The White Lotus is an American satirical comedy-drama anthology television series created,

written, and directed by Mike White that premiered on HBO on July 11, 2021.[3][4] The series
was greenlit in October 2020, filmed in Hawaii in late 2020, and features an ensemble cast
including Murray Bartlett, Connie Britton, Jennifer Coolidge, Alexandra Daddario, Jake Lacy,
Natasha Rothwell, Sydney Sweeney, Steve Zahn, and Molly Shannon. The first season, Hawaii,
consisting of six episodes, concerns the lives of the staff and guests at a tropical resort in
Hawaii. Following its critical acclaim and viewership numbers, the show was renewed as an
anthology series, with the second season, Sicily, telling the story of a different group of
travelers during their stay at a White Lotus property in Sicily, starring F. Murray Abraham,
Meghann Fahy, Tom Hollander, Sabrina Impacciatore, Michael Imperioli, Theo James, Aubrey
Plaza, Haley Lu Richardson, and Will Sharpe, with Coolidge reprising her role.

Episodes

1 "Arrivals"

Shane Patton watches as a coffin is loaded onto an airplane. Seven days earlier: wealthy
patrons arrive at the White Lotus resort on Maui. They are greeted by manager Armond and
his pregnant employee Lani. Shane and Rachel arrive for their honeymoon. Instead of
consummating their marriage, Shane becomes fixated on a booking error, causing Rachel to
question their relationship. Tanya McQuoid, who has come to spread her mother's ashes, is
desperate for a massage, but the spa is fully booked. Belinda, the spa's manager, instead
guides her in a ceremonial chant. Nicole Mossbacher argues with her husband Mark about his
potential cancer diagnosis; Mark decides to spend time with their son Quinn. Their daughter
Olivia and her friend Paula lounge by the pool and make snide remarks about Rachel, a
professional listicle writer. Lani's waters break, but Armond ignores her. Lani begins to give
birth as the guests dine. Mark receives a call from his doctor, but is disconnected before he
learns his diagnosis. Rachel and Shane agree to put the day's conflict behind them and resume
their earlier tryst.

2 "New Day"

Mark is elated when his cancer diagnosis comes back negative, but he learns from his uncle
that his father actually died of AIDS and lived a double life as a gay man. Olivia's suggestion
that his sexual orientation is no reflection on his masculinity is poorly received. Shane calls his
mother to have their travel agent reprimand Armond over the booking error. Rachel considers
taking a new writing assignment, but Shane insists she does not have to work again. Rachel
meets Nicole, who advises her to maintain her independence. However, when Nicole learns
that Rachel wrote a listicle mentioning her, Nicole criticizes Rachel's reporting, making Rachel
question her career further. After more pestering from Shane, Rachel abandons the job. Olivia
and Paula enjoy drugs on the beach until they are approached by Tanya and leave, forgetting
Paula's bag of drugs. The bag is turned over to Armond, who keeps it and uses the drugs due to
his stress despite being a recovering addict. Olivia becomes jealous when she sees Paula
flirting with Kai, a hotel employee. Tanya invites Belinda to dinner and offers to fund a possible
wellness business, which Belinda considers. When Quinn is kicked out of the hotel room by
Olivia, he decides to go to the beach where he watches in awe of a group of whales jumping in
the ocean.

3 "Mysterious Monkeys"
As the guests of the White Lotus wake for the day, Paula remains cagey about her tryst to an
increasingly suspicious Olivia, while Quinn's electronics are washed away as he sleeps on the
beach. Shane and Rachel have sex, but Rachel worries whether their marriage is predicated on
Shane's sexual attraction to her. To console her, Shane plans a romantic dinner, but Armond,
fed up with Shane's incessant complaining, recommends for their dinner a sunset boat ride,
without revealing that Tanya has chartered it to spread her mother's ashes in the ocean. Tanya
believes the honeymooners have joined to support her, and the ensuing discomfort enrages
Shane. Mark remains distraught over his discovery about his father, and gets increasingly
drunk while proceeding through awkward encounters with his son, Rachel, and other women
at the bar, culminating in a tepid speech when he joins his family for dinner and a rebuffed
attempt to initiate sex with Nicole. Armond also spirals after relapsing from his five-year
sobriety, drinking and taking Paula's prescription medication. He flirts with hotel staffer Dillon,
and reveals to Mark that he is gay, even propositioning Mark when he expresses his curiosity
about anal sex. As the guests return to bed, Olivia follows Paula and sees her and Kai have sex.