The White Lotus - The Power Dynamics of Attraction

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  • Опубликовано: 18 янв 2025

Комментарии • 688

  • @algoenespanol
    @algoenespanol Год назад +1494

    Daphnes acting is underrated. Her moment of awareness of not just one betrayal but two with her loss of the friend she thought she just made. And then her switch to the bond she makes with Ethan who can actually empathize with her situation but is also now an object of retribution and lust is seamless.

    • @theorderofthebees7308
      @theorderofthebees7308 Год назад +50

      Yes she did all of that with the shifts in her eyes ! Well done

    • @Fake_Robot
      @Fake_Robot Год назад +40

      She was actually nominated for an Emmy 👍🏻

  • @shelbyandblush
    @shelbyandblush Год назад +2999

    This dynamic between the two couples was impeccably written. I absolutely loved this season and all it's intricacies. The body language spoke volumes and the actors really brought a whole new level to the material. Excellent.

  • @pritomg.5932
    @pritomg.5932 Год назад +3820

    Daphne's facial expression when she was talking to Ethan was so good!

    • @idanlewenhoff2295
      @idanlewenhoff2295 Год назад +102

      yeah that was top notch acting

    • @tylerackerman1391
      @tylerackerman1391 Год назад +35

      agreed! 12:14 btw

    • @pritomg.5932
      @pritomg.5932 Год назад +2

      ​@@tylerackerman1391 I was talking about the scene from the show

    • @planetruths1373
      @planetruths1373 Год назад +32

      I wonder if they did anything together on that island because it is sorta implied...

    • @giogiolachance4313
      @giogiolachance4313 Год назад +5

      @@planetruths1373 grow up

  • @pjetrs
    @pjetrs Год назад +3882

    for me Harper was the most interesting and best acted person in season 2, there was just so much going on the whole time

    • @JustanObservation
      @JustanObservation  Год назад +140

      Agreed, we get the deepest insight into her consistently

    • @bloodrayneg
      @bloodrayneg Год назад +123

      I honestly had the same thought about Daphne

    • @juicypoet
      @juicypoet Год назад +32

      @@bloodrayneg me too I thought her character was rlly well portrayed/acted

    • @bloodrayneg
      @bloodrayneg Год назад +18

      ​@@juicypoet yeah, I hadn't seen the actress before, she fleshed out the character really well; I kinda wonder if that's the one character type she's good at or if she's actually very good (and probably had good direction)

    • @andrasszabo1570
      @andrasszabo1570 Год назад +58

      @@bloodrayneg Aubrey Plaza is best known as a comedienne. She is hilarious, her delivery is drier than the Atacama.

  • @BrokenDarkFire
    @BrokenDarkFire Год назад +2306

    These couples stressed me out so much in early season 2 because I was convinced one of them was going to murder someone else in the group. As the season went on though I calmed down and really enjoyed their toxic dynamic by the end.

    • @ayomidebaby3598
      @ayomidebaby3598 Год назад +65

      😂 😂 Same I really thought one of them was going to die

    • @Phia525
      @Phia525 Год назад +1

      No death just a (maybe) quickie in the rocks with your old college roommate’s wife😂😂 definitely a less messy outcome than I expected tbh

    • @pronner1991
      @pronner1991 Год назад +54

      Daphne talking about how much she loves true crime where one murders ones partner

    • @Heathmcdonald
      @Heathmcdonald 11 месяцев назад +2

      @pronner1991 I am pretty confident that more women like true crime (murder porn as Southpark called it) than not and u may even be disturbed by the fact that it helps some of them sleep at night lol

    • @LighthouseJaye
      @LighthouseJaye 7 месяцев назад +3

      I stayed balling my fist and uncurling then back. It was violation after violation, the fight scene came far too late for me. He had tolerated too much nonsense by then.😂 Those 3 need help from being around Cam at all🚶🏾‍♂️

  • @Poppyrox
    @Poppyrox Год назад +890

    One of the best lines from this season was when Harper says “we are too young to be this old.”

    • @Alphabet7
      @Alphabet7 5 месяцев назад +8

      I had this exact relationship when I was 19 to 20

    • @williamrussell174
      @williamrussell174 5 месяцев назад

      You can never win an argument with a woman period.

    • @Poppyrox
      @Poppyrox 5 месяцев назад +6

      @@williamrussell174 you can. I think we need to see it more of a discussion than a battle. All the fun is tied up in the fact that we will never fully know how the opposite sex thinks. Life can be so fun if we just learn to be open and take chances.

    • @OwnYourBaldSpot
      @OwnYourBaldSpot 4 месяца назад +5

      @@williamrussell174maybe you can’t… speak for yourself

  • @Theo-bb6xm
    @Theo-bb6xm Год назад +2933

    It always surprises me when it's implied that Daphne had a CHILD WITH HER TRAINER and nobody talks about it.

    • @karolinaformankova9767
      @karolinaformankova9767 Год назад +544

      This is what I loved about the show. There’s so many things and every person can understand it differently. This is how I understood it from my POV - I don’t think Daphne actually has an affair with her trainer. The whole season she’s been saying how you have to do something to not feel like a victim and acted mysteriously (playing games which is what she does even with Cameron). But everytime there was a mention of Cameron cheating on her you could see how broken she was inside. She just tried to hide and act cool about it. I don’t actually think she has a lover or is cheating on Cameron at all. I feel like it’s a mask, a game she’s playing. She likes to be mysterious and talk about hot massagers cuz she wants Cameron to feel as insecure as she is. When she was talking about that trainer and then showed a pic of her child I feel like it was a proof. Cuz there’s no trainer, there’s no cheating from her side. She just tries to keep it cool but it eats her up alive. That’s how I understood it. It’s beautiful and amazing how the story is so complex and everyone can see something different in it.

