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  • ‘The White Lotus’: Meghann Fahy Thinks Harper and Ethan ‘Become’ Cameron and Daphne

    ‘The White Lotus’: Meghann Fahy Thinks Harper and Ethan ‘Become’ Cameron and Daphne

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    Although she’s not really on social media, Meghann Fahy gets why the internet is obsessed with Daphne. The breakout star of The White Lotus season two dropped by Still Watching to discuss the momentous season finale which saw Daphne continuing to live her best life as the love triangle—square?—between herself, Cameron (Theo James), Ethan (Will Sharpe), and Harper (Aubrey Plaza) became even more complicated. 

    “I don’t have Twitter or TikTok, so I only really see what my friends send me and it just cracks me up,” she tells Vanity Fair. “Especially because her story line is one of the more sordid stories—for her to be in the face of all that and then be as sunshiny as she is—I totally get why that would be a character that people were like, ‘I wanna be her.’ Everything bad happens to her and she doesn’t care about any of it.”

    Elsewhere on the season finale of Mike White’s magnum opus, we bid a final adieu to Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge), the “diva of Palermo” who makes a valiant effort to get rid of the crew of murderous gays before falling to her untimely demise. Unlike her boss, Portia (Haley Lu Richardson) makes it out of Palermo alive, and even ends up getting Albie’s (Adam DiMarco) number after he gets burned by Lucia (Simona Tabasco), who ends the series walking off into the streets of Sicily, arm in arm with The White Lotus’s new piano player, Mia (Beatrice Grannò). Still Watching hosts Richard Lawson and Chris Murphy unpack the episode and finally determine who came closest to predicting the events that unfolded in the thrilling finale. Listen below, and find a partial transcript of the Fahy interview as well.

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    Vanity Fair: I think the defining scene of the episode is when you’re on the beach with Ethan and he says, “I think something might have happened [with Harper and Cameron].” You do so much incredible face acting before Daphne collects herself. Can you tell us a little bit about filming that?

    Meghann Fahy: Well, I think we knew going into it that it was a pretty important moment, so we really took our time with it. Mike was great in that way, anyway. I never felt like we rushed through something and didn’t really get a chance to sort of sit with it. And that scene is definitely an example of that. We did it a bunch of different ways. For me, it was really exciting to see how it ended up cutting together, because I didn’t really know what he was gonna choose—which sort of vibe he was maybe gonna pick of the ones that we played with. I love that scene for Daphne. I think it’s a moment for her where she’s, in her own way, being empathetic to Ethan and wanting to make him feel better.

    It’s so compelling because we see Daphne sort of take in the information and then make a decision, and the decision is ambiguous. What do you think pains Daphne more—the potential Cameron betrayal or the Harper betrayal?

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    Chris Murphy

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  • ‘The White Lotus’ Season 2 Finale: Here’s Who Dies

    ‘The White Lotus’ Season 2 Finale: Here’s Who Dies

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    Spoilers for the season finale of The White Lotus to follow. 

    After seven weeks of speculation, theme song dance parties, and close examination of one suspiciously placed photograph of cowboys, The White Lotus has revealed who dies at the end of what was supposed to be a relaxing week’s vacation. 

    The body count began on Quentin’s yacht, where Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) sussed out what viewers had suspected: those gays, as she told the boat captain, were trying to kill her. Niccolo‘s black bag turned out to be exactly as suspicious as Tanya believed it to be, and she pulled out the gun to tearfully shoot Quentin (Tom Hollander) and his friends (and still made time to demand, unsuccessfully, that Quentin tell her if Greg was having an affair). 

    But it turned out to be Tanya who was the body floating in the water all along. Attempting to make her escape overboard on the dinghy parked next to the yacht, she instead hit her head on the railing, drowning and presumably allowing her absent husband Greg (Jon Giries) to get away with taking her money after all. But at least she stopped some would-be murderers in the process. 

    In the “Unpacking Episode 7” segment following the episode, series creator Mike White admits he didn’t want to kill Tanya but “she’s such a diva, larger-than-life female archetype, it just felt like we could devise our own operatic conclusion to Tanya’s life and her story.” And he suggested that Greg’s part of the story might not be done— “it feels like there’s got to be somebody who’s going to track it down to Greg. But maybe you’ll have to wait to find out what happens.” 

    The season ends, just as the first one did, with all the major players in the airport and on their way home. The rich and privileged are, once again, escaping with all their privileges intact, and the spirit of Tanya lives on in Portia (Haley Lu Richardson), who escaped whatever role was intended for her in the murder plot and wears a very Tanya-worthy head scarf for her flight home. Reuniting with Albie at the airport, embarking on what might not be the best relationship for either of them, feels like its own tribute to Tanya, too. 

    White has been frank that the dead body conspicuously placed at the beginning of each White Lotus season is a tool for luring in audiences. “When that first season became such a water cooler show [that] people were talking about, I was like, had I only known if I’d put a dead body at the beginning of Enlightened, maybe people would’ve watched Enlightened,” he told NPR. “You realize these kinds of hooks do actually get viewers.”

