And again, that doesn't really matter. How Belinda experienced all that is not actually relevant to how it would have been a bad and mean thing to do no matter who was on the other end. She strung her along, and she treats basically everyone like this. I have no idea why you want to act like Tanya is the good guy, she's most certainly not meant to be. Sympathetic yes, but not good

Tanya not being unspeakably cruel is not the same as tanya is the good guy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m LOLing at the idea that some of you have that Daphne or Lucia have more power than the men. Open your eyes. Cameron is not a saver. He makes a lot but clearly spends a lot too. He’s dodging paying Lucia the money he owes her probably because he knows he doesn’t have enough to cover it. If he and Daphne get divorced, she’ll be the typical cliche. A formerly pretty, now middle aged, housewife on the prowl for husband #2 before her alimony runs out. If she can’t find one, she’ll have to become a realtor or secretary or cashier. something desperate like that.

And Albie is leaving Italy within the week to go back to his bright future as a Stanford grad with rich parents. Lucia has no power over him. She’ll stay in Sicily, getting older and older, losing her looks, trying to make money through sex.

Cynical? Yeah but this is what real life is like. At the end of the day, wealth and gender finger power.

I disagree it's that straightforward. Sure, maybe that will be Daphne... but what will happen to Cameron in that situation? If he's not a saver and he's broke, then if he divorces Daphne he will truly have nothing at all -- no gorgeous wife, no kids, no money. And if he doesn't have money, how does he get the rest back? If his power lies in his money, and he's broke, and he didn't save for a rainy day... Cameron is screwed. Daphne has a very winning personality and I think it's more likely she lands on her feet, likely with help from her parents.

And while I agree in general that Albie is likely to make it out of this situation unscathed, I do think Lucia has real power because she is reading Dom pretty well. I absolutely think she has plans to gently blackmail him for cash to bankroll her own dreams. Whether this backfires or not is up in the air -- blackmail is dangerous. But Lucia is using her position of transactional intimacy in order to collect information and access, and she is at least attempting to play it to her advantage. I do think she has some power, the question is whether it will be enough to overcome the power Dom has. Dom is rich but has a fatal flaw, which is his weakness for sex and women. He is vulnerable.

Similarly, Mia is using her charm and attractiveness to wheedle job opportunities. And she has real talent. Is this massive power? No, but she's going to work it for all she's got.

I think one point of this season is that there are more kinds of power than just money or being a man. Women DO have power. Smart, insightful people DO have power. It takes more work and creativity to wield it than just being a rich white guy, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

If he doesn't have money now, I'm not sure how him not having any money as a divorced guy makes him worse off. He'd get a new gorgeous wife. He and Daphne seem to have a real thing together - I'm not saying that he wouldn't be sorry to lose it - but I don't think he's some guy doing everything he possibly can to keep his marriage going. He cheated the very first second he had the opportunity.

Exactly. I also think this is why Daphne says she struggles with female friendships and that they all talk shit behind her back. Everyone in their social circle knows he cheats on her like crazy and they talk about it behind her back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tanya’s not hurting anybody. She just floats around.

She’s probably overpaying the personal assistant, but nothing terrible is going on there. I’m sure other PAs or Annie’s if billionaires are sometimes treated terribly.

Being told to be on call during a $100k trip to Sicily…BFD. Don’t be a PA if you’re not available once in awhile.

She was exceptionally cruel in season 1 to the masseuse. Casually cruel in a way a wealthy person might not even understand just how cruel they were being.

No, cruel is not the correct word. Tanya was flakey.

Do YOU know anyone who made one pitch book for their idea (really Tanya’s idea) and won $1M seed money during a 1 week vacation of the financier?!

Yes be ready for rare opportunities to strike but don’t cry out cruel when someone you don’t know who seems unstable doesn’t gift you startup capital in less than seven days.

And she didn’t. She sighed and shook her head that Tanya the drama chaser ran to the next thing.

Why can’t the maui women find another investor? If the idea is really good?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand people who stan Daphne. Her marriage is a horrible shit show. Getting knocked up by your trainer and passing it off as your husband’s is not some cool power play. If she ever gets found out, she’d ruin that kid’s life.

OMG is that why she showed Harper the picture of the kids rather than the trainer?

It’s ambiguous at best.

The infant looked like Ethan. How's that for a twist?

[Anonymous]

Just rewatched the very first scene. A few obvious notes:

- Daphne is shocked to find a body. And she isn't doing it for show because no one else is there. I don't think she's responsible for killing the person who's floating.
- the person who's floating is pretty clearly a woman. The legs are smooth and hairless.
- I don't think it's Cameron who comforts her. You can sort of see her after the Rocco conversation and she's alone. If it were Cameron he's still be standing by her, comforting her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just rewatched the very first scene. A few obvious notes:

- Daphne is shocked to find a body. And she isn't doing it for show because no one else is there. I don't think she's responsible for killing the person who's floating.
- the person who's floating is pretty clearly a woman. The legs are smooth and hairless.
- I don't think it's Cameron who comforts her. You can sort of see her after the Rocco conversation and she's alone. If it were Cameron he's still be standing by her, comforting her.

I don't think we can know how genuine her shock is. I think Daphne is someone who puts up a front all the time. If she knew she had to put on the performance of a lifetime, I think she could do it.

I also think it's possible she is guilty of something but is surprised by something else. Like maybe she is involved in one death but discovers another, and her shock is partly in being implicated in another death unintentionally. Lots of options.

Valentina is clearly told there are multiple bodies, so the one body being a woman does not rule out Cameron being dead. His absence from that scene is pretty glaring -- Daphne pretty much never does stuff on her own that we've seen.

Agree it's not Cameron sho comforts her. The guy doesn't look like Theo James at all. But I do think we're supposed to be open to the idea that it might be, and be trying to remember if it was at this point.

I think a lot about that scene is made intentionally ambiguous precisely for this reason. If they'd made things more clear in that scene, there would be less to wonder about now. You are supposed to be wondering if Daphne is trying to cover up something happening to Cameron, if maybe she killed Harper, if maybe she's not involved at all. The only thing we know for sure is that Daphne doesn't die. But it's truly the only thing.

[Anonymous]

A podcast I listen to (Still Watching from Vanity Fair) pointed out that Ethan shows some real signs of not just anger but rage in the conversation about mimetic desire. Their point, which I agree with, is that it's clear from that conversation that Ethan's resentment towards and dislike of Cameron goes all the way back to college and that Ethan is nowhere near over it. One of the guys on the podcasts talked specifically about that kind of anger where maybe you don't think about for a long time, but then when you do think about it, it's so strong that it almost makes you vibrate. Their point on the podcast was that this scene illustrates that Ethan might have it in him to straight up murder Cameron.

While not a murderer ( ) this comment struck me because I immediately recognized that type of anger. I have a person from my past who I haven't seen in a long time and would definitely not choose to go on vacation with, but if I did find myself, for some reason, sitting down to dinner with them and our spouses, and they were acting like the same a$$hole they've always been, that is exactly the kind of rage I'd feel -- just vibrating, almost hard to control rage. I'm sure I'd handle it by either crying or screaming at them, not murdering them, but I absolutely recognize that feeling. There are some harms that cut very, very deep and stick with you. A healthy person gets far away from the person who caused the harm but Ethan, intriguingly, has decided to spend a lengthy vacation in a hotel with adjoining rooms, in a small town on an island with that person. That's... a choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Albies butt is so gross and I knew that English wanker was a gay

Albie's butt is fine--let's see yours.

The Essex boy's was big and flabby, though fr.