    • @unzenmyuouri4383
      @unzenmyuouri4383 Год назад +191

      @@karolinaformankova9767 that's how I viewed it as well. Every time she talked about her "trainer" she talked about him like some sort of fantasy guy, and it sounded like she was just spitballing the things she said

    • @awak3n707
      @awak3n707 Год назад +17

      I WAS FLABERGASTED

    • @maaz1931
      @maaz1931 Год назад +40

      @@karolinaformankova9767 if that theory would be true, do you still think she and ethan did hook up in the woods?

    • @cWjkL8ysxOkrH66
      @cWjkL8ysxOkrH66 Год назад +85

      @@karolinaformankova9767but why would cameron look pissed when the son called for him during the video call?

  • @eloiselloyd3979
    @eloiselloyd3979 Год назад +674

    I don’t think uncertainty is a fundamental part of attraction for everyone though. That might be true for Daphne and Cameron and others, but some people don’t feel attraction unless they do feel safe enough to be vulnerable in that way. Some people actually draw back and apart if they feel worried and insecure about their partner’s fidelity and attraction to them.

    • @niaofnarnia
      @niaofnarnia Год назад +94

      Right? If I begin to suspect cheating in my marriage.. I will not even wanna be in the same room tbh

    • @sailormoonwannabe
      @sailormoonwannabe Год назад +32

      @@niaofnarnia Same. That was the one thing that bothered me about this season, how it ended with Harper & Ethan.

    • @samf.s.7731
      @samf.s.7731 Год назад

      Sounds like a man's interpretation of what makes a woman attractive...
      The fear of being cucked, and the fact that you could lose her at any minute.
      Ironically thinking this way will probably increase the likelihood of losing her, there's a difference between desiring someone for them, and desiring them because you have issues 🙄🤣

    • @bdgregorybd
      @bdgregorybd Год назад +51

      You nailed it. In my earlier relationships, I found that my ex’s and I had to play games and prey on each other’s anxiety to stretch out the honeymoon phase and once that phase ended, we were on borrowed time. The relationship I’m in now, we’ve found that there’s actually deeper passion found through being raw and fully vulnerable with each other without fear of judgement. It’s through our mutual respect and not trying to dominate each other that we’ve found a really strong love

    • @mozorellastick2583
      @mozorellastick2583 Год назад +4

      He said the ugly parts do attraction, this is the ugly side not the normal side

  • @mbanerjee5889
    @mbanerjee5889 Год назад +1441

    I thought Daphne would be annoying but she was my favorite character of the season.

    • @bloodrayneg
      @bloodrayneg Год назад +104

      same! and she was so well acted, there were a lot of subtleties even though while looking from afar she can seem like a typical bubbly blonde

    • @mryshkh
      @mryshkh Год назад +116

      Same, I enjoy when the dumb bubbly blonde trope is subverted and we realize she's more clever and perceptive than she seems.

    • @dunnowy123
      @dunnowy123 Год назад +14

      dude, YES. I love when that happens.

    • @roy.shrestha
      @roy.shrestha Год назад +3

      SAME

    • @elnoare
      @elnoare Год назад +10

      she was still annoying tbh but honestly everyone was. i understand that they're all more than that on a deeper level but still

  • @theorderofthebees7308
    @theorderofthebees7308 Год назад +649

    I love how you made the decision that that both Harper and Ethan cheated on each other - it’s heavily implied but not seen - which is an interesting choice the writer made - to have us not immediately judge them based on evidence but come to our own conclusion-

    • @claudiabowman6950
      @claudiabowman6950 Год назад +153

      Agreed. My personal take is that Harper did not have sex Cameron, but that Ethan absolutely did with Daphne. Now, is there any way to know that for sure? No, and it's very clever of the showmakers to do that.

    • @theorderofthebees7308
      @theorderofthebees7308 Год назад +42

      @@claudiabowman6950 I agree I think Harper absolutely made out with him she did something because Cameron walking out with a book - he forgot Cameron doesn’t read 😂😂 the hell out of here they weren’t gone for a long time but the door was locked so something went down

    • @tkay8548
      @tkay8548 Год назад +28

      @@claudiabowman6950 Regardless of whether she cheated on him or not her intent was still malicious which is just as bad, it's ironic that she criticises the other couple so much but actually takes/acts on what Daphne says in Noto.

    • @helloteetee99
      @helloteetee99 5 месяцев назад

      I just feel like people forget that Ethan cheated on Harper with one of the Hookers. Even though it was a kiss and he turned away, he still wasn’t fully honest. So Harper had every right to fill skeptical. I’m not saying what she did with Cameron was justified, but I don’t feed into the rhetoric that Ethan was a victim after that girls night out for Daphne and Harper. He kept saying he didn’t do anything when he did. Whether it’s a simple kiss with hooker or possibly fucking another woman’s husband, it’s still cheating 🤷🏿‍♀️

  • @markt2398
    @markt2398 Год назад +778

    I like how they don't make anyone the "good guy" persay and each person is at least a bit of an a-hole. Cameron is the most blatant but the others have their issues.

    • @DoYouEvenRift
      @DoYouEvenRift Год назад +19

      The only good guy really was the lesbian hotel manager lol. She did nothing wrong and got her "happy ending"

    • @dana-ce1vb
      @dana-ce1vb Год назад

      The guy who got played by a hooker was a good guy, too good

    • @BigCarso
      @BigCarso Год назад +47

      @@DoYouEvenRift Isn't abusing your position of power to hit on someone a little bit wrong?

    • @fundinkuta7082
      @fundinkuta7082 9 месяцев назад +9

      I actually think the only asshole was Cameron. But the others did asshole-ish things. Just as the video summarised at the end; the other three were victims to Cameron's selfishness.

