Tamal Kundu
Created by Mike White, HBO’s ‘The White Lotus’ is a satirical anthology series. If it addresses the wealth and class disparities in its first season, it targets sexual politics in season 2. In episode 4 of the sophomoric season, titled ’In the Sandbox,’ the narrative really picks up as things get astronomically wilder. After returning from Nardò, Harper (Aubrey Plaza) finds a condom wrapper and begins to think that Ethan (Will Sharpe) has cheated on her. Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) and Portia (Haley Lu Richardson) become acquainted with Quentin (Tom Hollander) and Jack (Leo Woodall). Meanwhile, the two locals inadvertently find themselves in a bizarre situation with the Di Grasso family without knowing anything about it. Here is everything you need to know about the ending of ‘The White Lotus’ season 2 episode 4. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The White Lotus Episode 4 Recap
Like almost all episodes of the series, this one starts as dawn breaks over Sicily. Cameron (Theo James) wakes up with Lucia (Simona Tabasco) and Mia (Beatrice Grannò) still in his bed and likely realizes that his wife is set to return within a few hours. He underpays the two sex workers and ushers them out of the room, promising them he will pay the rest of the money. When Harper returns, she finds Ethan in a stupor due to excessive drinking the previous night. Just as she begins to speculate about Cameron and even Daphne’s possible infidelity, she finds a condom wrapper on the sofa. Throughout the rest of the episode, she asks Ethan multiple times what he did the previous night, and he lies every time, claiming that they were only drinking last night.
Portia makes plans with Albie but forgets all about them after she is introduced to Jack. Agitated, Albie begins conversing with Lucia, having no idea who she is. Earlier in the episode, Lucia and Mia got inside Bert’s room to change just as Bert returned. When Bert sees Lucia and Mia speaking to Albie. he draws Dominic’s (Michael Imperioli) attention to them. The latter can only look on in horror as his son chats away with the two sex workers he hired earlier.
Meanwhile, since Isabella told Valentina that she admired her, the latter has taken a special interest in the receptionist, going as far as giving her a seemingly expensive gift. This is not the first time a White Lotus manager has been interested in one of their subordinates. We know that Valentina isn’t fated to share what happened to Armond in the first season. But these types of relationships, where a clear power imbalance is present, hardly ever end well.
The White Lotus Episode 4 Ending: Is Giuseppe Dead?
Giuseppe (Federico Scribiani) is a lounge singer performing at the Sicily branch of the White Lotus. He is not very good but has somehow managed to keep his job. In episode 4, Mia agrees to have sex with him in exchange for the latter introducing her to the right people who can further her career in the music industry.
Giuseppe guides her to the hotel chapel, much to the dismay of Mia. But despite his enthusiasm, Giuseppe is unable to perform the task, prompting Mia to go out and fetch a pill that she thinks is Viagra from Lucia’s bag. Only, it is something completely different and causes Giuseppe to have a heart attack. Although he survives, he is taken to the hospital. In his absence, Mia tries to convince Valentina to let her sing at the hotel, an idea that Valentina quickly dismisses.
Why Doesn’t Harper Ask Ethan If He Is Cheating on Her?
Harper is such an interesting character. With someone like Audrey Plaza —an actress known for accepting unconventional, quirky roles — portraying her, viewers are bound to have certain expectations. And yet, Harper has been depicted as restrained and straight-laced. Even in this episode, when she starts suspecting her husband of infidelity, she is surprisingly calm. She keeps asking Ethan what he did the night before, and as Ethan promised Cameron that he wouldn’t say anything about his debaucheries, he continues to lie to her. He doesn’t realize Harper has probably figured out that he is lying, even if she doesn’t know the reasons. And that is the worst possible combination.
In episode 5 or the one after that, Harper is bound to implode. One can almost feel that there is something inside her — something very primal — threatening to get out. When it does, it will impact Ethan, Harper, and those around them.
In contrast to Harper’s actions, there is Daphne and how she approaches Cameron’s infidelity. She sees right through Cameron’s nonsense and knows him for who he is. It has become almost like a dance that they do. Cameron lies through the teeth, and Daphne acts like a doting wife, even though both are probably aware that it’s a sham.
What Is the Painting in Albie’s Room?
In the final sequence of the episode, we see Jack with Portia and Albie with Lucia as the sexual dynamic at the Sicilian White Lotus continues to shift and change. The last shot of the episode focuses on a painting in Albie’s room, which depicts a man tied to a post and shot with arrows. This is Saint Sebastian, an early Christian saint and martyr.
Tradition claims that Sebastian was restrained on a tree or post and shot with arrows during the Diocletianic Persecution of the Christians. He survived the ordeal with the help of Saint Irene of Rome, who freed and healed him. However, he was killed not long after when he tried to confront Diocletian himself. In modern times, Sebastian is sometimes identified as a perfect representative of same-sex desire and the suffering of a closeted person. What that implies about Albie in ‘The White Lotus’ remains to be seen.
Read More: When Did Tanya and Greg Marry in The White Lotus?
