The White Lotus Season 2 Ending Explained (In Detail): Episode 7's Biggest Reveals

Summary

• The White Lotus
  season 2 ending explores the themes of wealth, corruption, and sexual scandal with shocking revelations and a major character’s death.
• Greg was conning Tanya from the beginning, planning to kill her for her money, but Tanya ultimately outsmarted him and took her would-be murderers down.
• Ethan and Daphne’s relationship in the finale is left ambiguous, but it is strongly hinted that they had a physical encounter, providing Ethan with closure and revenge on Cameron.

The White Lotus season 2 ending was an explosive finale for Mike White’s dark dramedy miniseries, and the second chapter of the anthology concluded with — among other shocking moments that warrant further explanation — the death of a beloved character. The 2022 return of The White Lotus featured vacationers and locals in Sicily rather than Hawaii. However, the hit HBO show still explored corruption, wealth, and privilege — though with more focus on sexual scandals. The core message of The White Lotus season 2 is that money and sexual misconduct can have fatal consequences.

While the first volume’s theme was the pitfalls of money and power, The White Lotus season 2 positions money and sex as its primary motif, with the affairs of wealthy Sicilian vacationers having various triumphant or tragic effects on their endings. The finale featured a major White Lotus character death, blossoming new romances, and enough cryptic notes and shocking revelations to garner widespread audience and critical acclaim — as well as a third-season renewal from HBO. However, The White Lotus season 2, episode 7 explains some of its story arc conclusions better than others.

What Happens In The White Lotus Season 2 Ending

A Quick Recap Of “Arrivederci”

The White Lotus season 2 finale came with episode 7, “Arrivederci,” which saw the conclusion of the four main story arcs. Ethan (Will Sharpe) and Cameron (Theo James) come to blows after Harper (Aubrey Plaza) divulges Cameron’s advances. Were it not for the intervention of a passer-by, Ethan likely would have drowned his former college friend. Instead, after he’s cooled off, Ethan confides in Daphne (Meghann Fahy). The two then walk off together, possibly to have a passionate encounter of their own.

While it’s not revealed if Daphne and Ethan have sex, when Ethan and Harper become intimate again before the end of the episode, there’s a rekindled passion in their lovemaking. Despite how rocky their Sicilian vacation was, Ethan and Harper are still together at the end of The White Lotus season 2, as are Daphne and Cameron. While this happy ending surprised some, what shocked viewers was the death of an incredibly popular The White Lotus character — Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya.

Tanya died in The White Lotus season 2 finale after confronting Quentin (Tom Hollander) about Greg (Jon Gries). This was the only season 2 storyline that continued from The White Lotus season 1. Tanya fell from a boat to her death, though not before shooting Quentin and his associates. Tanya’s body is discovered by Daphne, who is horrified. Meanwhile, Albie (Adam DiMarco), Dom (Michael Imperioli), and Bert (F. Murray Abraham) didn’t have the Italian homecoming they expected.

Finally, but by no means least shockingly, the full extent of Lucia’s (Simona Tobasco’s) schemes was revealed. While none of these conclusions felt unsatisfying, there are several elements of The White Lotus season 2 ending explained less than clearly in the episode itself, but are straightforward to break down and make the finale much more satisfying when fully understood, as they fully reveal the core themes of the HBO anthology series.

Was Greg Really Conning Tanya Since White Lotus Season 1?

Greg’s Feelings For Tanya Were Always Fake

The White Lotus season 2 ending explained that Tanya’s suspicions about her husband Greg were correct. The pair met in The White Lotus season 1, and they married shortly after. Greg was acting suspiciously throughout The White Lotus season 2 by taking secretive phone calls, and later leaving halfway through the vacation that he insisted they take alone. Before The White Lotus season 2’s finale, Tanya confirmed the major theory that Greg was the cowboy Quentin had fallen in love with years back, and Greg and Quentin were planning to kill Tanya for her money.

While Greg seemed to genuinely like Tanya in The White Lotus season 1, his actions with Quentin indicate that she was a long-con. Greg wasn’t wealthy when he went to the White Lotus’ Hawaii resort, so he likely picked up Tanya as a mark, hoping she would be easy to seduce, marry, and quickly divorce to take her money. However, Tanya made Greg sign a prenup, so he had to work with Quentin to find a loophole to get her millions. This meant murdering her at sea and Greg leaving Tanya with Portia in Sicily to have an alibi.

Since Tanya died in The White Lotus season 2 finale after slipping and drowning, Greg may inherit her money. However, the police will be able to trace Quentin and his associates back to Greg, including their secretive phone calls together to plan Tanya’s murder. If so, Greg won’t end up getting her fortune. However, it’s unclear who would inherit her wealth instead, as it doesn’t seem like Tanya has any kin. One possibility put forward online by viewers has been that her assistant Portia could end up getting the money after The White Lotus season 2’s ending.

