The White Lotus Season 2 Episode 4 Review: In the Sandbox
Paul Dailly
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Is it just me, or is the resort becoming a pressure cooker environment?
Secrets were revealed, and relationships crumbled on The White Lotus Season 2 Episode 4, making this tranquil location feel more like hell than a vacation destination.
We'll start with Harper. She's been one of the most observant holidaymakers so far, and she strikes me as someone who trusts her gut feeling.
Thanks to her husband's douchebag friend swearing him to silence, Harper now thinks Ethan cheated on her.
As a result, Harper is probably questioning everything. Ethan didn't cheat, but he sure got close to it.
I wonder if Cameron slept with Lucia in Harper and Ethan's room to try to leave some evidence behind, perhaps in the form of a condom wrapper.
Harper's personality hasn't meshed with Cameron's, and it wouldn't be a shocker if he did it to get back at her.
Daphne already confirmed Cameron cheats on her, which could explain why she wasn't as quizzical about what the boys got up to that night.
Ethan obviously had a night of hard partying, and his reluctance to give his wife any information makes him look like the bad guy.
Deep down, Harper only wanted him to tell her the truth about the events. If he said it was Cameron who had sex with someone, then maybe Harper would have been able to understand.
Ethan's caginess surrounding questions will do his marriage more harm than good.
Harper and Ethan were not present in the opening moments of The White Lotus Season 2 Episode 1, so maybe their relationship implodes to the point they leave the resort.
I hope that's the case because it will be a shame if either of them dies.
Knowing there are multiple bodies by the end of the season changes the trajectory of the mystery.
I wouldn't wish anyone dead, but there are much worse people at the resort than Ethan and Harper.
Ethan and Harper are out of their depth on this vacation. Harper may be judgemental, but she isn't malicious like some of the other guests. Evidently, their relationship needs a lot of work.
Ethan isn't forthcoming about what fulfills him, and it seems like he's bottling up a lot of resentment toward his wife. Maybe this relationship is more about convenience than being with your soulmate.
Searching for that person to spend the rest of your life with isn't easy, but settling for someone out of convenience will only cause deeper-rooted problems.
The Portia-Albie situation was frustrating more than entertaining. You could see Portia pulling away on The White Lotus Season 2 Episode 3.
Now that we've met the hot pool guy, it's hard to tell whether Portia and he will have much of a future.
The pair strike me as people having fun while on vacation, while Albie is more concerned about forming a connection, possibly so people can't compare him to his father.
Dominic will not be amused if he learns his son had sex with the person he had sex with a few nights before, but I'm sure Bert will be around to throw a zinger of a one-liner.
It was awkward as hell when Jack and Portia kissed, leading to Lucia and Albie kissing, but I appreciated that it was a middle finger to Portia because it seemed like she didn't think Albie had it in him to play that game with her.
My theory about Portia since the beginning is that she'll turn into what she hates the most; the people inside the resort. She'll try to deny it when Albie, or someone else, ultimately says it and then will reflect on what she lost.
Tanya getting close to the men at the hotel, who appear to be very wealthy, was unexpected, but I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
The group of guys does sound like a lot of fun, but nothing is ever plain sailing for Tanya, which makes me think they're up to something.
It wouldn't surprise me if they made her sign some deal that would benefit them more than her, but time will tell.
I hope that isn't the case, but you never know. Tanya always seems to get herself into terrible situations.
For that reason alone, her happiness with this group of men will probably be short-lived. Then again, maybe they are decent men, and Greg will return to pour cold water over their bond.
That pesky Greg. Tanya has been thriving without him. She knows she can do better, but I want her to publically ruin him for what he did to her.
One of the stupidest decisions Mia could have made was giving Giussepe two pills that may or may not have been viagra.
Giussepe was a bigger idiot for taking drugs, but what can you expect from someone who told a young woman he would help make her a star in exchange for sex?
The sad part of this is that Mia is an excellent performer, struggling to find the right opportunities to make her a star. I'm not even sure we can call Giuseppe a gatekeeper because when you think about it, he's performing in hotels.
Where are the big stages? He's not pleasant, but acting like a gatekeeper will probably come back to haunt him.
I laughed at Mia asking Valentina to fill in for Giussepe. It was cold as ice, but it perfectly fits the series' tone.
It's hard to be frustrated with Lucia and Mia. They both want better lives than what Italy can offer them, so they take every opportunity to get that life they want.
"In the Sandbox" was the best episode of the season because the drama is heightening as we head into the endgame.
What did you think of Portia and Jack?
Do you think they're a holiday fling?
What's your take on these new men in Tanya's life?
Hit the comments below.
Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
