Tamal Kundu
In the second season of ’The White Lotus,’ HBO’s biting satirical anthology drama series about the social elites, the setting has changed from Hawaii to Sicily, and the narrative focus has shifted from wealth disparity to sexual politics. In episode 5, titled ‘That’s Amore,’ Ethan (Will Sharpe) confesses to Harper (Aubrey Plaza) about what happened the night she and Daphne (Meghann Fahy) were in Nardò. Albie (Adam DiMarco) and Portia’s (Haley Lu Richardson) paths fork away from each other, as the latter accompanies Tanya to Palermo with Quentin (Tom Hollander) and Jack (Leo Woodall).
Mia (Beatrice Grannò) finally convinces Valentina (Sabrina Impacciatore) to let her sing for the guests, and Dominic (Michael Imperioli) tries to make his father understand that the rose-tinted view the latter has about his marriage is a creation of the man’s self-delusion. Here is everything you need to know about the ending of ‘The White Lotus’ season 2 episode 5. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The White Lotus Season 2 Episode 5 Recap
As with all other episodes, episode 5 begins at sunrise. This is the second day since Ethan has been in Italy that he doesn’t go out for a run. Instead, as he walks into the bathroom, he finds the condom wrapper that Harper has placed there. Baffled, he speaks to his wife and quickly realizes that she knows. He tells her what happened that night and why he didn’t tell her before, indignantly adding that she should be glad as he didn’t cheat even under those circumstances, as if Harper must applaud him for doing the bare minimum. Harper and Ethan later meet up with Daphne and Cameron (Theo James) and go to Edna for wine tasting, during which Harper’s biting, suggestive remarks make Cameron realize that she knows about that night.
Meanwhile, Albie wakes up with Lucia (Simona Tabasco) and discovers she is a sex worker. However, they still decide that they will keep seeing each other. When Dominic tries to speak to his son about this, Albie brushes it off, ignoring his father’s words of caution in favor of naive idealism.
Dominic finally speaks to Bert (F. Murray Abraham) about the impact the older man had on him. He doesn’t blame his father for his sex addiction, but he knows he can. If one of the parents is a chain smoker, the chances are that their child will begin smoking as a teenager. The same rule applies here. Bert might have thought otherwise, but everyone knew about his infidelity, including his wife, who remained bitter about it until her death. Even now, when Dominic tries to be as honest as possible with his father, the man doesn’t listen and clings to the presumption that he had a happy marriage.
Valentina doesn’t like that Rocco is flirting with Isabella and transfers the former to beach duty. Mia correctly deduces that Valentina is a lesbian and proposes that she (Mia) will sleep with her if the other woman lets her sing. Stunned for a multitude of reasons, Valentina allows Mia to sing until Giuseppe returns from the hospital. Almost predictably, Mia gives an impressive performance.
The White Lotus Season 2 Episode 5 Ending: Are Jack and Quentin Actually Related?
In this episode, Tanya remembers Belinda, the spa manager in Hawaii, and wonders whether she should have invested in the business plan of the other woman. It’s not that she’s feeling guilty about her behavior, but rather, she fears that Belinda, as a healer woman, has put a curse on her. Tanya and Portia join Quentin, Jack, and Quentin’s posse as they travel to Palermo on a yacht. Upon arrival, Tanya is genuinely impressed by the sheer show of wealth that is lazily scattered around her. As she tells Portia, she also feels relieved because her experiences have taught her that people generally want to be her friends because of her wealth. However, with Quentin, that wouldn’t be a problem as he already seems to be ridiculously wealthy. That night, the older members of the group go to see an opera while Portia and Jack visit the town for dinner. Tanya, as disconnected from the rest of the world as she is, thinks that the woman on the box beside them is Sicilian royalty.
It is not entirely convincing that Quentin has no motive to be friends with Tanya. His lifestyle and the mansion in Palermo must require a steep upkeep. Quentin virtually radiates with the old money vibe, and old money tends to dry up as years go by. It’s very possible that the yacht, the mansion, and the opera are all part of a long con.
However, that doesn’t explain what Tanya sees when she wakes up in the middle of the night: Quentin having sex with Jack, his supposed nephew. Admittedly, that scene has lost much of its surprise value because of ‘House of the Dragon,’ which has successfully romanticized incest to a degree.
There is no reason for Jack not to be Quentin’s nephew, even if they are indeed trying to scam Tanya. Quentin’s monologue about beauty and his incessant desire to possess it is likely there to shed some light on this matter.
Is Daphne Cheating on Cameron?
After Cameron learns that Harper knows about the molly and the sex workers, he puts his hands on her legs. Later, Harper tries to speak to Daphne about what happened at the hotel during their absence, but the other woman refuses to listen. She claims that she has found her own way to get back at her husband and has a blonde trainer as her lover. But she shows her children’s photo when she tries to show Harper what the man looks like.
It seems that Daphne is trapped in a situation very similar to that of Dominic’s mother. She is aware of Cameron’s infidelity and believes she should get back at him but hasn’t yet. The story about the trainer is most probably a made-up one.
Read More: The White Lotus Season 2 Episode 4 Recap and Ending, Explained
