The White Lotus Season 2 paid tribute to Monica Vitti in a scene you may have overlooked

The White Lotus is a show that you can keep coming back to because every time you watch it, it feels like there is more to it, and you learn something new. There are hidden details everywhere. There is often some foreshadowing that you may have missed the first time. That is what makes The White Lotus one of the best shows out there.

Season 2 of The White Lotus has themes of s*x, betrayal, infidelity, jealousy, and the struggles in relationships. It explores how even couples who seem perfect on the surface, like Ethan and Harper, have issues. There are marriages strained by expectations, like Dominic’s. And then there is Tanya, now married to Greg, but still with her loneliness and pain. These themes are uncomfortable, but also relatable.

In The White Lotus Season 2, Tanya McQuoid returns from season one, this time with her husband Greg. Ethan and his wife Harper arrive with Cameron and Daphne. Their seemingly perfect friendship and relationships soon reveal hidden tensions. The Di Grasso family also checks in, with Bert, his son Dominic, and grandson Albie. They explore their Italian heritage and confront their own flaws.

And in the middle of all this, there was a little tribute to Monica Vitti, the queen of Italian cinema. For those who may not have noticed, this article will talk about which scene actually paid homage to her.

Disclaimer: This article may reflect the writer's opinions. Readers' discretion is advised.

The White Lotus and its tribute to Monica Vitti

In Season 2, Episode 3 of The White Lotus, there is a scene that many viewers might not have realized was a tribute to the late Italian actress Monica Vitti. It takes place during a day trip when Daphne convinces Harper to join her on a getaway to Noto. Harper does not really want to go. But she agrees because she has promised Ethan that she will try to enjoy the vacation and not sulk.

So, Harper and Daphne end up in a villa where Daphne opens up about her coping mechanism. She admits that sometimes she escapes from her husband, Cameron, and takes trips like this to reward herself. She knows Cameron is unfaithful, she senses his flirtations and betrayals, but rather than leave, she finds ways to soothe herself. This says a lot about her marriage, which looks perfect from the outside but is far from it.

It is during this trip that the scene happens. As Harper waits for Daphne, suddenly every man turns his eyes toward her. She is unsettled. Her face shows surprise and perhaps even discomfort as she realizes all eyes are on her. She is not used to being watched in this way. The show does not tell us exactly what she feels, if she secretly enjoys it, or if she is disturbed by the stares. This moment is similar to a scene from Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1960 film, L’Avventura, where Monica Vitti’s character, Claudia, finds herself the object of male stares.

According to Decider, Aubrey Plaza explained in an interview that filming this The White Lotus scene was a surreal homage. She said:

“It was an honor to get to pretend to be Monica Vitti in some weird, bizarre way.”

Plaza added:

“This scene, you know, in the context of White Lotus means a lot of things. Harper is, she's such an American character in a lot of ways. She kind of represents this kind of neurosis. She's not used to the machismo. I think also the storyline for her and Ethan and Daphne and Cameron is a lot about s*xual politics.”

She continued:

“I think Harper's struggling with her own s*xuality and desires, and her own conflicts about being in this marriage for so long and feeling like they've hit a dead spot. So I think it's an Italian kind of thing, but I think there's a lot of it that represents kind of her inner struggles as well and kind of like, as a woman in general and as a wife.”

Looking at Harper’s character throughout The White Lotus, this moment makes even more sense. Harper is serious, skeptical, and uptight. She is not one to let herself go. Her relationship with Ethan feels more like a partnership than a marriage at times. They do not show affection in public. They even avoid intimacy.

Harper spends much of her time criticizing Cameron and Daphne, gossiping about them to Ethan, as if pointing out their flaws distracts from her own struggles. This Noto scene captures all of that in one shot in The White Lotus. Harper is out of place, confronted with desire and objectification, unsure of what it means for her. It is a tribute to Monica Vitti. But it is also a mirror of Harper’s internal conflicts, her fears, and the distance she feels within her own marriage.

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