    But the magic of The White Lotus is that the wild theories about bloody endings (Cameron and Ethan jet ski accident? Harper murder rampage?) don’t get in the way of the character drama that’s actually at the heart of the show. In a season devoted to examining the interplay of sex and power, virtually every character has been putting themselves in dangerous situations in the name of love, lust, jealousy, or some combination of all of the above. But even though The White Lotus isn’t about death, it was about Jennifer Coolidge—and with a third season officially coming, it’s time to start reimagining exactly what that might look like. 

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    Katey Rich

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  • ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3: Everything We Know—So Far

    ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3: Everything We Know—So Far

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    Who else has jet lag? After a twist-filled second season of The White Lotus (and shocking answers to the question of who dies) yet another edition of Mike White’s anthology series is on the itinerary. Just three episodes into the latest season, HBO confirmed that The White Lotus “will return for a third installment following a new group of guests at another White Lotus property.” Vanity Fair has already made its pitches for season three settings, but what do we actually know about the upcoming chapter? What will the credits sound like? And will the guests venture beyond the resort to eat? 

    Ahead, a preview of everything that’s out in the universe about The White Lotus season three. 

    Who is in The White Lotus season three?

    The show’s second season introduced viewers to a murderers’ row of new characters, played by Aubrey Plaza, ​​Theo James, Meghann Fahy, Michael Imperioli, Will Sharpe, Beatrice Grannò, Haley Lu Richardson, Adam DiMarco, and many, many concerning men. But Jennifer Coolidge, returning from the Emmy-winning first season, had another standout showing—the question of whether she could she reprise the role of Tanya again, however, was answered in the season 2 finale. 

    A familiar face who may pack her bags for season three. however, is Connie Britton, who played the high-powered Nicole in season one, said she was originally supposed to return for the second season. “He wanted me to be in the second season, and there was an idea that I loved for the character,” she told Deadline. “Our intention is to do it in the third season. A piece of casting didn’t work in the second season and we’re hoping to [do] that in the third season. I would love to see a spin-off on every character in that show.”

    What will White Lotus season three be about?

    In the post-finale interview White dropped a bit of a hint about this, calling the third season “a satirical and funny look at death and Eastern religion and spirituality.”

    Speaking of scrapped ideas…White told Entertainment Weekly that he originally centered season two around politics and power, rather than sex and relationships. “The kind of mythology of Sicily, at least from the point of view of Americans, is the archetypal sexual politics and role play that you associate with, like, opera and the mafia and Italian romance,” he explained. “I felt like it should be more focused on men and women and relationships and adultery and have an operatic feel to it, so I pivoted.” Still, the writer-director maintains he could still do his initial idea “down the road maybe, if they give us a third season.”

    As for where White and co. will be checking in, he’s plotting a continental shift. As he told Deadline earlier this year, “You know, we did Europe, and maybe Asia, something crazy like that, that would be fun.” 

    When does The White Lotus season three come out?

    No arrival dates have dropped just yet, but as creator Mike White only finished editing this season “10 days ago,” as he recently told Katie Couric, it may be a while. “I need to reboot a little bit,” White told Couric on her podcast. “I don’t have a lot of gas in the tank. So I need to figure out how to unplug and refresh or something.” May we suggest…a vacation?

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    Savannah Walsh

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  • What’s About To Happen In White Lotus?

    What’s About To Happen In White Lotus?

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    Image via SKY/HBO Max

    With the White Lotus finale happening this weekend, we are certain of one thing only: anyone could die. Countless fan theories are swirling around the internet and it’s taught us that we don’t know who to believe anymore. Every White Lotus theory seems correct, but we know to expect the unexpected with this show.

    Our editors have our theories, too:

    Langa

    This time last week I was convinced that it was over for Ms Tanya — and her little Portia too. But now I’m less sure. I — along with half the internet, so I can’t take credit — called the connection between Greg and the gays. The working theory: they were conspiring to kill Tanya for her fortune. However, Episode 6 revealed that they videotaped Tanya’s fab tryst with the Italian drug dealer. It seems Greg will use the tape to get Tanya’s money in the divorce. With this in mind, a murder plot seems superfluous. With the bag secured, there’s no ned for violence. I’m still putting a big pin in the gun in the bag though. Much to think about.

    And so now I am left with these theories:

    • Lucia is trying to scam Albie for money. In Episode 1, she seemed very friendly with Alessio so his stalking might be an act to get a windfall from the naive puppy. Then something goes wrong and Albie gets it
    • Something has to be up with the grandfather. He keeps falling — maybe this time, to his death? Last season’s murder was also an accident, so all this might end up being much simpler than we thought
    • I do not think the couples are the murderees. But I have theories about them: I think Harper was fucking with Ethan the way Daphne does to Cam. By flirting with Cam and unlocking the door, she wants him to go crazy like she did. And this craziness is the most passion she’s seen from Ethan the whole time
    • HOWEVER something could be going on with the fact that Cam hasn’t paid Lucia. She might confront him again and something go awry and someone dies
    • Did Valentina give Mia a master key to the hotel? That spells trouble for sure
    • When Lucia said “The whores are always punished in the end” what if she was talking about Jack, who seems to be in some transactional relationship with his not-uncle. What if Portia and Tanya try to get away and out pops the gun, which ends up killing my Essex king?

