HBO’s The White Lotus, has already wrapped its second season, but as an anthology, this didn’t help shed any more light on The White Lotus season 1 ending. The first season of the satirical dramedy drops its audience into the eponymous Hawaiian resort, following several wealthy guests and the havoc they carelessly wreak. Themes of imperialism, classism, and a mercurial moral compass guide these characters through a sun-baked murder mystery. Season 2 took the show to Italy, but there are still aspects of the season 1 ending that fans question – especially around the ending.
The show highlights the central themes of wealth and colonialism, challenging how the privileged class can afford to behave carelessly, and the burden this places on marginalized groups and the working class. Though it provides no clear solutions to the dense and complex problems it targets, the season 1 ending of this great HBO show follows its characters to their logical conclusions as if fated to their ends by mechanisms far beyond the understanding of the rich and the reach of the poor.
What Happens In The White Lotus’s Ending
Shane Unintentionally Kills Armond
The White Lotus season 1 ends by explaining how each of the guests changed, and it often wasn’t for the better. In a brief six episodes, the audience comes to understand the unique wants and needs of each member of the Mossbacher party (daughter Olivia’s friend Paula included), the perpetually bewildered heiress Tanya McQuoid (Jennifer Coolidge), the newlyweds Shane (Jake Lacy) and Rachel (Alexandra Daddario), and a slew of hotel workers and other guests overseen by the delightful manager, Armond (Murray Bartlett).
In
The White Lotus
‘ season 1 ending, Shane kills his adversary Armond.
As these characters jostle for space and crash into one another, their relationships move towards the ending with an increasingly claustrophobic sense of dread and wondering who in The White Lotus will die. In the end, Shane kills his adversary Armond (albeit less intentionally than perhaps expected).
Among the remaining storylines, the Mossbachers reach an understanding within their marriage while their daughter and her friend begin the end of their relationship. Tanya bows out of her commitment to spa manager Belinda to chase Greg to Colorado. Quinn Mossbacher self-actualizes, dipping the boarding queue to join his newfound Hawaiian friends as they train to row to the big island. Rachel decides to stay with her husband Shane in their nascent unhappy marriage.
A lot of ground is covered in the one-hour finale, but there’s even more lurking beneath the surface of the ending of season 1 of The White Lotus’.
Why Armond Had To Die In The White Lotus
The Working Class Is Powerless When Up Against Wealthy Guests
The end of The White Lotus season 1 explained why Armond had to die, hammering home the themes of classism in the series. From the opening moments, White creates tension with the anonymous “human remains” box and the incessant voiceover, “Where’s your wife?” The audience spends the next six episodes wondering who will end up in that box and learns it’s Armond, representing the torment of working in hospitality, catering to the vapid whims of the carelessly rich.
His fate begins with the double-booking of the Pineapple Suite, but it’s sealed with his falling off the wagon. Whether it was an accident or not, Shane is never charged with Armond’s murder, though this is fitting given the themes of the show. After the pressures and unnecessary stresses of his longtime job push Armond to the edge, and when suddenly presented with Olivia and Paula’s stash, he turns to drugs to cope — which leads to his fatally reckless behavior.
The White Lotus won 15 Primetime Emmy Awards and 2 Golden Globes.
While Shane getting his comeuppance would have been a satisfying outcome in The White Lotus‘ season 1 ending, the opposite occurs. This supports one of the main themes in The White Lotus: the notion that the working class is powerless against mechanisms that unequally distribute wealth. Season 1’s bleak ending highlights the horrors of class stratification. White at least gives Armond some measure of bittersweet fulfillment: he nails dinner and leaves Shane an odorous parting gift.
Why Does Rachel Stay With Shane At The End Of The White Lotus?
Rachel’s Situation Is Difficult And It’s Easier For Her To Stay Married
One of the biggest criticisms of The White Lotus’ season 1 ending is Rachel and Shane remaining together. Rachel is no “Lotus-Eater.” She’s a writer with journalistic aspirations beyond the listicles she gets assigned. Unfortunately, Shane shows his true colors on their honeymoon as a spoiled, hyper-masculine, self-indulgent man-child. Shane might be The White Lotus‘ worst character, coveting her appearance over character, his incessant complaints and vendetta against the staff, and his belittling of her career.
When Rachel finally decides to stand up for her principles in White Lotus‘ season 1 ending, she’s hardly even acknowledged by the unlikable Shane — but when she goes searching for advice, she finds Belinda has no wisdom to dispense. In her, Rachel sees the cost of living under the feet of the wealthy, physically and emotionally spent. Suddenly, sacrificing her principles in exchange for the carelessness wealth would afford seems a good option.
In response to the strong reaction to The White Lotus ending, the creator stated he wanted to create this dynamic from the onset, just as he knew it was Armond he wanted to put in that “human remains” box. White describes Rachel as “a woman who realizes what she’s really married to and what she’s giving up,” but that he always knew she’d end up staying with him in The White Lotus‘ season 1 ending for three main reasons.
