The Power of Jealousy: The White Lotus, Season 2
Image: HBO
Spoilers! Do not read unless you’ve completed Season 2!!
Mike White’s The White Lotus became a cultural sensation when it first aired in 2021: the HBO series follows wealthy resort dwellers and less wealthy hotel staff, first in Maui for Season 1, then in Sicily for Season 2. We watch these misguided and beautiful people grapple with problems ranging from a mis-assigned honeymoon suite to the looming threat of cancer; from cheating spouses and sex addiction to how to get rid of a pesky assistant (or boss). All of this is brilliantly wrapped in a murder mystery, with an unidentified dead body in Episode 1, and subsequent episodes going back in time until we finally learn who dies as the season progresses - leading to a fervor of fan theories and clue hunting throughout! Season 2, for me, was especially compelling because of its portrayal of jealousy and the power it wields in complex relationships. But what is jealousy, why do we experience it, and is it always a bad thing? Read on as I attempt to untangle all this against the gorgeous backdrop of The White Lotus, Season 2!
Jealousy is defined as a perceived threat to an existing relationship from an outside entity, and while it’s usually used to describe emotions in romantic or sexual situations, jealousy can occur in all types of relationships (even 6 month old babies and their mothers!). We often use the term jealousy and envy interchangeably, but envy typically focuses on desiring something that belongs to another, and is not always in the context of relationships. In Season 2 of TWL, jealousy is everywhere - we see it between married couples such as Harper and Ethan or Tanya and Greg, casual acquaintances like Albie and Portia, a boss and her staff with Valentina and Isabella, and the list goes on! Crucially, jealousy gains strength from the mind’s ability to weave stories out of limited or missing information - we see this most notably in Harper and Ethan’s relationship, from the empty condom wrapper Harper finds in Episode 4, to Ethan’s observation from afar of Harper and Cameron’s possible flirtation at the beachside bar in Episode 6. Soon, it can become difficult to untangle what’s real from what’s imagined, as is the case in Episode 7, when Ethan vividly imagines his wife and his former college roommate engaging in a passionate encounter - though, as the audience, we, like Ethan, never learn if this actually occurred.
Jealousy may seem like a trivial insecurity, but it can in fact be extremely dangerous. A favorite theory of many was that the dead bodies in Season 2 would belong to some combination of Ethan, Harper, or Cameron - and this is teased throughout with those creepy Testa di Moro ceramic head statues - which depict a tale of an enraged jilted lover cutting of her suitor’s head after learning he has a wife - and other tense scenes between the characters throughout. Indeed, jealousy is a leading cause of interpersonal violence and death, especially against women by men in heterosexual relationships. The power jealousy wields can often be deadly, so it’s no surprise we are so compelled by this storyline - even if the characters in this triangle (or quadrangle, if we consider Ethan and Daphne’s possible dalliance!) aren’t the ones who die. Jealousy can also lead to loneliness and isolation, as reality distorts itself and connecting with a partner or others may feel impossible. Ethan certainly seems to be constantly ruminating and tormenting himself, until he speaks to Daphne in Episode 7 (more on this shortly!) and gains another perspective. Jealousy may stem from insecurity and cause it to grow further; we learn in Episode 6 that Harper fears Ethan is no longer attracted to her, especially due to his constant porn viewing, and this only adds to her disbelief that the condom wrapper did not belong to him - leading her to engage in behaviors that cause jealousy in Ethan. It’s a painful yet beautiful depiction of the downward spiral and vicious cyclical nature of this emotion.
So where does jealousy come from, and why is it so powerful? Some theories suggest a strong evolutionary benefit of jealousy: if one of our sole drivers as living beings is survival as a species, we should do well to guard our mates. “Mate guarding” (which, the linked article states, can also be seen in non human animals!) serves different purposes for males and females: for males, it can ensure an offspring is his and not another male’s, and for females, it can ensure a male mate is readily available to provide resources crucial to an offspring’s survival. Furthermore, jealousy occurs across cultures and social structures; hardly anyone is exempt. In TWL, a cool and calm Daphne shares with a panicked Harper in Episode 5 her secret to combatting jealousy: she’s aware of Cameron’s infidelity, she counters this by having flings of her own, and - she hints - the father of her children may or may not be Cameron. Perhaps more jealousy would help Cameron’s evolutionary goals! And, while some may argue Daphne doesn’t experience jealousy, it seems to me that she simply has a coping mechanism that helps her manage it without destroying her marriage and lifestyle.