    • @DS-bz4mz
      @DS-bz4mz 8 месяцев назад +4

      It's "per sé" btw, not "persay"

  • @afterlifeauthor
    @afterlifeauthor Год назад +2021

    Say what you want about Harper, but she looks to be the same as she was when Ethan PICKED HER to be his wife. Ethan is not some little boy living under the thumb of his controlling career woman wife. He is the one who changed upon achieving success. Any woman would grow distressed if her husband suddenly lost attraction to her ONLY AFTER he has achieved higher status.
    Also, Cameron and Daphne would drive any woman crazy because literally everything that comes out of their mouth sounds off. It is also true that Cameron 'alpha dogs' Ethan and is only trying to use fake friendship to rope Ethan into a money making scheme. Yes, Ethan doesn't fall for it, but it is true that even though Ethan has higher status now he still seems like Cameron's lower status sidekick. You call Harper insecure, but Ethan is the one who goes on a fancy trip to show off to his college bully that he can.
    Everything Harper suspects about the other couple is, in fact, TRUE, but hey, let's just dismiss her by calling her a crazy controlling woman while her husband jetskis with the man who slept with every woman he ever felt a connection to, since that is a completely normal relationship between male friends. (I really hope you see the sarcasm here). As for the dinner scene, any woman would lose trust and respect for her husband over time if he can't spot the predators in front of him and proceeds to rationalize the predator's behaviors and undermine his wife's suspicions. I mean, Cameron takes off his pants in front of Harper, and Ethan just brushes that off like it's nothing even though Cameron has a history of stuff like this! He might want to think that he is chill, but he just seems stupid, and the only reason Harper can't press on the issue is because she's going to be called "controlling". While it's not right to nitpick every little thing, it is true that this lack of trust and respect can start to bleed into things that don't matter.
    Maybe it's time we stop gaslighting women when they accurately identify predators. We also need to stop romanticizing male friendships, because Daphne was right about how those can be. Really.

    • @afrosamourai400
      @afrosamourai400 Год назад

      You made solid points..but she still slept with the "predator" who bullied her husband right? What does it say about her?
      And why was she so envious of a couple that she thought was fake?

    • @srtatropicalia
      @srtatropicalia Год назад +402

      This. I really needed to read this comment. Something just seemed off in this video and you accurately pinpointed what!

    • @ideologybot4592
      @ideologybot4592 Год назад +181

      When your understanding of power is so self-absorbed and limited that you start thinking like this, you have a problem.
      Every part of all their relationships have self-aggrandizing power dynamics, including Harper. If she tried to rescue her husband from a mean male, that would be a power move, another one to add to the 'controlling' label because that's exactly what it is. You can identify with Harper over the others all you want, but that doesn't mean that her character gets to become the heroic protagonist in a story where there aren't any.
      I mean, my God: gaslighting women, all male friendships are toxic, calling out predators when every character in the show is a manipulator... what's next, quoting Andrea Dworkin about how the penis is a knife and every man is metaphorically stabbing women with it?

    • @FanyLI
      @FanyLI Год назад

      @@ideologybot4592 what an unnecessary long way of saying you are a predator

    • @Jules2439.5
      @Jules2439.5 Год назад +135

      @@ideologybot4592 agreed. Not all women are gaslit; not all male friendships are toxic. There were sweeping generalizations in this that are problematic and don’t take into account variations and exceptions. Life isn’t so black and white, and what’s beautiful about the White Lotus is it acknowledges this.

  • @SocialBobcat
    @SocialBobcat Год назад +1245

    You wonder if Ethan and Harper really get a happy ending here - they reignited a spark but at the cost of actions they both took that will simmer in the background forever. Doesn't seem like a long term path to marital success
    Great analysis in your vid, as always

    • @morningglory3644
      @morningglory3644 Год назад +141

      I think it defused the hostility between them, but it didn't resolve their issues about each other. It may look like a happy ending for them, but I think was both of them learning to let go of their gripes with one another. It may develop into emotional maturity or it may lead to a road of denial & playing mind games with one another the way Cameron & Daphne designed their relationship to be. Eventually, I see them going back into their old patterns once they get back home away from the other couple. Because Harper will always feel like she needs to do some crazy sh*t to spice up their relationship & find another way to make Ethan "want" her again. Ethan is emasculated by his wife so I don't think he has a lot of alpha male sexual energy in him. It only came out when he was fighting for her against Cameron in a jetski battle. Ethan felt the need to protect what was his against an old foe. Maybe if Harper validated her husband more & learned to allow him to be a man in the relationship, Ethan wouldn't avoid her all the time. I see Ethan as an avoidant because he doesn't want to be constantly scrutinized & judged by her, so he just leaves the room. I believe they both still have a lot to learn.

    • @SocialBobcat
      @SocialBobcat Год назад +6

      @@morningglory3644 well said

    • @Chibbykins
      @Chibbykins Год назад +161

      ​@@morningglory3644 I think Ethan is the one who needed to validate Harper. All her efforts to connect with him sexually were rejected, which made it easier for Cameron to shoot his shot.

    • @morningglory3644
      @morningglory3644 Год назад +32

      @@Chibbykins Good Point! The only reason why I say it has to be Harper because Harper trained her husband to be a beta male. She always needs to win. She has a habit of overpowering & dominating him, leaving him no space to assert himself as a man. Ethan has a habit of shutting down because he does not feel safe with her. Men are insecure about their performance (in bed), so he probably rejects her efforts because he doesn't want to feel like he is being graded for his performance. I think Cameron's advances on her fueled his passion & his hook up with Daphne ignited his sexual energy.

    • @melvv18
      @melvv18 Год назад +14

      It can be read in different ways, the problem with them was there was a power struggle, but after all of the events, the struggle stop and some form of balance was reached. It could mean that with this power reset they can be happy.

  • @TheFrogfather1
    @TheFrogfather1 Год назад +136

    It says a lot about this channel that I've just watched and enjoyed a 14 minute video on a series I've never seen and probably never will. Keep up the good work!

    • @ethanhawkins3391
      @ethanhawkins3391 Год назад +17

      It’s well worth a watch!

    • @TheFrogfather1
      @TheFrogfather1 Год назад +1

      @@ethanhawkins3391 I currently only have Netflix and Apple tv and it isn't on either of these.