    Jenna

    PSA: I don’t have TikTok so I feel like I’m missing out on valuable clues. Regardless, this is going to be so embarrassing come Monday when all my theories are wrong. Here’s what I’m thinking:

    • Quentin and Greg try to kill Tanya or catch her in a ‘less-than-flattering situation,’ BUT Tanya and Portia use their narcissistic superpowers and end up killing him – intentional or not, I have no idea
    • This is technically like three guesses in one, but something goes down with Albie, Lucia, or Mia. Mia’s gone off the rails with her singing sex-scapades and I think it’s going to come to a dramatic ending
    • The married couples are where things get tricky for me. I oddly feel like Ethan and Cam have an unannounced chemistry (?), but Daphne threw me for a loop with those baby pictures (??). My money’s on Daphne snapping and killing Cam. But also Ethan is stressing me TF out.
    • Lucia, Albie, the Dad, and the dad’s Dad are giving me big Oedipus Rex energy. Considering that also doesn’t end great, I’m getting the sense that some unknown familial relation(ship) is going to come to the surface.

    Also, can I get bonus points if Laura Dern shows up?

    Jai

    My roommate, Brynn, has sent me a plethora of White Lotus theories on the Tok and the theories make me feel like I haven’t been watching the same show. Granted, you would have to pause every single scene to know what’s happening here. But here are my most solid ones:

    • That creepy scene where all of the men are staring at Aubrey Plaza while she walks around? It’s a parallel from L’Aventura (1960) where Monica Vitti ends up with her friend’s boyfriend after the friend disappears. Could we be seeing Cam and Harper together? Not to mention Tanya says she wants to look like Monica Vitti in a previous ep…
    • …Or is it that Jenna’s right and Ethan and Cam are truly meant to be? The artwork in Harper’s room is all Achilles and Patroclus. Patroclus did heroically disguise himself as Achilles to be killed by the Trojans
    • When Jack is singing the “Blowing Bubbles” song, it’s a signal to the people of Palermo that he is ready to fight. In 2006, 20 West Ham United fans were arrested for a brawl where they were “fighting like animals.” Jack is such a fan, he has a symbol from their crest tattooed on him. He’s up to no good and I’m scared
    • One person who dies isn’t supposed to die. Portia wearing “The Godfather” t-shirt where the wrong mark car is blown up. Then, when they are testing the car explosion, it’s the same dress Tanya is wearing. So maybe Tanya’s supposed to die but someone else does instead

    Report back on Monday to see who was wrong, and who was even more wrong.

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    Jai Phillips

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  • ‘The White Lotus’ Is ‘Fantasy Island’ Plus ‘The Love Boat’—On Acid

    ‘The White Lotus’ Is ‘Fantasy Island’ Plus ‘The Love Boat’—On Acid

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    “If everything’s so perfect, why are we so miserable?” That’s a line that could come straight out of any number of characters on The White Lotus, the second season of which deepens its examination of how real happiness eludes the well-heeled. Instead, it’s a line spoken by the ship purser Gopher (Fred Grandy) on the luxury ocean liner Pacific Princess, in the 1977 pilot of The Love Boat. 

    That’s notable, as The White Lotus creator Mike White recently revealed that his own prestigious hit series, whose second-season finale lands Sunday on HBO, is heavily influenced by his steady diet of crowd-pleasing hit shows that he watched as a kid. “I’m definitely in the Fantasy Island [and] Love Boat generation,” White told NPR earlier this week. “I was probably 10 to 13 years old when they were in their heyday. And I love those shows.” 

    His longtime love for those shows is evident in the bloodline of The White Lotus, but seems more as if he watched them on acid. He also reportedly admits to taking cues from the cliff-hangers of the reality TV show Survivor, on which he appeared as a contestant, and Laverne & Shirley, whose wacky working-girls hijinks influenced plot lines for local sex workers Mia (Beatrice Grannò) and Lucia (Simona Tabasco). 

    The Love Boat, which ran from 1977 to 1986, features affluent passengers cruising through Mexican resort beaches to forget their troubles, only to find that, removed from real-world distractions, those troubles are laid bare to a claustrophobic degree. It attracted a slew of top-notch actors of the day (or those who would soon become famous), from Betty White and Olivia de Havilland to a young Tim Robbins and Tom Hanks, and it ranked among the top-watched shows of the era.

    Part of a wildly popular double hitter of Saturday-night programming on ABC, The Love Boat was followed by Fantasy Island, a show where guests visited a tropical island (some on-location shots were filmed in Hawaii) and paid a handsome sum to have their deepest desires fulfilled, only to learn that they should’ve been careful what they wished for. Their fantasies took somewhat darker, unexpected turns than The Love Boat, sometimes even involving the supernatural or time travel. The show also drew top actors or soon-to-be-stars of the day to guest-star spots (Geena Davis, Don Knotts, LeVar Burton). 

    Both shows were produced by Aaron Spelling, whose pitch to ABC execs for Fantasy Island, funnily enough, echoes the underlying premise of The White Lotus. “Leonard [Goldberg] and I were sitting, and the head of ABC out here at the time [Brandon Stoddard] came in, and he wanted us to do some more TV movies for him,” Spelling told the Television Academy Foundation in 1999. “And we pitched some very touching subject matter and he said, ‘No, that’s too down. No, that’s too family. No, we need something exciting.’ We must’ve pitched six ideas trying to mull it down, and I said as a joke, ‘Oh, so what do you want, this great island where people can go to and all their sexual fantasies will be realized?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, I love that!’”