First, there’s an element of the “seduction of a lifestyle” — that she’s married into wealth and its advantages. Second, it is similar to Daphne and Cameron in The White Lotus season 2 with their flawed marriage that still has some love there, insisting Shane really does love Rachel, even if he falls short of supporting her when it inconveniences his childlike temperament. White cites the difficulty for Rachel as her situation is difficult — it’s easier to stay the course than back out on their honeymoon.
What Does The White Lotus Say About Classism & Imperialism?
The Series’ Contrasting Story Arcs Provokes Debate
The White Lotus‘ season 1 ending dissects the class divide, a scathing satire criticizing the carelessness of wealth. It’s a complicated discussion that reflects the creator’s own experiences. Mike White has had considerable success, both critically and commercially, and that informs the characters. He calls Armond the character he relates to the most, often finding himself as “a ‘give the suits what they want’ kind of person.“
His experience as a white man informs his perspectives on Quinn Mossbacher (Fred Hechinger) and Steve Zahn’s Mark in The White Lotus. In the latter, he places his struggles to atone for “the things he can’t control.” In the former, he taps into his experience on Survivor and his other world travels, citing a personal desire to escape a world that’s “too much with us” and connect with these cultures. However, in the same breath, he places himself in Rachel’s shoes, sacrificing his principles to be a writer-for-hire.
The show is a clash of contemporary ideologies.
The White Lotus’ season 1 ending is designed to create conflicted feelings. Because of White’s vantage point on classism and imperialism, the series provokes debate. Whether it’s Nicole’s feminism versus Rachel’s career aspirations, Olivia and Paula criticizing Mark and Nicole for fetishizing the fruits of imperialism, or Quinn choosing personal freedom over wealth, the show is a clash of contemporary ideologies.
The parable of Belinda and Tanya further illustrates the disparity between the classes, as the former’s greatest career opportunity amounts to just another delirious whim in the latter’s life.
Which White Lotus Characters Return For Season 2?
Season 2 Premiered In October 2022
The White Lotus season 2 premiered at the end of October 2022 with a whole new storyline. Season 2 follows a group of hotel guests at the White Lotus in Taormina, Sicily, after discovering a group of patrons dead on the beach. Two cast members returned, but it’s mostly new faces. Jennifer Coolidge was back for season 2 as Tanya McQuoid-Hunt, and her husband Greg Hunt (Jon Gries) also shows up at the White Lotus.
Among the new White Lotus season 2 characters is Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos) as Dominic Di Grasso, a Hollywood producer looking into his Sicilian heritage. His father, Bert, is played by F. Murray Abraham (Mythic Quest). Adam DiMarco (The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) portrays Dominic’s son, Albie. Italian actress Beatrice Grannò plays Mia, an aspiring singer. Theo James (Sanditon) is a businessperson named Cameron, and his wife Daphne is played by Meghann Fahy (The Bold Type).
Tom Hollander (Pirates of the Caribbean) portrays a British expat named Quentin, and Sabrina Impacciatore (The Passion of the Christ) plays Valentina, the manager of the White Lotus. Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) is Harper Spiller, and her husband Ethan is played by Will Sharpe (Sherlock). Haley Lu Richardson (The Edge of Seventeen) portrays Portia, a college graduate and Tanya’s assistant. Italian actress Simona Tabasco plays Lucia, a Sicilian local trying to work at the White Lotus.
The Real Meaning Of The White Lotus’s Ending
The Ending Is Satirical In Its Depiction Of Hotel Workers & The Guests
The White Lotus’ season 1 ending is satire. Lani disappears after episode 1 because she ceases to exist to the patrons after she’s unable to work. Kai is arrested for assault and attempted burglary because, to the wealthy, that’s just what “The Help” sometimes does — but of course, the characters show no remorse for the pillaging of Hawaiian culture and resources by their colonial ancestors. Nicole and Mark repair their marriage, as secure in their status as they are insecure in themselves.
Even The White Lotus‘ unanswered questions and uncertain futures of some characters can be guessed at with the themes of the show. Rachel rejoins Shane because the world is a scary place without the privileges money affords. White Lotus character Belinda painstakingly puts on her smile again as a group of interchangeable helpers, ready to handle baggage (both material and emotional), prepare for new arrivals at the resort — the endless cycle still churning that defines the HBO show.
And to top it all off, the final shot of The White Lotus season 1 bears the stain of utilizing marginalized characters for the straight white male to self-actualize — and it’s arguably the most gratifying moment in the whole six episodes. Such is the intrinsic cognitive dissonance of The White Lotus‘ season 1 ending.
Some White Lotus Season 1 Characters May Return For Season 3
Natasha Rothwell Will Return As Belinda Lindsey
Fans are already looking to The White Lotus season 3, but The White Lotus season 1 ending guarantees that at least one fan-favorite character would not be returning. However, that doesn’t mean that the third season couldn’t see some other familiar faces return. Connie Britton, who played Nicole in season 1, addressed the fact that she originally planned to be part of season 2 only for those plans to fall through. However, she claims the idea could be used for season 3.
