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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
The second episode of Mike White’s The White Lotus (titled “New Day”) picks up speed, and it’s just extravagant! Once again, he serves as the writer/director of the HBO miniseries. This time, spoilers will be present, as the title of the article suggests. Please read on at your own discretion.
Plot Summary
As per HBO, here is the synopsis of this second episode.
A cautiously optimistic Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) walks a fine line with Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge, while Armond (Murray Bartlett) brainstorms ways to deal with Shane (Jake Lacy). After her husband belittles her work, Rachel (Alexandra Daddario) approaches Nicole (Connie Britton) for advice. Paula (Brittany O’Grady) and Olivia (Sydney Sweeney) lose track of their stash, while a revived Mark (Steve Zahn) attempts to connect with Quinn (Fred Hechinger).
In smaller roles, Lukas Gage plays Dillon, an employee of the White Lotus. Meanwhile, Kekoa Scott Kekumano plays a hotel employee.
Discussion
White’s writing of the plot and its characters sets off in exploration. The filmmaker is able to balance the development of both his male and female characters, allowing for a much stronger narrative. Jolene Purdy’s hotel trainee character, Lani, does not make an appearance in this episode, having been hospitalized from delivering her baby. Although, White’s narrative in this episode focuses on other matters.
The two girls’ stash of drugs (Adderall, Ambien, Klonopin, marijuana, and Xanax) is picked up by Tanya, who was getting all up in their business. Unbeknownst to her, she had been venting to them about her mother’s ashes while they were under the influence of ketamine. This specific scene was a sight to see. What I love most about it is Ben Kutchins’s work as director of photography. His cinematography mixes beautifully with Cristobal Tapia De Veer’s music and Mark Allen’s sound effects editing. This is even better in the opening scene, where Olivia and Paula are doing ASMR-like performances on their bed while high off weed.
In the episode, John M. Valerio replaces Heather Persons as the episode’s editor, with Brent McReynolds substituting for Bob Allen as the assistant editor.
Performances and Character Development
Sweeney delivers the best performance here. Her character in this series is not entirely similar to her character in Euphoria who drank alcohol, took ecstasy, and got pregnant. She is not nearly as reckless and seems more mature in what she knows. Alongside O’Grady’s Paula, Olivia looks to be in love, but not so much on the surface. Her jealousy when she sees Paula with the hotel worker is present, although it’s a lowkey feeling in the show’s first two episodes.
Aside from the scenes where she is high off drugs, Sweeney delivers excellently when sober at the dinner table. Her mother is on one end of the social-political spectrum, and Olivia says, “Making shit happen all the time is a compulsion, staves off feelings of emptiness.”
Daddario’s character develops profoundly in this episode. Both her husband Shane Patton and Olivia’s mother Nicole are problems to Rachel, telling her that she is not great at her job as a freelance journalist. In the first episode, we thought these two characters were okay. As it turned out, however, I believe they’ve become (or are turning into) “asshole[s]”, as Shane brought up in a discussion.
Themes of Privilege
Shane uses his affluent white boy privilege to ask his mother to ask her connection to speak to Armond. Although, frankly this circumstance was something that Armond caused in the previous episode with his professional advice and rhetoric to Lani. It’s just the fact that Shane is coming off harsh about the situation that doesn’t sit right with me. I am sure Rachel feels the same way too.
I also love Coolidge’s performance as Tanya McQuoid. First, she tells Rothwell’s Belinda about her dream about reaching the top of a mountain range, then after a short pause, she says she took a cyanide pill. Then she claims to share Belinda’s sentiment about “mostly rich white people” buying their way in the world. Although, that’s not really the case.
In fact, White’s teleplay calls for something viewers may brush off unless paid a lot of attention. Lately, this first half of the miniseries has the female characters (Olivia, Paula, and Rachel) read books. In this episode, Rachel is seen reading My Beautiful Friend, written by Italian novelist Elena Ferrante. The book is about the friendship between two women as well as the power that one possesses. That is exactly what Tanya is doing. Somehow, she wants to use her wealth to invest in a friendship, and it seems to be working.
Final Thoughts
Mark Mossbacher and hotel manager Armond also undergo some interesting character development. The first episode dealt with his anxieties over possibly having (and dying from) cancer like his father. Now, in this episode, he is in relief that he just had an allergic reaction to something. As a celebration, he tells his family (and Paula), “[L]ook at things in a new way, and if you do, then every day can be a new day”. Although, as it turned out, his father caught AIDS during a secret life of sodomy with gay men.
Meanwhile, Armond breaks his 5-year sobriety period by drinking alcohol with Olivia and Paula’s drugs, which he should have returned. Instead, he lies to the girls and says he will continue to be on the lookout. Next to his situation with Shane, this will not look good going forward.
Overall, The White Lotus‘s second episode “New Day” is about drugs, dreams, and the dread that they’re drowned in. Frankly, I had to see this episode two or three times to get a grasp of what to gain from it. White writes so well, and his cast and crew are so perfect, that you don’t realize what’s really going on the first time around.
Mike White’s limited series, The White Lotus, is on HBO. Check it out now! And take a look at our The White Lotus pilot review here!
Have you seen the first episode of this limited series? What are your thoughts on it? Let us know! For more comedy-related news and reviews visit and follow The Cinema Spot on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
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