    While it’s unlikely that’s how The White Lotus pitch to HBO went, it’s interesting that White alludes to the ways in which prestige is not really so different from classic TV hits. “When you’re on HBO and there’s all this sense of, ‘It’s prestige TV and blah, blah, blah,’ I’m doing basically a reboot of Laverne & Shirley meets Fantasy Island with some Survivor dropped into it,’” he told NPR. “I think those early entertainment things that capture your imagination definitely stick with you.”

    What seems to have stuck with White from those shows is that their guests are also seeking escape from the drudgery of real life. They also expect the best of everything. And they’re bummed or even outraged when the service, the rooms, the food, or the thrills don’t quite match their unrelenting expectations. And when pitted against one another for resources, shit gets dark.

    But modesty aside, his twist on those formulas is absent in the original shows’ DNA. He’s bringing something entirely of his own here. This was, after all, an era of laugh tracks, tidy resolutions, and simplistic moral lessons about just being honest with your partner or finding a compromise in a relationship. Sure, some guests narrowly escaped death in fulfilling their deepest desires on Fantasy Island (fighting in a war; escaping a well-guarded prison and getting shot at), and the passenger problems on The Love Boat were titillating for the era (one woman desperately wanted to prevent her congressman fiancé from finding out she’d posed naked in Kitten Magazine). But by today’s standards, those are about as controversial as anything on The Brady Bunch. On both shows, though, everything could always be counted on to turn out just fine by the time the credits rolled.

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    Tracy Moore

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  • Who Will Die in ‘The White Lotus’ Season 2 Finale?

    Who Will Die in ‘The White Lotus’ Season 2 Finale?

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    You can always tell it’s going to be an eventful vacation when it starts with the discovery of a body—sorry, bodies—during a carefree ocean meander, right? That’s where we started this season of Mike White’s celebrated resort mystery show, where there’s as much drama as there is Aperol (read: so much). 

    The first episode of the series set up the central mystery in the first scene, when Daphne (Meghann Fahy) giddily wades into the Ionian Sea on the final day of her vacation, only to bump right into the pale leg of a corpse, floating facedown in the water. Talk about a buzzkill. 

    Like the show’s first season, this isn’t just a whodunit but a who is it as well. In that same opening scene, we learn through conversation that “a few” hotel guests “have been killed,” not just the owner of that calf we spotted. Undisclosed number! Undisclosed identities! Talk about a PR crisis.

    We’ve been following the lifestyles of the rich and the miserable on Still Watching all season as they vacation and absolutely hoover cocaine in Sicily, but all good things must come to an end. With the season finale looming on Sunday, here are the VF staff’s theories on who’s going to bite the big one on The White Lotus, and how.

    It’s Greg. 

    Maybe the most boring possibility, but it still feels true. Greg (Jon Gries), who we now know to be apparently in cahoots with scheming Quentin (Tom Hollander), is still planning to return to Sicily. And though Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) is the one who is most obviously in danger, Mike White still doesn’t seem like the kind to willingly kill off Jennifer Coolidge. So we imagine that poor, hoodwinked Tanya gets her moment of redemption, pushes Greg off that giant cliff we saw in episode four, and rides off into the sunset…hopefully on her way to The White Lotus season three. —Katey Rich

    It’s Ethan. 

    I think Ethan (Will Sharpe) could take out Cameron (Theo James) in a deliberate Jet Ski collision. I think the hospitalized piano player (Federico Scribani) could return and, seeing he has been replaced by Mia (Beatrice Grannò), will spike her drink (she always seems to carry around a tall plastic cup with a straw), maybe even working in cahoots with the former front desk guy (who was moved poolside by Valentina, played by Sabrina Impacciatore). I think Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya, who always seems to shake out of her fog at the right moment, could well awaken to the scheme Greg, Quentin, Jack (Leo Woodall), and the new Romeo are all plotting—and, possibly with Portia’s (Haley Lu Richardson) help—deliberately or inadvertently kill whoever turns out to be Coolidge’s would-be assailant (either from a balcony or the back of the yacht). Assailant overboard!

    And maybe Dominic’s wife (Laura Dern) shows up and surprises the Di Grassos—or, in a coda, the Di Grassos return home to LA, Lucia (Simona Tabasco) in tow—and Dern’s character knifes poor Dominic (with a blade similar to one we’ve seen in the murals in the show’s opening-credits sequence). —David Friend

    It’s Quentin.

    If The White Lotus’s sophomore season has turned our masculinity crisis into a slow-motion car crash, then its ultimate victim must be someone who believes himself to be in the driver’s seat. Sure, Cameron, Ethan, and the Di Grasso men are suffering, but, at the end of the day, they have their place within the system. Quentin, however, does not. His likely ties to Tanya’s husband—and “relationship” with Jack—belie a character who desperately wants a power he’s without. Wouldn’t it be fitting to see that blow up in his face? Whatever Quentin and Greg have planned, Portia will return in time to save her boss from the worst-possible outcome. In the process, Jack will accidentally kill the man who once rescued him. Daphne will discover his corpse in the water. And, though Portia will want to help him, Jack, a man with no goals, will allow himself to be arrested for his crimes. —Tyler Breitfeller

    It’s Cameron. 