    • @morningstar3437
      @morningstar3437 Год назад +1

      ​@@TheFrogfather1don't watch it

    • @DeeHughes
      @DeeHughes 10 месяцев назад

      ​@@morningstar3437apparently it was over your head

    • @VonRibbitt
      @VonRibbitt 2 месяца назад

      ​@@ethanhawkins3391worth watching a bunch of assholes being horrible and toxic to eachother?
      Worth watching two couples being extremely insecure and manipulative and they might cheat on each other at the whims of their desires?
      Sounds like garbage and definitely not "worth watching"

  • @pillbugm8914
    @pillbugm8914 Год назад +92

    Honestly this relates to the way relationships exist in the modern day. The idea of power and the struggle for power becomes a thing where both parties in the relationship aren't scraping by and trying to survive together. Really makes you wonder what love even is and if marriage/romantic relationships are even about love.

    • @VonRibbitt
      @VonRibbitt 2 месяца назад +1

      They arent and they never were.

  • @Anukii
    @Anukii Год назад +345

    I don't even know why Ethan planned this damn vacation with his wife and literal best friend, MR. STEAL-YO-GIRL 💀

    • @anntb4958
      @anntb4958 Год назад +28

      🤣🤣...'MR. STEAL-YO-GIRL'

    • @Laura-fd7ej
      @Laura-fd7ej Год назад +4

      Exactly!

    • @theorderofthebees7308
      @theorderofthebees7308 Год назад +4

      Right !!!! Oblivious perhaps

    • @Anukii
      @Anukii Год назад +2

      @Bodark Zulu A confirmed fool

    • @jr5993
      @jr5993 11 месяцев назад

      Dont hate the player, hate the game.

  • @octaviasmith5002
    @octaviasmith5002 Год назад +769

    I saw myself in harper. Honestly, the first half of the show was very triggering because my partner has a porn addiction. It really kills your self-worth and self-esteem, knowing they would choose virtual pleasure over you. You feel stuck, you feel depressed and betrayed, and you try to keep it together. When harper looked over the cliff, I wondered if she was contemplating jumping...

    • @cat_pb
      @cat_pb Год назад +71

      I was going to comment the same, this triggered me because my relationship is exactly like Harper and Ethan's 😔😔

    • @tuscanleather3209
      @tuscanleather3209 Год назад +222

      Girl, no man is worth that. If they're not adding to your life and making you feel all things you said..well..sometimes you got to cut ties

    • @mrybird4044
      @mrybird4044 Год назад +85

      Break up with him, you will feel better, he’s got to get it together.

    • @ddubb8733
      @ddubb8733 Год назад

      So yall missed the whole point why he turned to porn in the first place. Shes the gate keeper of sex. What's he supposed to do,Have blue balls his whole life? He even said you know how I get after I go for a run. Meaning she knows he gets horny after working out but she didn't care for his needs. This video just broke it down on why and yall still ignored it

    • @crazylittlepartytifs
      @crazylittlepartytifs Год назад +61

      Get a divorce. There's nothing wrong with you.. there's something majorly wrong with them that they can't be intimate and that's not something that you can fix. You need to be with someone who values you and cherishes you xxx

  • @littlebitaver
    @littlebitaver Год назад +84

    Ethan and Harper had to go down such a twisted road to get their happiness.
    Thank you for covering the complexity of their relationship dynamics so thoroughly.

  • @ethanhawkins3391
    @ethanhawkins3391 Год назад +37

    Incredible analysis! This show had me completely enamored with how layered the characters are and just how complex each dynamic is. You helped piece together so much and your White Lotus videos have been especially great. Keep up the excellent work!!

  • @shanouboubou
    @shanouboubou Год назад +92

    Please keep those White Lotus videos coming, this show is so interesting and everytime I watch it I discover new things, it's amazing

  • @MaskedHeart
    @MaskedHeart Год назад +109

    With this information :
    The acting of Plaza is outstanding.
    I didn't understand her before.

  • @sarahcristina4656
    @sarahcristina4656 Год назад +209

    I'm Brazilian and this season reminded me a lot of Dom Casmurro, a literature classic. The whole issue of Ethan thinking Harper cheated on him but we'll never really know just reminds me of the main character of the book Bentinho and Harper, Capitu.

    • @theorderofthebees7308
      @theorderofthebees7308 Год назад +4

      Ooh I have to read it

    • @straw1berry11
      @straw1berry11 Год назад +3

      Do you recommend it?

    • @MBwolt
      @MBwolt Год назад +6

      caralho, verdade! muito bem colocado

    • @sarahcristina4656
      @sarahcristina4656 Год назад +6

      @@straw1berry11 totally is a brazilian classic by Machado de Assis :)

    • @vanessameirelessantos5525
      @vanessameirelessantos5525 Год назад +6

      eu pensei exatamente a mesma coisa! principalmente quando a dúvida começou a consumir o Ethan de tal forma que ele começou a ter uns devaneios da Harper traindo ele com Cameron, tentando de alguma forma achar alguma evidência que servisse de prova para a insegurança dele.

  • @thelouisjohnson
    @thelouisjohnson Год назад +132

    Great video! One thing I love about this season is how it exposed the rewards of manipulative behaviour, showing why people feel a need to betray each other.
    I remember Mike White talking about how this season was all about how sexual desire gets in the way of our ability to really know each other. Desire is the real motivator behind the events of this season, the way people relate to desire (consciously or otherwise) influences their actions and consequences.
    Honesty may be ideal, but when it comes to our desire: Honesty is boring.
    Desire isn't a good decision-maker, but it needs to be cultivated and taken responsibility for. Both suppressing desire and allowing it to completely control actions can lead to negative outcomes.
    My takeaway: be responsible for desire.

  • @gabrielidusogie9189
    @gabrielidusogie9189 Год назад +23

    My man you kill it with these videos. Seriously hoping you make a how to analyze tv and how to take notes on it for an essay because I want to enrich my watching experiences

  • @ukaniko
    @ukaniko Год назад +31

    I love all your breakdowns of White Lotus. The writing is so complex and layered that you only comprehend a lot of what's happening on an instinctual level. Your breakdowns always feel like you've reached into the back of my head and translated all that instinctual comprehension into actual text.

