Gone But Not Forgotten: The Deaths of ‘The White Lotus’ So Far

The White Lotus has quickly become a show where you tune in for the rich guests of the hotel and their nonsense—but stay for something more. I’m talking about the mystery of who died, you know? Both seasons so far have started with a mysterious death and then time-jumped back to when this group of guests arrived, so we’re left spending the season wondering who actually died and what it means for the other guests.

As we get ready to figure out who is coming to the White Lotus for Season 3 and what resort we’re going to, let’s unpack the deaths we have had so far in Seasons 1 and 2 and what happened to these characters we loved.

Season 1 was a rough go for the leader of the White Lotus

Throughout the first season of White Lotus, we were on the edge of our seats because we knew that there was a body going back on the plane with the rest of the guests but we didn’t know who it was. It was our first foray into this format with the show and every time someone would go out by themselves or run off, we were afraid of what was to come. So it was surprising when it ended up being Armond (Murray Bartlett) instead.

It set the tone from that first season into the next that no one was really safe. Because I, like many other viewers, thought one of the guests would die but instead we watched as Armond spiraled to a tragic death—which does really set the tone for how Mike White likes to kill off beloved characters.

Season 2 brought pain for Tanya and those around her

Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) was so beloved from Season 1 that she returned for the second season. What many of us didn’t expect was that she would be the one to die. Tanya is in Italy with her husband Greg (Jon Gries) and he seems to be up to something but we don’t know what. While many of us assumed he was cheating on her, we later learned that he wanted her dead so that he could have her fortune without worrying about his prenup.

It resulted in multiple dead because the men that Greg hired (his old friend Quentin played by Tom Hollander) weren’t prepared. They tried to wine and dine Tanya before her death but instead she shot and killed everyone on board the boat. And just as we thought she would make it out alive, she tripped and fell off the side of the yacht to her death.

What does Season 3 hold?

So what we’ve learned about Mike White is this: He loves a surprise death. Both Armond and Tanya were well-loved and their deaths were unexpected—so can we expect more of the same in Season 3? Or will he fake us out and trick us into thinking someone we love died, but really they’re fine? We’ll have to wait and see but after the success of Season 2, I can’t wait to see what White Lotus has in store for us all.

(featured image: HBO)