    Let’s zoom out for a moment, shall we? He’s a pompous, entitled jerk with apparent money troubles and a passion for adultery. He hits on Harper (Aubrey Plaza), even as he tries to siphon an investment out of Ethan, and he doesn’t pay Mia and Lucia when it’s time to settle up, even though they know where he’s staying. He’s right on the verge of pushing the wrong person too far, landing him squarely in the dead-body pileup mentioned in the first episode. Even Daphne, his smiley wife (and iconic series breakout), has her reasons to want him gone. Who’s to say she isn’t using this trip as a sun-soaked chance to put him out to pasture, skitter back home, and collect his life insurance? She’s a self-professed Dateline obsessive who has already done some chilling stuff. (Kidnapping Harper in Noto? The casual trainer/baby daddy reveal??) She’s also laid the groundwork for a strong alibi, from that dramatic opening beach scene in the first episode, to letting slip to Harper that Cameron’s coworkers are evil psychopaths. Either way: Cameron’s spent their entire vacation making enemies. It’s only a matter of time before it blows up in his face. —Yohana Desta

    It’s…complicated.

    I’m going to say there are four dead people, because Rocco says “a few,” which means more than two more (in addition to the one in the ocean), but probably not more than three more, which would be “a lot” or “molti.” And I am going to spread my bets on the manner: accidental, intentional, natural, and some combination of accident/intent.

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    Vanity Fair

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  • White Lotus’s Most Chaotic Character Has the Most Chaotic Style. Here’s Where to Buy It

    White Lotus’s Most Chaotic Character Has the Most Chaotic Style. Here’s Where to Buy It

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    I hate everyone in the latest White Lotus season. But, undoubtedly, that’s the point. Like the award-winning cast of Season 1 — which put Sydney Sweeney on the map — this year’s lineup is a mix of detestable rich people that I’m obsessed with.

    In the current Succession drought, I miss my weekly fix of insufferable capitalist antics. Season 1 of White Lotus was a revelation. And quite the poignant portrait of the intricate ecosystem of wealthy people. Set at the prestigious resort, the show did an impeccable job of sucking us into every last character’s storyline — even though we loathed them.

    And now Season 2 has arrived with a new cast of privileged hotel guests — and this time . . . in Sicily, Italy.

    The show’s genius is that it’s a gripping, modern take on the murder mystery. Not your classic whodunnit, the show is far more than an empty thriller. It’s an examination of class from every angle — and it paints an addictive and unforgiving perspective. If you somehow missed the first season — how? — now’s the ideal time to catch up. Season 2 is here, and every week brings fresh capitalist horrors.

    Aside from two returning guests — including the iconic Jennifer Coolidge, who won an Emmy for last season’s performance — we enter Season 2 with a completely new slate. A whole new hoard of characters to judge, hate, and … aspire to?

    Beyond the enviable vacation spot — the sprawling Italian hotel, the scenery, the food — one of the main signifiers of status and personality is style. From the put-together college girl duo to Alexandra Daddario’s cluelessly-assembled outfits in Season 1, the show’s styling is one of its many gems.

    The show’s costume designer — Alex Bovaird — is an Emmy-winning mastermind. Ethan’s love of tech fleece, Albie’s fresh-from-uni attire, Tanya’s camp opera cape, and even Jack’s tattoos. But nothing has captured the ire of social media like Portia’s outfits.

    Jennifer Coolidge won an Emmy for her role as Tanya in Season 1. And while she’s as fascinating as ever, fans are equally enchanted by a new character: her Gen Z assistant, Portia.

    What’s Portia’s deal?

    Played by Haley Lu Richardson, Portia’s the character they’re trying to launch as this season’s Sydney Sweeney-esque breakout star. Well, she’s certainly starting conversations. She’s Tanya’s assistant and was dragged along on this vacation and is now supposed to hide out in the resort. Which she is not doing.

    First seen sulking behind a restaurant menu and weeping poolside, Portia presents as a victim. Poor girl, stuck in a horrible job with a demanding and unhinged boss. Oh no! But as the show progresses, Portia becomes the anti-hero of the show. And while I doubt she’s the murderer, she’s a very compelling villain.


    Richardson herself told Vanity Fair that “as the episodes go on, you really see just the angst and the misery and the bit of narcissism and unawareness that Portia has.”

    “She’s a mess, she’s a miserable mess,” Portia complains over the phone to an exhausted-sounding friend in her first big scene. But now, that line could apply to her. I mean, she’s in Sicily, and the only work she’s had to do is watch her boss get a tarot card reading. Truly, there are worse things.

    But Miss Portia is not happy. And she’ll tell anyone who will listen — including the two men interested in her at this resort. Instead, she’s dissatisfied, unmoored, and … badly dressed?

    What do Portia’s outfits say about her?

    Everything Bovaird does is intentional. Her choices with Portia haven’t gone unnoticed by fans. “She’s trying a lot of different things at once, and it’s not perfect, so she’s a bit zany.”

    This zaniness takes indecipherable Gen Z style to a bonkers level. It’s maximalism with no clear direction. From hypebeast logo sweatshirts to barely-there bandeaus, everything Portia flaunts I’ve already seen on an Instagram ad. Gen Z favorite brands — Stussy and House of Sunny — are abundant. So are TikTok trends like a knit bucket hat and bright green nail polish.

    All of this points to Portia’s own unpredictability. The internet calls her style chaotic, just like her personality. And it certainly makes sense. She doesn’t know who she is or what she wants — and she dresses like it.

