Mike White’sThe White Lotushas rightfully claimed its place as one of the dominating forces in television. TheHBO Maxoriginal series was without a doubt one of the most anticipated and exciting releases this past year. After the show’s highly successful first season was released in the summer of 2021, fans eagerly waited for Season 2, which was arguably even better than the first. Season 1 takes place at the White Lotus resort in Maui, Hawaii, a peaceful and stunning oasis perfect for family getaways, honeymoons, and spiritual awakenings. The guests at The White Lotus are all dealing with their individual problems while away on vacation, yet they are unified by the lies, deception, and murder that take place during their stay. Jennifer Coolidge, Alexandra Daddario, Sydney Sweeney, Murray Bartlett, Jake Lacy, Steve Zahn, and Connie Britton are a few stars who made up season one’s cast.
The White LotusSeason 2,released in the fall of 2022, takes place in Taormina, Sicily. An all-new cast, aside from Jennifer Coolidge, who continues to play her character from season one, arrives at the White Lotus hotel expecting culture and relaxation. The chaos that occurs sends the guests down a dark and, at times, irreversible path. One of the great things aboutThe White Lotusis that although it is a show that explores dark themes like murder, affairs, and deception, it is always masked with a level of humor and very strong independent characters — especially women. Throughout both seasons we see women who are highly intelligent, successful, strong, and irresistible. Here is every time the women fromThe White Lotusserved.
11Nicole is the Breadwinner (Season 1)
Played by Connie Britton, Nicole is one of the strong and confident characters from season 1 ofThe White Lotus. Although she may seem distant from her family at times and out of touch, what makes her character appeasing is her independence. Nicole is her own boss and the main source of income for her family. She does extremely well for herself and isn’t afraid to show it. Her husband Mark is also extremely supportive of all her achievements, and celebrates the fact that she is a successful and pioneering woman in a space predominately ruled by men.
Related:The White Lotus: Best Season 2 Moments, Ranked
10Belinda Fights for her Dreams (Season 1)
Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) is arguably one of the purest characters inThe White LotusSeason 1, and the character we root for the most. She is a staff member whom Tanya confides in and befriends after Belinda treats her with an eye-opening healing session. Tanya is unable to process the emotions she is feeling after her mother’s death and expresses the gratitude she feels for Belinda by promising her to fund her dream business endeavor. Belinda is beyond excited about this dream finally coming true, but before she is able to see it come to life, Tanya changes her mind and backs out of helping.
9Lani Has a Baby on the Job (Season 1)
One of the biggest girl boss moments in the show’s first season is when Lani, an employee at the White Lotus, is able to work through her entire pregnancy up until the point where she actually goes into labor on the job. Her strength, patience, and calm energy during such an extremely stressful time like this go to show just how powerful a women’s body is and what it can withhold while under pressure. This is the first of many plot twists in the show and definitely one of the biggest serves.
8Portia Flirting with the Men of The White Lotus (Season 2)
Haley Lu Richardson’s Portiamay not have it all together, but she is trying her best. Her poor decisions are the result of her inexperience and curiosity, while she tries to figure out what she does and doesn’t like in guys. She is dragged to the White Lotus by her boss Tanya, and has to balance carrying out her role as an assistant while also attempting to enjoy her vacation. The first man Portia entertains is Albie, a sweet, gentle, and caring young guy, who seems too good to be true, but she soon gets bored with the fact that he is almost too nice. She then begins to flirt with Dillon, an unpredictable and rough around the edges kind of guy. Her decisions ultimately backfire, but the way she goes about dating shows off her independence, easygoing, and fun nature as a woman.
7Valentina Lets Go (Season 2)
Valentina (Sabrina Impacciatore) is another fan favorite fromThe White Lotusseason 2. She is the manager of the hotel and runs an extremely tight ship. Her girl boss energy is at an all-time high, except when it comes to one employee, Isabella. It turns out that Valentina has had a crush on Isabella for quite some time now, but is nervous about telling her because she doesn’t know how the news will be received. When she finds out Isabella does not share the same feelings, she is devastated. Valentina finds herself spending the night with Mia ,and after being able to let go and truly be herself, her entire attitude as a person shifts, and she is the happiest we ever see her in the show.
6Harper Reclaims Her Relationship (Season 2)
Aubrey Plaza is easilyone of the most loved actresses on television today. Her hilarious and brutal honesty in real life, accompanied by the fact that she is an incredible actress, is what makes audiences adore her so much. Her character Harper seems cold to her husband’s friends, Cameron and Daphne, who don’t share all the same deep and intellectual passions as she does. At her core, though Harper is just as fragile as anyone else, she is scared that her marriage isn’t as solid as she’s been telling herself it has been. When she does open up to her husband about how she’s feeling, and demands that they work harder to heal their relationship, she is able to keep her marriage alive and find a more peaceful way to be.
Related:White Lotus Season 2 Ending, Explained
5Mia Becomes a Professional Singer (Season 2)
Mia (Beatrice Grannò) and Lucia (Simona Tabasco) are best friends through thick and thin, who make their way through life as escorts. They try to hang around luxury hotels like the White Lotus and make a decent living for the week. Although their work may not be the most ethical, the girls, Mia in particular, have big dreams of breaking away from this lifestyle and creating something better for herself. Her dream is to be a singer and share her love for music with anyone who will listen. She presses Valentina, the hotel manager, about singing one night in the restaurant for dinner, but is heavily denied the opportunity until the hotel’s resident performer suffers a medical injury and there is no other option but for herMia to step in. Mia worked hard and fought for herself even after being shot down multiple times, eventually she was able to turn her dream into a reality.
4Lucia is a Mastermind Hustler (Season 2)
Like Mia, Lucia will stop at nothing to make sure, by the end of the day, she and her friend are taken care of financially. She takes a few clients at the White Lotus during the season, but one guest she takes an extreme liking to is Albie. He is completely different from most of the guys she works for, and Lucia appreciates how considerate and innocent he is. Albie decides to pressure his wealthy father into giving Lucia enough money so that she and Mia don’t have to work as escorts anymore, and Lucia can run off to LA with Albie. Of course, in the end, it’s all just a ploy, and Lucia is all the richer for it.
3Rachel Tells Shane She Regrets Marrying Him (Season 1)
Shane is easily one of the most disliked characters in all ofThe White Lotus. He is an immature, spoiled baby, who can’t seem to be happy no matter how good he has it. He is so removed from his own privilege, he doesn’t even understand how ridiculous he sounds when he complains. After nearly ruining their honeymoon, his new bride Rachel (Alexandra Daddario) expresses to him her doubts about their relationship, sharing that she doesn’t think they should have ever gotten married in the first place. This major girl power moment is a long time coming as audiences wish she would have told him off after the show’s first episode.
2Daphne Being One of the Strongest Characters (Season 2)
At the beginning of season 2, Daphne (Meghann Fahy) seems like a typical wealthy, self-involved, removed woman, who only spends her time vacationing and shopping. Harper looks down on her, deeming her to be less intelligent because of her interests, and labels her as a bit of an airhead. After spending one on one time together, Harper, like all the show’s viewers, realize there are so many more layers to Daphne than meets the eye. It is revealed that her arrogant and smug husband Cameron cheats on her regularly, and although it seems like there was a time when Daphne was hurt by this, she convinces herself that she is no longer crippled by the betrayal. She says that there is no point in getting upset because it is expected for husbands to cheat, and she can always do the same. She is without a doubt one of the strongest characters in the show and way more complex than most.