I realize that so far, I’ve painted a pretty bleak picture, suggesting jealousy inevitably leads to destruction. But jealousy isn’t always a bad thing - like all emotions, it’s a source of information. What we do with that information is what matters, and the menu of options extends beyond insecurity, anguish, and violence. If we treat jealousy as a data point into something larger, we can more deeply understand what this emotion is trying to signal to us. For example, Harper - while also engaging in some impulsive and reactive decisions - uses her jealousy to explore the deeper problems in her relationship with Ethan, and confronts him about them. At the end of Episode 7, they appear to be more connected and loving with one another - an example of jealousy turning into a source of information to help repair, not destroy, a relationship. Jealousy, like all emotions, can also help us better understand ourselves - what triggers a jealous response internally, our expectations in relationships, the values and goals important to us, and choosing actions that will be most congruent with these expectations and values.
To illustrate these points, consider the contrast between Daphne and Tanya: Daphne makes very clear to Harper and Ethan, in Episodes 5 and 7 respectively, that she refuses to be a victim, and instead grabs control to shape her own narrative. She seems to enjoy a passionate and carefree relationship with her husband, while also living her own independent life (problematic as this may feel at times!). Tanya, on the other hand, seems to let jealousy for her new husband Greg’s possible affair, teased in Episode 2, get her severely down in the dumps as the season progresses. She falls straight into a murder plot by “the gays” and Greg, and - despite going out with a bang! - her last words to the conspiring Quentin are begging him to share if Greg is having an affair. She’s a contrast of empowerment and weakness; her death is tragic because she almost took control of her narrative too, but fell to a “derpy” death instead.
Ultimately, jealousy is an emotion that can wield immense power - but the power can work in both ways, to destroy and to rebuild, and it’s up to us what we choose to do with it. Valentina could have let jealousy for Isabella/Rocco completely overwhelm her, but instead allows Mia to help her explore her own sexuality, and seems much more at peace in the end of the season than at the beginning. Mia and Lucia, the sex workers initially hired by sex addict Dom, could have let jealousy or envy create clouds of resentment (as it seems to do for Tanya’s assistant, Portia), but they instead find a way to get what’s theirs and arguably come out on top - more so than any other character in Season 2! Emotions are powerful, but the ultimate power resides within us, should we choose to realize it.
** I have no notes at all for Season 2! There’s nothing I wish was done differently from a psychological perspective. TWL is nuanced and rich, with complex characters and storylines that feel at once familiar and exotic. Perhaps the strongest role of envy is from the viewers ourselves: there’s a hate-watch component to seeing advantaged people suffer, while also finding ourselves empathize and connect with them, despite ourselves. Indeed, jealousy can be so powerful because we see components of ourselves in the people we seemingly loathe. From politics to sexual mores, we deeply despise and deeply understand much of the characters’ choices and actions. It’s a true depiction of humanity at its best and worst, and what could be more compelling than that?
A couple recs if you loved this season as much as I did:
No one does jealousy and tragicomedy better than Shakespeare; this brilliant piece outlines three of his greats that align with TWL Season 2. But if whipping out Shakespeare isn’t your thing (and whose thing is it really, unless you’re in an English class?!), I highly recommend the genius Bollywood remake of Othello, Omkara. It’s a beautiful portrayal of jealousy’s tragic power of destruction.
A few more fun things about Season 2:
My mind was blown when I realized how clever and spoiler-y the opening credits are.
A scene by scene comparison of a gorgeous moment in Episode 3 and the Italian classic L’Avventura.
Things you may have missed in both seasons!