    This is the life of a disillusioned twenty-something, especially one with proximity to wealth. You want something better, something more than what you have … but you have no clue what that is. Unfocused desire, pandemic-stirred boredom, and far too much wine-lubricated social media scrolling lead to a wardrobe of Instagram finds. It’s evident that she’s been inspired by aspirational influencers she watches while doomscrolling. And the desire to prove she’s adventurous and interesting — even if there no substance underneath.

    But no matter what you think about Portia — her style, and her choice of men — a broken clock is right twice a day. So while I wouldn’t wear all her outfits, there are some pieces I do appreciate. I just probably wouldn’t pack them for a Sicilian vacation.


    All products featured are independently selected by our editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission.

    Graphic Sweater Vest

    House of Sunny is one of Gen Z’s most loved, eclectic brands. It went viral on TikTok during the pandemic and is now famous for its prints and bright colors. This is why the exact House of Sunny Sweater Vest that was seen on Portia in her inaugural outfit is totally sold out. You can try to score it secondhand, sure. But like Emma Chamberlain — who is completely on Portia’s style inspo list — Gen Z girls like a sweater vest. So there are many similar options to get the look.

    Square Sunglasses

    Gen Z loves square sunglasses. It’s their chosen accessory — second only to scrunchies, which of course, Portia wears, too. These marble-printed Off-White knockoffs are Portia’s statement accessory. Work on the forehead or in the waistband of her slouchy pants for peak nonchalance.

    Away Luggage, in Millennial Pink

    The luggage of millennials, in that particular shade of pink favored by millennials. Despite Portia’s questionable taste, this one is a fabulous investment. Don’t forget to sloppily slap on some stickers.

    Levi Midi Cutoff Shorts

    Levi’s cutoff shorts are classic. But how Portia styles them? Maybe less classic. But this is the one piece that I’ld definitely take on any vacation. Versatile, flattering, and that mid-thigh cut to stay on trend.

    White Strappy Sandals

    When Portia steps off the boat, the first things we spy . . . the sandals. Clunky, chunky, and ugly-chic, they anchor many of her outfits. For a casual, controversial edge to your outfits, go for a similar strappy shoe.

    Aries ‘No Problemo’ Sweatshirt

    What Gen Z doesn’t love a logo sweatshirt? Bonus points for tie dye, the preeminent pandemic trend. Aries Arise is a newly minted hypebeast favorite, and this No Problemo slogan befits Portia’s apathetic attitude.

    Stussy Workwear Top

    Stussy has been a streetwear staple for decades. And now the internet girlies are catching on. Over the past few years, Stussy has become a social media sensation. But this orange gingham workwear-inspired top is one of the more divisive offerings.

    Nike AF1s

    Another streetwear classic, white Nike Air Force 1s have become sorority girls’ token white sneaker. No wonder they speak to Portia – they’re generic but paired with her kooky outfits, add another unexpected element.

    Asymmetrical Print Midi Skirt

    The 90s are back on trend, and this midi skirt proves it. Asymmetrical enough to appeal to Gen Z and turbulent enough to appeal to Portia, this vintage-inspired skirt is an eclectic addition to any closet.

    House of Sunny Patterned Halterneck Dress

    More House of Sunny! This halterneck dress appears when Portia starts having the fun she only dreamed about. When her fantasy Italian vacation finally gets into gear, she pulls out the big guns with this bold, knit dress.

    House of Sunny Two Piece Set

    Portia wears this two-piece on her big date with Jack. It’s one of her most put-together ensembles — but perhaps only because it’s a matching set. It says: I’m here for a good time, not a long time. And she certainly is.

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    LKC

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  • Theo James Is Done Being Put in a Box

    Theo James Is Done Being Put in a Box

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    Indeed James’s trajectory didn’t quite change with the end of Divergent; browse his IMDb and you won’t see him in any Oscar winners’ movies or on many Emmy-winning TV shows, the way things started out. “We are reliant on the whims of others,” he tells me at one point—but one reason why he launched his own production company, Untapped, in 2019. (His partner in the company is Andrew D. Corkin, who backed acclaimed indies including Martha Marcy May Marlene and We Are What We Are.) So far the banner has helped realize an eclectic batch of projects, including James’s well-received sci-fi vehicle Archive and Netflix’s new docuseries Pepsi, Where’s My Jet? In all this, James says he’s found a new way to look at an industry that he hasn’t always had the easiest time navigating. “You’re like, how will we make this? How will we package this? How does this work?” he says. “You start understanding everyone around you.” 

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    Whether you’ve seen it or not, James is in the midst of a period of varied, interesting work. The White Lotus being the most popular piece of the batch means more people are catching on right now, but the actor has appeared quite determined to break beyond the Hollywood hunk bubble for years. The effort materialized in fits and starts—the nature of the business—and has been largely facilitated by the small screen. In 2019, James starred in and executive-produced an acclaimed take on Jane Austen’s unfinished romantic manuscript, Sanditon, starring as the fiery male lead Sidney Parker (at least, in the first season—James departed after the series was renewed, telling me that “ending in a way which was uncomfortable and unsatisfactory felt very right for him as a character”). 

