Season two of HBO’s hit dark comedy The White Lotus premiered its finale with a frenetic conclusion. Once again, Mark White, creator of the series, gave the audience a glimpse of high-class conflicts and the aristocratic manners of the 21st century. Just like the first one, this second entry exposed the drama of rich guests of dreamy premises of the White Lotus resorts, now in Southern Italy.
The constant sensation of everything going wrong is the signature style of this brilliant comedy, which has already been renewed for a third season. The formula works like a charm: a paradisiac destination, tensions, and a fatal closure. This gives the series a long and prosperous future as long as they keep the writing fresh, and keep coming up with obnoxious protagonists and a constant sense of discomfort that gives quite a fluid narrative to the show.
The set of characters in the series was written wittingly, with diverse personalities and interesting depth. However, one of them caught the public’s attention more than any: Tanya McQuoid, the archetype of a depressed rich woman brilliantly portrayed by Jennifer Coolidge. The only figure to appear in both seasons, Coolidge’s performance won her an Emmy for Outstanding Actress for the first season. The actress that once wanted out of her White Lotus role had to say goodbye after the finale of the second season.
The series’ director was very clear on why he gave Jennifer Coolidge such a conclusion for this season. Nevertheless, there are still many stories to tell about Tanya, and though she will hardly make it to the next White Lotus installment, there are multiple storylines to uncover about her.
How Tanya Grew to be Unhappy
Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Though a reappearance from Coolidge would deserve a new Emmy nomination, her character is fascinating in its own right. A recurring moment for her in both seasons was remembering the difficult relationship with her father, a seemingly cold and tough man that never paid real interest in his daughter. Tanya was clearly raised by distant parents, probably more concerned with their ambitious social positions and ridiculous levels of wealth. This must have accounted for multiple vacations where a young and lonesome Tanya struggled to gain their attention in any way possible. Tanya’s parents would make for excellent additions to The White Lotus, adding a new perspective on the more obscure sides of being rich and how the archetype of opulent people changes through the years, another recurring element of the series.
The White Lotus could definitely benefit from a vintage season. Set in the ’60s or ’70s in a popular rich tourist destination those days, where a girl called Tanya would run around among other eccentric rich characters far from her parents’ vigilance. The constant hint of a traumatic scene in Tanya’s childhood or teenage years would make for an excellent season finale, especially with the creator’s fixation on killing one or a couple of characters by the last episode. Furthermore, with the series’ signature dark humor, there would be many insinuations and jokes about Tanya’s sad epilogue, playing with her miserable predestination.
Trauma is a Constant for Tanya
Mark White’s inspiration for the hit show is obviously trauma-related. This ties in perfectly with Coolidge’s character, who could easily make a comeback related to a more recent traumatic experience. The events that led Tanya to go to the White Lotus resort in Hawaii for the first season are far from being clear. This self-exploratory trip could also be the response to an awful experience with a past lover, or disputes over her wealth.
It would be fascinating to discover Tanya McQuoid as an almost opposite person to who she is in the first two seasons. Instead of the gray, middle-aged woman who cannot make any decision, Tanya could have a happy-go-lucky decisive, and powerful female character, surrounded by empowering friends (who would eventually betray her). To make things more interesting, her fortune could even come from owning The White Lotus itself, or anything that could tie her to other characters, justifying a return for them.
It is never too early to speculate on what characters can make a return for the third season. Nevertheless, it’s clear that Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya made an impact in the series’ lore and deserves her recognition. It’s probably less likely for the actress to come back after the season two finale, but she can be acknowledged in many different ways, by referencing her character. Instead of creating a similar role for future seasons, Tanya McQuoid deserves her redemption in her special way, and the creators of The White Lotus know they have done a great job in developing that character.
As the show continues to get renewed for more seasons, continuity is inevitable, even when each new entry has different characters. Seasons one and two have a lot of similarities that account for the series’ particular vision. The style, the tone, and many other aspects of the narrative remain, and Coolidge’s performance has deeply impacted this way of depicting rich white people’s problems. Let’s just hope we haven’t seen the last Tanya McQuoid yet.