  • @t221000
    @t221000 Год назад +102

    That was a great analysis. I love the complex characters in this show.

  • @Dallycat
    @Dallycat Год назад +207

    Harper really tried to introspect,tried to work on it.She even told Ethan that Cameron flashed her in the first episode,Ethan kept giving Cameron the benefit of doubt.Harper did break the girl code by telling Ethan about what happened in Noto-it was more about how she said it(gleefully)that wasn’t right than her revealing the truth ,but Ethan is the one who kept holding back about Cam’s infidelity.
    Ethan really loves Cameron more than his own wife 😂 That post hangover “I want to be inside you baby” was definitely not the first time Ethan heard Cameron saying that to him.😂😂

  • @hrvbox
    @hrvbox Год назад +37

    The writing on this show is phenomenal, and every character is interesting. Well explained!

  • @antarabhattacharya6398
    @antarabhattacharya6398 Год назад +721

    That was a amazingly detailed analysis. I wonder if Harper and Ethan's romance actually got ignited or just got covered up by insecurity and desire due to adultery.

    • @MsTriangle
      @MsTriangle Год назад +16

      The latter, I think

    • @alessandrocejwokkkk
      @alessandrocejwokkkk Год назад +26

      I think we have to ask ourselves if that kind of passion can live trough years and years without external factors (such as these mind games)… my opinion is that it cant

    • @vanessai6887
      @vanessai6887 Год назад +2

      @@alessandrocejwokkkk good point. a question some people are afraid to answer to be honest. i guess it depends on the relationship.

    • @amberraining9546
      @amberraining9546 Год назад +5

      I personally think if they learn how to communicate openly about all and if Harper realizes her overall dominance, there might be something. At the end of the day feelings come and go, but we can build a good base for better feelings.

  • @chamir7
    @chamir7 Год назад +266

    Does anyone remember when Daphne was talking about her personal trainer to Harper? Daphne described her personal trainer as blond with blue eyes and she offered to show a picture of him but showed a picture of her son instead who was blond with blue eyes suggesting that the child is the personal trainers not Cameron’s. 😳
    Episode 5 starting at 49:00. Looking at it again the scene is more chilling than I remembered.

    • @theorderofthebees7308
      @theorderofthebees7308 Год назад +24

      Uh huh , absolutely recall that - I was like well damn

    • @ayomidebaby3598
      @ayomidebaby3598 Год назад +92

      I feel like Cameron knows maybe, there was a scene where he seemed really irritated by Daphne calling to FaceTime with the kids

    • @jbug1987
      @jbug1987 Год назад +27

      @@ayomidebaby3598 I also felt like it showed how into himself he was because he kept looking at himself in the mirror while flossing and completely ignoring his wife until she wouldn’t stop. I wouldn’t be surprised if he knew his son wasn’t his and just didn’t care to say hi since Daphne kept mentioning Cameron was gone most of the time so it’s possible he just doesn’t care about the children at all and only said hi because she wouldn’t stop bothering him but I leave that up to the writing since a lot of times we’re meant to draw our own conclusions in this series.

    • @oc2538
      @oc2538 Год назад +4

      Yes, and it actually made her seem more evil to me....I went from feeling sorry for her to disgusted. She went from the passive, weak, housewife to a woman that is happy to rub her infidelity in her husband's face.

    • @jbug1987
      @jbug1987 Год назад +7

      @@oc2538 oh definitely because she kept saying “don’t be a victim” when she was just as bad as him

  • @Sonosoz
    @Sonosoz Год назад +15

    You did it again. I felt the friction, felt all kinds of layers in the persona's, but couldn't quite put my finger on all of it. Thanks very much. I already loved White Lotus, now it becomes even more precious to me.

  • @whatever3041
    @whatever3041 Год назад +24

    Ethan and Harper have recently become rich, Cam and Daphne have been rich for much longer so Cam and Daphne have developed a fair amount of understanding while Ethan and Harper haven't yet, but by the end of the season we see that Ethan and Harper are now going to be or slowly progress to be just like Cam and Daphne. Because money does change everything, it gives you far far more opportunities to be wild and even though you may initially think you won't get sucked in, but you do - you always do. That's what it felt like to me in regards to Ethan and Harper in this season.

  • @piallama5971
    @piallama5971 4 месяца назад +4

    This was BRILLIANT!!! You're an INCREDIBLE observer of these subtle webs humans weave.

  • @rosegold3
    @rosegold3 3 месяца назад +1

    I have a habit of immediately jumping into the comment box when I click on a video, your narration was so compelling that I didn’t do that at all. Very well done

  • @fajitasxoxo7891
    @fajitasxoxo7891 Год назад +8

    Oh my gosh I don't even know how you managed to convey every feeling and thought I had about these two couples in the show! This is an awesome, detailed video essay!

  • @therokku7393
    @therokku7393 Год назад +26

    Excelent Video like always, like really good insights and how fast are you coming with content like this is incredible, you deserve every watch and sub :)

  • @rose10002
    @rose10002 Год назад +18

    I didn’t see much analysis of Ethan’s flawed motives to go on that trip in the first place, and why he ignored all the red flags from the other couple. His mental state was also pretty interesting

    • @rai2423
      @rai2423 Год назад +6

      I was fully convinced he was going to murder someone at some point. He seemed a little mentally unstable at the end.

  • @unfiltered8682
    @unfiltered8682 Год назад +243

    The White Lotus might be the best character writing I’ve seen since breaking bad

    • @imnotusingmyrealname4566
      @imnotusingmyrealname4566 Год назад +3

      Oh wow now I really have to watch Breaking Bad.

    • @mobetterx1110
      @mobetterx1110 Год назад +6

      I think you can put Peaky Blinders in there

    • @miseendriste6337
      @miseendriste6337 Год назад +33

      Breaking Bad?? That's not character heavy, it's plot heavy. Better Call Saul is proper character writing.