    He then moved to The Time Traveler’s Wife, the rare HBO drama to be savaged by critics and fail to score a second season. The melodramatic adaptation, which costarred Game of Thrones alum Rose Leslie, intrigued James for the simple challenge of playing a character from “very young to pretty old,” and found opportunities within that for a juicy challenge. The negative reception surprised him. “It was disappointing in many ways,” he says. “I thought the show definitely wasn’t perfect, but that there were some interesting through lines there for a story.”

    I ask if, unlike with Sanditon, this was a case where he would’ve jumped at the chance to do another season. “You learn to forget pretty quickly,” he replies flatly. “You numb yourself, or at least train yourself to forget, pretty quickly, because it’s problematic to not do that.”

    That tide may be finally turning. The sheer size of his White Lotus performance, salacious takeaways and headlines aside, leaves a lasting impression on both the viewer and, maybe, the actor himself. A hard one to shake off, you could say. On set some takes could run nearly 10 minutes long as James experimented before the camera with Plaza, Meghann Fahy (who plays Cameron’s wife, Daphne), and the rest of the cast. He got to be funny, which Hollywood hasn’t allowed for quite some time, even though James started out doing Edinburgh Fringe Festival comedy. He’s only seen three episodes as we chat, and is marveling at the bolder acting choices that have made it into White’s final cut. Again, there’s some acquired wisdom there: “You feel a freedom to take big stabs, and if it doesn’t land, it doesn’t land—but you see that the good stuff can land.”

    James is now two weeks into filming The Gentlemen, producing and playing the lead in the new take on Guy Richie’s 2019 hit, reimagined as a Netflix series. This version centers on a soldier who returns home following the death of his father, and becomes part of a kind of landed gentry with his inheritance—albeit with a criminal empire bubbling underneath. James describes the show as a comedy and an action thriller and a social drama rolled into one—a messy, vibrant coalescence of everything the actor has been bringing to the table of late. 

    Is he nervous, then, about how it will be received—either another step forward, or another setback? Certainly he knows that back-and-forth all too well. James responds simply, and like a true industry veteran: “No, no, definitely not. I mean, if you did that, you’d be fucked.”

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    David Canfield

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  • The White Lotus: Does Mia Really Believe “The Best Things In Life Are Free?”

    The White Lotus: Does Mia Really Believe “The Best Things In Life Are Free?”

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    If you can believe it, Beatrice Grannò, the Italian actress who plays local Sicilian girl and aspiring singer Mia on season two of the White Lotus, did not get into Italian drama school when she applied. “She got in, I didn’t,” Grannò says.  Wondering who the “she” is in this scenario is? Well, it’s none other Simona Tabasco who plays her best friend and fellow local Lucia on the HBO series. Despite matriculating to different drama schools (“I went to London ’cause Italy didn’t want me,” Grannò says, cheekily) Granno and Tobasco stayed friends and even filmed their auditions for The White Lotus together. 

    “We got it together and then I think that that experience of White Lotus really brought us closer,” says Grannò. “We used that a lot also because we were together in this experience. Two Italian girls, like, supporting each other and that was Lucia and Mia, you know?”

    In episode two, you can find Lucia and Mia supporting each other by taking the hotel by storm, gaining unfettered access into the enclave of the one percent much to the chagrin of hotel manager Valentina (Sabrina Impacciatore) due to Dominic (Michael Imperioli‘s) and his, well, affection for Lucia. But Grannò’s Mia is right along side her, spending Dominic’s money on clothes and booze, lounging poolside, and even getting a chance to display her musical aspirations in an impromptu piano performance at the hotel bar. “I’ve always dreamed of playing a musician and I, I’ve been playing the piano and singing for a long time,” she said. With a little guidance from Este Haim, of the band Haim who served as a musical consultant on the series, Grannò was able to make her dreams a reality.

    On this week’s Still Watching podcast, Richard Lawson and Chris Murphy dive into the second episode The White Lotus and discuss whether nice guys like Albie (Adam DiMarco) always finish last, the growing tension and flirtation between Cameron (Theo James) and Harper (Aubrey Plaza), and Mia and Lucia’s wild night with Dominic. At the end of the episode, Lawson and Murphy get into some juicy listener theories about who ends up floating face down in the Mediterranean at end of the vacation. Listen below, and find a partial transcript of the Beatrice Grannò interview as well. For your own questions, theories please e-mail stillwatchingpod@gmail.com

    In this cast, you and Simona are both outsiders in this cast of Americans, and a lot of sort of, like, very famous American actors. What was that dynamic like?

    Beatrice Grannò: I was going crazy because I, you know, I love Aubrey Plaza, Michael Imperioli and Murray Abraham, so I was, like, “Is this really, like, how is this happening? How am I, uh, how I am at this level? I don’t know. Am I, will I be good enough? Will I be, like, good as good as they are?’” And you know, I felt that. I felt that gap, of course. But then at one point, I was like, I mean, Mike White was looking for an Italian girl who could play the piano and sing. And he wanted me to have this kind of, you know, pure and innocent vibe at the beginning. I was like this is good for me. Like, I was so lucky that he wrote the character because that was the luck moment. Because when he was writing it, he didn’t know that there was an Italian girl there that was just perfect. That moment was lucky for me. But once I got there, I was like, “This is so incredible. I feel so grateful, but at the same time, you know, I’m helping this show as well.” 

