White lotus gay characters

Mike White and ‘The White Lotus’ Stars Break Down That Jaw-Dropping Twist: I Want to ‘Make Gay Sex Transgressive Again’

SPOILER ALERT: This interview contains spoilers up to Episode 5 of “The White Lotus,” airing Sundays on HBO and streaming on HBO Max.

Season 1 of “The White Lotus” left jaws wide open when, at the end of its fourth episode, Murray Bartlett’s Armond is caught face-deep in his employee Dillon’s (Lukas Gage) asscheeks. But with the latest second-season episode, Mike White’s HBO series may have topped that (pun intended).

“The White Lotus” introduced new characters and dispute last week when English millionaire Quentin (Tom Hollander) recruits Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) and her assistant Portia (Haley Lu Richardson) to join him, his extravagant friends and his hunky nephew Jack (Leo Woodall) in partying at the beach club. Portia’s budding fling with Albie (Adam DiMarco) begins to flicker when Jack takes interest in her, leading to an awkward, jealous showdown at the bar between Port

'The White Lotus's Queer Rep Is Messy and Oh So Glorious

Editor's note: The below contains spoilers for Season 2 of The White Lotus.

“These gays, they’re trying to murder me!” Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) whispers, no help in sight. Leave it to The White Lotus to build this line be as funny as it is terrifying. Director and penner Mike White makes it work so well because of what comes before it all.

The show establishes its characters aren’t flawless. If the music by Cristobal Tapia de Veer and Kim Neundorf isn’t making you anxious, the characters will do it. And the queer characters get as much to do, story and character-wise, as their straight counterparts. Meaning, they make plenty of mistakes. At the top of the resort hierarchy, are the high-strung managers, one less prosperous in dealing with the stressful environment.

RELATED: Tanya's Leading Scenes in Both Seasons of 'The White Lotus' Mirror Each Other

Lotus-Eaters and Crushed Pills

Mahalo! In Season 1, Armond (Murray Bartlett) looks well-put together, all smiles a

Water is wet and The White Lotus is gay. These are the two constants in this world that I live by. If one is no longer true, then nothing is correct. Because if there isn't gay sex in a luxury hotel resort on my TV, it means that the end times must surely be upon us.

So it was with some mild alarm that I watched the season three premiere of The White Lotus and noticed a distinct lack of high-end gays. Where are they? Why aren't they trying to murder me? Am I not high-end enough? These are the questions that raced through my mind when that first hour ended with nary a homosexual in sight.

When I usually check into The White Lotus, I expect to be greeted by at least a baker's dozen worth of gays, or homo-curious people at the very least. But season three hasn't quite delivered yet on that front.

The episode opens with a new nature, Belinda's adult son, Zion, who I sure wish was gay. The vibes aren't there though. Not yet anyway. So instead, I'm forced to perform what so many gays have done throughout history, and that's to shift to iconic divas for

'The White Lotus' Season 2: Tom Hollander, Leo Woodall on That Unexpected Twist (Exclusive)

[Warning: Spoilers for The White Lotus season 2, episode 5, "That's Amore," written and directed by Mike White.]

After first introducing Quentin (Tom Hollander), a wealthy gay, English expat traveling with a gaggle of friends, including his strikingly handsome "naughty nephew" (Leo Woodall), in the previous episode of The White Lotusseason 2, things took an unexpected turn in episode five. And it's clear that Quentin, Jack and the repose of their group are not exactly who they purport to be, as they continue to swoon over Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) and her assistant Portia (Haley Lu Richardson). 

After Greg (Jon Gries) left Tanya at the Sicilian resort, she becomes inconsolable. That is, until she bumps into a group of men who take a quick liking to her and invite her to join them on a mini excursion to another part of the Mediterranean island. And it's not long before Quentin focuses all his attention on Tanya, offering her a sympathetic ear. 

"Tanya's attraction