The White Lotus Season 2, Episode 5 Recap: Where’s the Death?

We’re now over halfway through the second season of The White Lotus and still, no one has died. That’s fair, considering the murder in season one didn’t come until the last moments of the finale, but it’s becoming clear something ominous is coming. We only have two episodes left and from the b-roll shots of the sea getting darker and the waves more violent, it’s clear the ocean is prepping to take at least one of its victims soon. We’ve already discussed who might possibly commit murder when the seven-episode series comes to its conclusion next month, but now it’s time to explore who might meet their demise at the White Lotus’s beautiful Sicilian property. There are a lot of options after all, pretty much all the guests have “victim” written all over them.

Cameron

This is an obvious choice considering Cam hasn’t made many friends throughout this trip and there are a lot people who would probably like to see him face the consequences of his actions. I’m sure the airline employee at the other end of his angry call in episode two is eager to enact some revenge. There’s also Lucia, who still has not gotten her 1300 euro from Cam, and is getting more and more agitated about the debt. Or maybe, Albie could take action against Cam to defend his new lady, because no one loves to violently protect women more than an aggressively self-proclaiming feminist.

Mostly, though, my money is on Ethan being the one to shove the knife in Cam’s back (both literally and figuratively). It has now become clear to Ethan that Cam really just wants his money and insider info. Plus, so far on this trip, Cam has only caused problems for Ethan. I mean, does anyone else find it incredibly suspicious that Cam just had to have sex in Ethan and Harper’s room? On top of all of that, Cam is getting more and more comfortable with Harper as the nights go by. It may not be long before Ethan catches a glimpse, realizes Cam is a good-for-nothing playboy, and finally snaps.

Bert

Again, another obvious one. The poor man has fallen twice throughout his short trip, and thanks to his gassy incontinence, no one is willing to sleep in his room and do wellness checks throughout the night to make sure he isn’t severely concussed. It’s possible that the combination of his clumsiness and gas might just lead to his demise.

Isabella

In just a few short episodes, Valentina has gone from the uptight, hilariously awkward woman who eats lunch with stray cats to a grade-A stalker (the cats thing probably was a clue). She has her sights set on Isabella, and she will do anything to get her (even place the terrifyingly-voiced Salvatore at the front desk). But what happens when Isabella doesn’t return Valentina’s affection? Or maybe, one day, forgets to wear the starfish pin to work? She may just end up in the ocean.

And yes, Valentina does seem surprised in the first scene of the season when Rocco tells her of the dead bodies, but a cold-blooded murderer would have no problem feigning innocence. So, let’s not count Valentina out just yet.

Giuseppe

Mia has already proven she’s not afraid to get her hands dirty in order to get what she wants. I mean, she drugged a man just to bag a gig singing at a hotel bar. Unfortunately for her, Giuseppe will be back on the piano in just a few days time. So, if she wants a more permanent job, she might have to take more drastic actions.

Quentin

Quentin is a hard nut to crack. On the outside he seems like a wealthy guy who just wanted to help out the pathetic-yet-entertaining Tanya, but there seems to be something else going on there. He tells ominous stories of men killing wealthy women and makes morbid statements like that he’d “die for beauty.” Not in a jovial, “This house in Palermo is so beautiful I could die!” sort of way, but in a very serious tone, like he has contemplated actually doing so before. He also has sex with his “nephew” (a trope that is quickly becoming an HBO staple), but I can’t even begin to get into that right now when there’s a murder to solve, so we’ll save that one for next week.

Anyway, there seems to be a definite chance that Quentin dies by his own hand. We have to read into everything Mike White throws at us, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Quentin took Tanya to see Madame Butterfly, a story in which the main character kills herself when she’s unable to be with the one she loves. Quentin seemed extremely emotional during the performance, and followed up that viewing with a story of his own lost love, and the admission that he would still do anything for his heterosexual lover thirty years later. It’s a tragic love story in the making, all it needs is an ending fit for a brutally dramatic opera, and it seems like drowning in the seas of Sicily may just do the trick.

Greg

It’s still unclear what’s going on with Greg. White wants us to assume he’s cheating, but that seems a bit too on the nose at this point. It’s possible that Greg has a perfect explanation for his behavior in the beginning of this season, though it would be very characteristic of Tanya to take action before she hears him out.