Why Tanya Had To Die In The White Lotus Season 2 Ending

Jennifer Coolidge’s Character Death Made The White Lotus Season 2 Finale More Impactful

Since Tanya was a beloved returning White Lotus character and Greg and Quentin’s conspiracy to kill her had become obvious by The White Lotus season 2 ending, it seemed that she would survive her Sicilian vacation — especially after shooting and killing the conspirators. However, The White Lotus gave her an operatic conclusion befitting the dramatic diva. Creator Mike White revealed in The White Lotus season 2’s “Inside the Episode” segment that Tanya was always going to die in season 2, as she had remarked in season 1 that the only major experience she hadn’t had yet was death.

The White Lotus season 2, episode 7 gave her a great ending by allowing her to kill her would-be murderers. Tanya was an easy mark for Quentin and his friends, but she got wise to Quentin and Greg’s plan after Portia called to confirm her suspicions. It was unexpected for Tanya to take the gun and shoot almost every man on the yacht, and even more so that she died by her own mistake. While it would have been exciting for Tanya to return for The White Lotus season 3, she had a fitting ending.

Did Ethan And Daphne Really Hook Up On The Island?

Whether Ethan And Daphne Cheated On Cameron And Harper Remains Ambiguous

While Ethan attempted to murder Cameron by nearly drowning him in The White Lotus season 2 ending, both the Sullivans and the Spillers survived their vacation, as did their respective marriages — although there may have been more infidelity than was shown on-screen. Ethan was furious that Cameron had seduced his wife, Harper, but Aubrey Plaza’s character insisted that all Harper and Cameron did was kiss.

It’s still entirely possible that Cameron and Harper had sex before Ethan arrived at the hotel room, but Daphne teaches Ethan that it doesn’t matter. Cameron and Daphne may play too many games with one another, but Ethan realizes he needs to embrace a dash of mystery to accept Harper’s affair. Ethan manages to let go of Harper and Cameron’s affair by finally having sex with his wife, and The White Lotus season 2 ending hints that this was only possible because he had a sexual tryst of his own.

When Ethan confides in Daphne about his fears that something has happened between Harper and Cameron, Daphne brings Ethan to a secluded island. Although The White Lotus doesn’t reveal what happened between them, Ethan and Daphne likely became physically intimate. For Ethan’s mind to completely change, it seems he did hook up with Cameron’s wife Daphne in The White Lotus season 2’s ending, which gives Ethan peace of mind while also getting revenge on Cameron.

The White Lotus S2 Ending Hints Cameron Knows Daphne’s Son Isn’t His

Extramarital Affairs Are Nothing New For Cameron And Daphne

Daphne and Cameron are both knowledgeable of one another’s affairs but refuse to discuss them with one another. Daphne even admits to Harper that she has a long-standing affair with her personal trainer, which is followed by Daphne implying that her son with Cameron was fathered by him. Daphne describes the trainer as blonde with blue eyes, and when she “accidentally” shows Harper a picture of her son, he has the same physical traits. It’s assumed that Cameron was unaware of this, but one moment in The White Lotus season 2 ending says otherwise.

When Daphne is calling her son, he continues to ask for “daddy,” with Theo James’ White Lotus character Cameron ignoring the calls for him while looking at himself in the mirror. Cameron eventually relents but has to force his resentful frown into a fake smile before exiting the bathroom. Daphne accepts Cameron’s many affairs by having one of her own, so Cameron seems to be aware that this ended up producing a child that wasn’t his. However, he has to accept her illegitimate son as his own, indicating that both begrudgingly accept the consequences of their decisions and lifestyles.

Yes, Lucia Was Conning Albie The Entire Time – But Did He Find Out About Dom?

Albie Never Learns Why Lucia Was At The Hotel In The White Lotus Season 2

One of the least shocking conclusions of The White Lotus season 2 is the affair between Lucia and Albie. Although Lucia began staying at the hotel because Albie’s father, Dom, was paying her for sex, the naive Albie genuinely thought that Lucia liked him. Lucia played her part well, making Albie believe their relationship could extend beyond a transactional affair in Sicily. By the end, Lucia even convinced Albie to give her 50,000 Euros to pay off Alessio, who she alleged was her pimp.

The White Lotus season 2’s ending reveals the full extent of how much Lucia conned Albie, and that she wasn’t the only one involved in the scam. Lucia swiftly leaves the hotel after Albie gives her the money, subsequently showing that Alessio was just a friend of Lucia’s who was in on the plot. Albie accepts his defeat and admits to Dom that he’ll continue being an easy mark who falls for damaged women, but Dom never confesses that he was the one who originally hired Lucia.

Since Dom was trying to prove that he had changed on the trip, he won’t admit to Albie that he was sleeping with Lucia, as it could jeopardize the progress he was making with Albie’s mother, Abby (voiced by Laura Dern).