There is also a tease about one of the big-name stars of season 2 who didn’t appear on-screen. Laura Dern provided the voice of Abby, the estranged wife of Michael Imperioli’s Dominic. One theory from The White Lotus covers how Dern could return for season 3 and how it could even connect to Nicole’s storyline. The fan theory suggests that Nicole and Abby are sisters, which could mean they vacation together at a White Lotus resort in season 3, perhaps with Abby’s newly reconciled husband.
The one confirmed returning cast member from The White Lotus season 1 is Natasha Rothwell, who played Belinda Lindsey, who was briefly going into business with Tanya. The extent of her role in season 3 is unknown. However, she could still have some communication with Tanya, and there’s a possibility that Belinda could suspect something regarding Tanya’s death in the White Lotus season 2 ending.
How The White Lotus Season 1 Ending Compares To Season 2
Season 2 Was More Of A Murder Mystery Plot Than A Misunderstanding
The White Lotus season 1 ending set a high bar for The White Lotus season 2 ending to wrap up its multiple stories in a meaningful, fitting way, but many people feel it succeeded. However, there are some notable differences in how Mike White decided to handle some of the storylines. In particular, the murder mystery at the center of The White Lotus season 2 was much more of an actual murder plot rather than a simple misunderstanding turned deadly.
Tanya learns that the new friends she has met have actually been hired by Greg to kill her. This is a much more dramatic plot than The White Lotus season 1 featured, even featuring a shootout in which Tanya kills all of her would-be killers. However, season 2 does follow the darkly comedic answer about which main character dies, as Tanya is killed in The White Lotus season 2 ending as she attempts to escape a yacht and clumsily falls overboard.
White continues the trend of playing against expectations and concluding with many unhappy endings.
In terms of the other characters, White continues the trend of playing against expectations and concluding with many unhappy endings. Harper and Ethan seem to be heading down a similar path as Cameron and Daphne, using infidelity as a way to keep their relationship alive. Despite not having changed, Dominic seemed to have an opportunity to save his marriage.
However, as a drastic difference from The White Lotus season 1, the locals and staff get happy endings, with Valentina embracing her sexuality, Mia getting a singing job with the resort, and Lucia tricking Albie out of a lot of money.
The White Lotus Season 1 Ending May Have Started A Series Trend
The Season End Played Against Expectations
When The White Lotus Season 1 killed off Armond, the most relatable character and one the creator even loved, this set up a possible trend that the show will follow into the future. Mike White chooses to subvert viewer expectations, and that includes killing fan-favorite characters — and doing it in ways that are often humiliating and wrong. This happened again in season 2 with Tanya McQuoid (Jennifer Coolidge). She came back from season 1 and then died when she fell off the boat.
Tanya was a grieving woman who wanted to find herself and ended up in a relationship with Greg. It seemed she might get a happily-ever-after ending, which fans might have wanted since she is such a great character. That didn’t happen, and White explained why:
”
Not that I really wanted to kill Tanya, because I love her as a character and obviously love Jennifer … it just made me laugh to think she would take out this whole cabal of killers and that, after she’s successfully done that, she just dies this derp-y death. It just felt like that’s so Tanya.”
This does one thing that The White Lotus seems to be leaning into. No one is safe on this show. Fans should not expect happy endings, and the fate of the people on the show often might not seem fair, but that is life. It’s the case with Rachel’s ending in season 1 and continues on with some of the show’s more unlikable characters ending up in better spots than the likable few.
How The White Lotus Season 1 Ending Was Received
Season 1 Earned Huge Acclaim For The Series
While there was a lot of controversy surrounding the end of The White Lotus season 1, the overall reception from the audience seemed to cement the show’s status as a new television favorite. The show set up a murder mystery from the beginning, hooking the audience with the question of who was going to die and who was the killer. However, as the series went on and the audience got wrapped up in the characters themselves, the impending murder almost became an afterthought.
The finale of season 1 brilliantly put the focus back on the looming death with different scenarios arising about who might be involved. The fact that, after so much build-up, the death turned out to be something of a misunderstanding could have been a disappointment. Instead, the reception to the reveal was largely positive as many found it to be a darkly comedic commentary on the relationship between those staying at the resort and those working at the resort.
However, it also seems that some of the controversy surrounding the ending informed what happened in the second season of the show. There were some who felt that Shane’s killing of Armond going unanswered made for a victory for the entitled guests, which didn’t sit well with all viewers. However, The White Lotus season 2 ended with the locals like Lucia and Mia having their own victory over the people who simply use their services. Also, in the case of the murder, the second season leaned into an actual murder plot.
However, in the end, the positive reception to the twists and turns as well as the social commentary provided by the season 1 ending seemed to embolden The White Lotus to continue subverting expectations with its storytelling.