    • @thomasnielsen5580
      @thomasnielsen5580 Год назад +2

      @@miseendriste6337 nope

    • @Eippol_
      @Eippol_ Год назад +13

      @@miseendriste6337 NOT character heavy??? My dude you really need to rewatch it all over again, you literally have missed the entire dramatic construction of the show 😂😂😂 BB and BCS are built upon the same structure of wounds and coping mechanisms, the difference is that Walter White changes in linear way while Jimmy McGill changes in a circular way around their own masks/personas (Heisenberg and Saul)... of course BB is more action-packed, but the action is character-oriented (or wound-oriented) and not plot-oriented...

  • @therealpancakegirl777
    @therealpancakegirl777 7 месяцев назад +12

    13:41 sometimes all it takes is someone else wanting what u have to see its true value

  • @celeritas2-810
    @celeritas2-810 Год назад +112

    I think the power dynamic aspect around money is also key here. Harper while not orientated towards materialism would be very disrupted by a split financially, whereas Ethan would not. She did not expect her husband to be in financial control of the relationship and she's struggling with that along with everything else. She strikes me as someone who got used to being the breadwinner while her husband's company got going and she misses having that role.

    • @blinkbubs3994
      @blinkbubs3994 Год назад +14

      its possible, ethan IS the one who proposed to harper, but sometime after ethans company grew more successful and ethan grew higher status, he became less attracted to her. itd be interesting to see an analysis and how he lost that attraction

    • @drtg101we7
      @drtg101we7 Год назад +4

      ​@@blinkbubs3994 Could be that the energy required for growing a company does not leave enough space for romance for some.

    • @theorderofthebees7308
      @theorderofthebees7308 Год назад +1

      Oh that’s a good point !

  • @sarahz5532
    @sarahz5532 Год назад +21

    Your White Lotus character breakdowns make me feel like I'm in a therapy session. I'm learning something new about myself with each of these characters. Thanks for the content!

  • @bridgetteteapp
    @bridgetteteapp Год назад +10

    uhhhg I want a whole series with this couple!!! I loved the layers to them

  • @bunnywavyxx9524
    @bunnywavyxx9524 Год назад +87

    So Harper's career driven and "dominant" nature is what is ruining the relationship and not at all Ethan's total lack of self assurance and extreme insecurity. Even other men dominant Ethan, but Harper is more of the problem for, essentially being "too masculine." You have to dominate to get submission, you know. Would Daphne be as "agreeable" if she were with a man like Ethan who's unconfident and passive... No. She's not going to foil under Ethan, for emphasizing this "traditional role" there's no mention of Ethan well, needing to be more dominant. It's like manosphere talking points have infiltrated analysis. Great.

    • @noahcramer4765
      @noahcramer4765 Год назад +12

      It's both of them making mistakes that kills their relationship. Harper being dominant is not an issue until it crosses the line by treating Ethan like a child (for example when he wants to order fish but she for some reason feels she needs to control what he eats). Yes, it is a problem when Harper CONSTANTLY dominates Ethan (compared to other men) because she's his partner. The same way it would be wrong for Ethan to dominate Harper.

    • @damianson56
      @damianson56 Год назад +8

      I would counter that Ethan needing to be "dominant" is also a part of that manosphere language. So thats also the wrong take.

    • @io2255
      @io2255 Год назад +5

      I don’t think it’s that Ethan needs to be more dominant because he’s a man, he needs to be more dominant because he lets ppl walk all over him. Both men and women should be more dominant if they are treated in a certain way.

  • @Pandozzi
    @Pandozzi Год назад +40

    I know it's pretty much the common opinion that Harper cheated, but personally, when I was watching the second season I was really under the impression she was just trying to make Ethan jealous. To me it felt like she took a page out of Daphne's book and decided to play games to bring back the spark in their sexual relationship. I feel like she set him up to get suspicious and come up to the room expecting to find her with Cameron. I also believe she did that to make him taste his own medicine, how it feels like when your partner looks like they did something bad but aren't being completely honest with you.

    • @Ttvvzz
      @Ttvvzz Год назад +4

      And her husband properly did cheated on her 😂

    • @Scottstreet888
      @Scottstreet888 Год назад +5

      I have never read anyone talk about this omg, like during a dinner cameron rubbed on her knees and maybe then she thought that she could use him as her ploy

    • @ThePietjandorie
      @ThePietjandorie Год назад +9

      I'm shocked not more people thibk this as well. The conversation Harper and Ethan have after Ethan catches Harper "cheating" just too perfectly mirror Ethan's own words not to be a set up. Also, I feel like Harper despises Cameron too much to go cheat with him. She's just playing them all. I felt really bad for Daphne tho, feeling betrayed there at the end

  • @BenjaminIstvanCseko
    @BenjaminIstvanCseko Год назад +68

    I love the The White Lotus. The only, and biggest, part that I DO NOT believe is what we are told through Ethan and Harper's relationship : that infidelity strengthens relationships. No.

    • @Ttvvzz
      @Ttvvzz Год назад +6

      Agreed

    • @jr5993
      @jr5993 11 месяцев назад +1

      It reminds me of my situation. It creates so much second guessing and everybody does all kinds of things to protect themselves.

    • @VonRibbitt
      @VonRibbitt 2 месяца назад

      This entire show is bullshit and anyone who agrees with it is a cheater.

  • @justagrlwithnoname
    @justagrlwithnoname 10 месяцев назад +4

    Wonderful analysis. The moments I identified myself in Harper made me cringe a bit but also made me self aware of my hypercritical nature in my relationship

  • @Fishersons
    @Fishersons Год назад +13

    I just love the nuances that the writing has with every character and interaction, this show is something else

  • @kmaguire7161
    @kmaguire7161 Год назад +13

    My favorite thing about these four is my sympathies shifted with each episode (well except for Cameron, F him). White Lotus is really great at making people villains, making you feel sympathetic for them, but then making them back into villains again.