The Real Meaning Of The White Lotus Season 2’s Ending

The White Lotus Season 2 Crystallizes Its Themes Of Money, Sex, And Manipulation

The White Lotus season 2’s ending explained the power that comes with sex, and how the jealousy, greed, and manipulations associated with it impact the lives of the wealthy elite. The White Lotus season 2 positions sex as a dangerous game, where few emerge better than before. Albie likely won’t be duped by a sex worker again, but he’ll still be easily manipulated by women. Dom will continue to “try” to change, but he made no real progress during The White Lotus season 2’s Italy trip, indicating he’ll still succumb to his desires while being saved by lies and money.

Ethan and Harper’s relationship has been strengthened by finally confronting the issue of their lack of sex, with jealousy of affairs being what rekindled the spark in their marriage. However, The White Lotus season 2’s ending indicates that jealousy being the driving reason behind a more active sex life isn’t healthy, as Daphne and Cameron’s relationship is gearing up for an explosion. For Portia and Albie, their naivete yielded significant manipulation, but both now realize they’re better off with each other.

It was Mia and Lucia who ended up on top and had the best outcomes in The White Lotus season 2 ending, as both were entirely confident in their sexualities while using the innocence and vulnerabilities of others to get what they wanted, including financial and job security. The White Lotus season 1’s ending positioned the Hawaiian locals and employees of the resort as the ones who were exploited by the wealthy guests, whereas season 2’s ending makes the locals triumphant as they use sex to financially manipulate the guests and continue on with life better than before.

How The White Lotus Season 2 Director Breaks Down The Ending

Mike White Wanted The Second Season Of The White Lotus To Feel Operatic

Creator Mike White has happily given his thoughts on The White Lotus season 2 ending, as well as discussing his worry about fan theories (via The Ringer). The show’s creator explained that there was a worry about people correctly guessing what happens in season 2’s ending, but he also enjoyed some of the most ridiculous theories. White noted:

Ninety-five percent of the theories people were positing, I was like, ‘That would be a shocker!’ But there’s no way that would feel earned or justified… It would be a shocker, but it wouldn’t be satisfying, I don’t think.

When it comes to the real The White Lotus season 2 ending, White explains that’s like something of an opera. The creator revealed:

You know the writing is on the wall, but there’s just a pleasure in watching the inexorable fate.

This explains several creative decisions Mike White made when creating The White Lotus season 2. Audiences were told in the opening scene that there were going to be multiple deaths, for example. White also explained the decision to make the last shot in The White Lotus season 2 of Mia and Lucia. Mike White noted:

I like them because they know what they want, and they’re also there to help each other. They’re boosting each other, they’re supporting each other… Compare that to Tanya and Portia, where there’s all of this blame and projection, and also they live in this kind of haze of their own
.

What To Expect From The White Lotus Season 3

A Season 1 Character Is Returning

The White Lotus season 2 ending explained nothing of what to expect from season 3, though this was always going to be the case given that the show’s an anthology series. However, The White Lotus season 3 is confirmed and is currently pegged to release in 2025. Creator Mike White has given some insight into his goals for the next installment, admitting that while the first season focused on money and the second on sex, the theme for the third season could be death and spirituality.

Several The White Lotus season 3 character details have also been revealed. Presently, there aren’t any clear links to the characters from the second season beyond the return of Natasha Rothwell as Belinda. It’s unknown how the new episodes will follow on from The White Lotus season 2 ending (or if they even will at all), although the new location is Thailand. Screen Rant’s full guide of everything known about The White Lotus season 3 so far is available below.

There is currently no confirmed release date for
The White Lotus
season 3, but it is currently in production.

How The White Lotus Season 2 Ending Compares To Season 1

The Second Season Focused Less On Family & More On Sex

Both seasons of The WHite Lotus offer the same idea of being in paradise but realizing something is missing or wrong. However, the two seasons have different themes, leading to two very different endings. Both seasons had betrayals, cheating relationships, and eventual murders but what was notable was that the first season mostly focused on the families on vacation and their relationships, which made it a little more relatable and tragic, while the people of season 2 felt a little less connected.

Another big difference between the two endings is that the first season was set up so that anyone could have died, which helped lead to the surprise ending. However, the second season didn’t leave as much to question, although that last death still shocked viewers. The first season took a realistic look at the families and their broken relationships while the second season separated the families and focused more on sexual relationships with cheating and revenge.

Critics mostly saw both seasons pretty equally though. Metacritic shows the review average is 82 for the first and 81 for the second seasons. However, it seems fans are split about the two seasons. A Reddit thread was created specifically claiming the first season was superior to the second, with many Redditors saying the first season was a “masterpiece” and the second was hard to get through. The big thing fans noted about the two was that the sexual relationships in White Lotus season 2 were never as good as the family drama.