    You’re an integral part of the cast, right? You’re absolutely necessary. And I love, I love that you just said about, um, Mia being sort of like an innocent girl, at least at first and whatnot. In the first episode, you throw a drink at the hotel pianist, because he insinuates that you’re a sex worker. She’s sort of wrestling with what she has to do to sort of get ahead. She says, I’m, you know, “I’m a singer, I’m not a prostitute.” Can you tell me a little bit about that sort of juxtaposition? There’s the two forces within her that are at odds.

    Yeah, but there is something about it that is quite funny. I think Mike White kind of made that up while we were working together, like, this joke about my character, that every time I kind of open up, like, “I want to be a singer, that’s my dream.” And on the other side, people, like, misunderstands it and they go, “So you want to have sex?” Like, “Oh. You’re this happy because of this?” And she goes, “No, I’m just being open. You know, and I’m smiling and you’re the piano guy, not because I want to have sex with you, but because you’re a musician. And I want to be that too.” And, and I think the thing is, like, you know when you want something really bad, then you become so clumsy because you want to get there and you don’t think. You’re just like, “Maybe I can do this, this and this.” And then while you do it, you just, you know, you tear everything apart and, like, Mia will do so many mess, so much mess. And it’s like, she’s clumsy and she doesn’t really know. Like, she just wants to play the piano. You know?

    I was so happy to see in this episode, you and Lucia, when you, when you got in, when you had that scene with Valentina and she was so mad, you know? Can you talk to me about that? Like, Valentina, the relationship between Mia and Lucia and Valentina and sort of, you know, you know, Lucia even says, like, “Hey, you’re a working girl, we’re working girls, we’re all working here.”

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    Chris Murphy

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  • Sex, Lies, and Meghan Markle: All the Buzz at the ‘White Lotus’ Season 2 Premiere

    Sex, Lies, and Meghan Markle: All the Buzz at the ‘White Lotus’ Season 2 Premiere

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    Jennifer Coolidge, who won an Emmy for her performance as tone-deaf heiress Tanya, makes another appearance on The White Lotus, this time in Italy, for the second installment of HBO’s critically acclaimed social satire.

    “A White Lotus [season] two—I did not see this coming at all. I originally didn’t plan on taking the role when we did the first season, so what do I know?” said Coolidge at the series’ lavish premiere in Hollywood on Thursday night. “But I promise the new season is worth your time. It’s funny, and Mike [White], who created the show, has written stories you’ve never seen before. For me, to get a part like this and play it twice in two rounds, I’m the luckiest girl. I never expected anything from this job, and it has turned out to be the greatest gift of my life.”

    Coolidge and her costar Jon Gries, who plays Tanya’s beau, Greg, are the only two cast members reprising their roles from the first season. Their characters are now married after meeting at the Hawaiian resort, and they’ve decided to visit another of the chain’s properties for a trip. Tanya is no longer grieving the death of her mother, but is teetering on the edge of a broken heart, thanks to Greg.

    “Tanya is still oblivious and confused and even more insecure now. She’s trying to find a person to fulfill the emptiness,” Coolidge said. “She has been ripped off. Nobody really loved her, and that’s not a fun way to live. We all just want relationships to work out. We all want someone who really likes us, but relationships are really, really difficult, especially in White Lotus [season] two. Mike talks about that the most—the difficulty of all of us having to face our demons and how hard life can be even for the very, very rich. Tanya hasn’t really benefited much from her massive wealth. It hasn’t brought a lot of joy or real love for her, and she’s searching for that love.”

    White, who recently won directing and writing Emmys for the show’s first season, continues to helm the series and delivers more dark humor and harsh social commentary in the second installment, which begins streaming on HBO Max on October 30. A new ensemble cast joins Coolidge for the seven-episode season that takes place at the Sicily property of the White Lotus luxury hotel chain, and as with season one, the main story line will center on a group of wealthy travelers and the local hotel staff catering to them. Instead of the host-guest divide and power dynamic, this season focuses on sex and jealousy.

    “Season two of The White Lotus is on aphrodisiacs,” said F. Murray Abraham, who plays Bert Di Grasso, an elderly man with old-fashioned, sexist views who is visiting Italy with his Hollywood producer son, Dominic (Michael Imperioli), and college graduate grandson, Albie (Adam DiMarco). “This season is all about sex, sexual jealousy, sexual politics, adultery, and monogamy. These topics of sex are real problems in the world for many people, and we don’t shy away from it. The theme of dated gender archetypes is prevalent with my character and the three generations of boys, with Michael and Adam. It’s a lot, but the show is funny too.”

    Imperioli’s character has recently gone through a bitter breakup with his wife due to his sex addiction and multiple affairs with other women. He attempts to keep his family together with a trip to Sicily to learn about their family history.

    “My character’s addiction is destroying his marriage. It’s something that he’s compartmentalized, and it’s really come to the forefront, to the surface,” said Imperioli. “He’s got to deal with it now. It’s not an easy time, but he still manages. There’s still humor found within the darkness of his journey, and that’s what makes Mike’s writing brilliant. I thought, Is this going to be some cynical statement about rich people? But he was able to show so many different facets of human nature, and brought humanity and compassion to these people and made them multidimensional. It could have easily been easy targets for cynicism, but he has a lot of fun with it. There’s no other writer like him.”

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    Paul Chi

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