  • @BlackXSunlight
    @BlackXSunlight Год назад +37

    5:14 this bit reminded me so much of April Ludgate fake-bonding with the valley girl in Parka & Rec. But also, I have to say I think your analysis is a bit off. Harper is outspoken, perhaps to a fault, but not domineering. She’s very direct about what she wants and needs, and doesn’t necessarily impose that on others. She rejected champagne, but didn’t send the whole plate back so no one else got any or told Ethan he can’t have any.

    • @yemio1005
      @yemio1005 Год назад +2

      She may not be domineering but she does emasculate her husband, which affects their intimacy. In my opinion, without a commitment to some good couples therapy I doubt they would be able to stay married.

    • @BlackXSunlight
      @BlackXSunlight Год назад +12

      @@yemio1005 What behaviors do you usually find domineering, and how do you think Harper matches up to them? I ask because this might be one of those terms that give different impressions to different people.

  • @fineya89
    @fineya89 Год назад +5

    To me Harper didn't come across as dominant, Daphne is just extremely submissive. I thought that they actually have a balanced relatioship where noone is in power and they treat each other with respect and honesty. I think you have some valid points, but I don't unterstand how you read this into their relationship dynamic. Harper is a woman with opinions and own live goals, while Daphne's fun and easy going attitude is actually just a sign of her submissiveness and shallowness. From my point of view, you don't differenciate enough between emacipation and dominance.

  • @mariel1921
    @mariel1921 Год назад +10

    These videos about The White Lotus are amazing!!!! Keep up the good work!

  • @visualoo1918
    @visualoo1918 Год назад +3

    This was seriously the best break down of this season. Thanks for a great watch!

  • @andykww
    @andykww Год назад +10

    Thank you for reminding me how amazingly well written the characters were for this show was.

  • @normmy6439
    @normmy6439 Год назад +92

    Feels like Cameron was only sleeping with every girl Ethan wanted because he couldn't have Ethan himself 😏

    • @elalala576
      @elalala576 Год назад

      men will spend years sleeping with any women you are interested in and then insulting you by trying to emasculate you than just ask you out ugh

    • @rachelchong1843
      @rachelchong1843 Год назад +11

      I thought the exact same thing he definitely wants Ethan.

    • @rai2423
      @rai2423 Год назад +10

      Exactly. That scene where he told him he wanted to be inside of Ethan 😂

  • @MANIAKRA
    @MANIAKRA 10 месяцев назад +2

    Fantastic analysis of this complex show. Very well articulated.

  • @Dallycat
    @Dallycat Год назад +33

    I really wish Ethan did not start lying ,he started something at that point given the context of sexual rejection that Harper could not recover from.

  • @avehcado6097
    @avehcado6097 Год назад +18

    Although they do leave romantically stronger than ever, I feel like it also shattered who they were fundamentally and will stain their marriage as well

    • @tkay8548
      @tkay8548 Год назад +3

      Yeah, Cameron and Daphne definitely aren't the best role models for a relationship. Daphne's face when Ethan tells her that he suspects Cameron and Harper had an affair clearly shows that she feels negative about it but just supresses it ad deludes herself.

  • @coffeeandjelly4614
    @coffeeandjelly4614 Год назад +2

    Excellent analysis. I would’ve loved more backstory about these two. Some people found them boring but I think they’re two of the most interesting characters in the show.

  • @straw1berry11
    @straw1berry11 Год назад +57

    You seem kind of biased towards Ethan. You make it seem like his only wrong is not finding his wife attractive. I enjoyed the video, but it would be much better if it had more nuanced perspectives. There is room for improvement.

  • @DjBaapreB
    @DjBaapreB Год назад +1

    This video needs re-watching. Thanks! I didn’t process all this while watching season 2. So valuable!

  • @betarugula8886
    @betarugula8886 Год назад

    Never seen this and was letting your videos run on a playlist, and I gotta say hearing your breakdowns of relationship dynamics just seems to light up my brain.

  • @elblossom247
    @elblossom247 8 месяцев назад

    Great analysis! Thank you for taking the time to unravel the complex dynamics of their relationships in under 15 minutes. As Dashboard Confessional said, "This is easy as lover's go" lol.

  • @tHYRR3N
    @tHYRR3N 6 месяцев назад +2

    Mike White is a reality TV aficionado, you can really learn a lot about human relations through watching it.

  • @eduziggy
    @eduziggy Год назад +6

    Best video essays on RUclips. Bravo

  • @arjen8469
    @arjen8469 Год назад +7

    Man i cried when i watched this couple and again at this analysis. It just hits home with my current relationship, i feel no freedom in my life except for when im working. But its hard to get out of the relationship because i do love her and we just moved to another country together.

    • @daediaz186
      @daediaz186 Год назад +5

      Therapy

    • @theorderofthebees7308
      @theorderofthebees7308 Год назад

      🙏

    • @theorderofthebees7308
      @theorderofthebees7308 Год назад +2

      Couples therapy -
      Try talking to your partner
      Being honest with your feeling
      They might be feeling similar

    • @arjen8469
      @arjen8469 Год назад

      @@theorderofthebees7308 Thanks, i tried this weekend, was not an easy conversation, because she does not feel the same at all, but atleast we can try to grow together now.

  • @siler22
    @siler22 Год назад +22

    Probably charachters that conflicted me the most in this season were Daphny and Cameron, at beggining i though Ethan and Harper would outshined them,but too me they seamed like they expirinced this "white lotus" many times,they know how this will play out and they are always on top in every situation

  • @GrikleMohen
    @GrikleMohen Год назад +3

    Thank you so much for writing this. It did such a great job of helping me enjoy the show even more!!!

  • @willherondale6367
    @willherondale6367 Год назад +10

    Meghann Fahy should be in everything, she's absolutely incredible

  • @straifaces
    @straifaces 6 месяцев назад +1

    Mimetic desire is going straight into my vocabulary. Thanks

  • @ummahyehmmm7403
    @ummahyehmmm7403 Год назад +1

    I just loved the way this whole thing was formulated …I could’ve listened for hours

  • @wade_says
    @wade_says 5 месяцев назад +2

    Some of the best writing I’ve seen in a while. These two couples storyline had me on edge the entire time. Ethan is probably my favorite character. Wonderful show.

  • @Formallyknownashandle
    @Formallyknownashandle Год назад +5

    This content made me look at a situation I’m currently in with a different perspective. Much appreciated. 😎👍🏽

  • @alisterfolson
    @alisterfolson 9 месяцев назад +2

    Ilike how you're never really sure if Audrey's character slept with the Other Guy or not, or if it really makes a difference.

  • @estephaniezapata4714
    @estephaniezapata4714 Год назад +50

    You stole the words out of my mouth at the end… it really did take Cameron being interested in Harper, for Ethan to snap out of it.
    Also sometimes I thought Cameron was into Ethan, and kinda guessed Ethan was into guys too.. idk.
    Low key though, I was hoping for Daphne and Harper to have a thing !! That would’ve been good imo :-)

    • @dazey8706
      @dazey8706 Год назад +9

      ME TOO i feel like they wasted aubrey plaza by NOT doing that lmao

    • @greenblack539
      @greenblack539 Год назад

      all four of them should have just had sex and it would have been fine

  • @ohana6780
    @ohana6780 Год назад +12

    this is making me realize so much about the relationship i just ended. i always idenfitied as harper and saw a lot of my partner in ethan, and i guess i never noticed harpers flaws due to that, and thought she was doing all she could all the time. i also felt personally offended by ethan's actions, guess cause i was afraid of the same happening to me. you could guess the shock i was when the trouble they go through is basicly the same i went through in this relationship.

  • @Awenevis1
    @Awenevis1 Год назад

    My fourth-something video on this channel, and I'm sold. Your analysis of subtle (and gross!) social dynamics are marvelously enlightening. Thank you. 🙏

  • @noahturner4951
    @noahturner4951 Год назад +1

    That’s a big ole subscription for me. Love the essays on the white lotus!

  • @Nunofyabizzzzz
    @Nunofyabizzzzz Год назад +5

    The biggest question is why would Ethan knowing that he’s not sleeping with his wife plan a trip with Mr. Steal ya girl?

  • @tanjamilenkovic1917
    @tanjamilenkovic1917 Год назад +2

    Great video essay! I am looking forward to watch the next one!

  • @hez859
    @hez859 Год назад +17

    That Cameron guy is a real rascal

  • @LighthouseJaye
    @LighthouseJaye 7 месяцев назад +4

    2:17 Didn't know the series, got hooked on the intro and still had the courtesy to say "Spoiler Alert" in case I wanted to see for myself. Impeccable, I'll be back later🤝🏾☕

  • @starwberry301
    @starwberry301 Год назад +4

    I loved this video. The S2 was such an amazing season and the couples storyline was the most interesting to me. Could you make a video going in depth about Cameron and Daphne's relationship?

  • @TrickerDK8
    @TrickerDK8 Год назад +2

    Loved the show, love your videos. Keep up the good work.

  • @rparodies3766
    @rparodies3766 Год назад +1

    Please make more of these White Lotus analysis. It's so great!!!

  • @theorderofthebees7308
    @theorderofthebees7308 Год назад +1

    I am so happy you chose to delve into my suggestion about more Lotus videos - I wanted one focusing exclusively on Harper but this will do for now lol. Thank you ! Well done again

  • @Euph0rical
    @Euph0rical Год назад +2

    What an amazing breakdown of their relationship. Love all your White Lotus videos! 😊👍

  • @dunnowy123
    @dunnowy123 Год назад +18

    I love the subversive ideas this show plays with. White's thesis statement with Harper and Ethan, imo, is that if there is NO THREAT OF INFIDELITY, a relationship can die. If you genuinely believe that the person you're with will never be able to attract another person, that's a really bad sign.

  • @toure8
    @toure8 Год назад +6

    12:14 is everything 🥺🥺

  • @МарияГалушко-ш1ц

    This is so well explained! I pretty much got all that from the show anyway, but this explanation just shelves everything perfectly for me, thanks.

  • @jb76938
    @jb76938 Год назад

    Y’all are so good at these vids

  • @BecomingaQueen
    @BecomingaQueen 6 месяцев назад +2

    Very good break down. This is so true! Feminine energy is like a honey to a relationship. Lets let the men, be a man 🙏👑👸🏼

  • @kamarihowell8814
    @kamarihowell8814 Год назад +13

    Can you now do a video based on the other (Cameron and Daphne’s relationship) and analyze Cameron’s behavior as well ?

  • @morningmayan
    @morningmayan Год назад +2

    Really great observations. Thank you, New sub

  • @callummay5184
    @callummay5184 Год назад

    These are amazingly insightful videos. I’d love to see more.

  • @filmexpressreviews
    @filmexpressreviews Год назад +4

    Phenomenal video about a phenomenal dynamic in a phenomenal season of Television

  • @calle4496
    @calle4496 Год назад

    Loved this season, loved your breakdown. Awesome video!

  • @angel_existential
    @angel_existential Год назад +3

    Harper is not cool with being fake. She thinks it needs to be exposed. It's almost like she can't help herself. Ethan leaves a lot to be desired in the ways of communicating and actions.

  • @Sarraa27
    @Sarraa27 Год назад +4

    i love white lotus. But i can't see myself taking holidays with another couple friends. a week is just too long! i can barely sit through a dinner. no wonder all of this happened.

  • @borysvengerov3398
    @borysvengerov3398 8 месяцев назад

    "Terrible things they did" (ALLEGEDLY).
    Every video is just on-point analysis! Such insightful and deep dives into the characters. No wonder you're Irish (-:

  • @vintage1520
    @vintage1520 Год назад +1

    Really Good Analysis, I loved their characters.