The White Lotus season 2 begins, like season 1, with a dead body found in a seemingly idyllic location. However, in the second season, it appears as if there will be multiple victims, raising the question of just how much of the cast survives. While nothing is revealed in The White Lotus's season 2 premiere, there are already hints as to who the targets could be.
Most of the runtime of The White Lotus season 2, episode 1, "Ciao," is spent introducing the rich vacationers at another White Lotus resort, this one located in Sicily. Among the group are college friends Ethan and Cameron and their respective wives, Harper and Daphne. It is Daphne who discovers the body in the ocean in The White Lotus season 2's opening scene, on what is seemingly the last day of her stay. However, hotel manager Valentina is told by an assistant that there have been "a few" bodies found around the resort recently. This would make the others in Daphne's group — Cameron, Ethan, and Harper — the most immediate and likely potential victims, though really any character is fair game.
Why Harper, Ethan & Cameron Could Be The White Lotus Season 2's Victims
Daphne (Meghann Fahy) is essentially always with someone else when we see her in The White Lotus season 2, episode 1, but in the introductory scene, she is alone and seemingly pleased with how her vacation has gone. The absence of the others, in particular her husband, Cameron (Theo James), suggests that he, Ethan (Will Sharpe), and Harper (Aubrey Plaza) could all ultimately be the victims of the story. The quartet would certainly seem to have reasons to come to blows, with Harper being very suspicious of Cameron and a clear divergence in the two couples' world views. Whether she is the killer or looking to cover up the crimes of others, Daphne could have intentionally found the drifting body.
One potential key bit of foreshadowing could be Daphne's described fascination with the TV show Dateline, in particular true stories of spouse killings. This could be setting up an ironic twist, or this fascination could turn into Daphne committing such an act herself. Her true crime knowledge could also give her the idea of striking up a happy-go-lucky conversation with strangers in the opening scene (following the changed White Lotus theme music) as a way to avoid suspicion. Despite her seemingly placid exterior, Daphne could be the key to The White Lotus season 2's crime story.
Could The White Lotus Season 2's Opening Scene Be A Red Herring?
On the other hand, there are some good reasons to suspect that Daphne's discovery of the body could be a coincidence. Her happiness and later horror in the scene both feel fairly genuine, far from the demeanor of someone who has just been through a traumatic event. It's also not clear why Daphne would take the risk of discovering a body that she herself disposed of. The opening scene could thus be a red herring to get the audience to suspect Daphne or someone else in her group.
Of course, the first episode presents us with plenty of other potential victims and killers among The White Lotus season 2's cast of characters. Dominic's family, Tanya and her husband, and local friends Lucia and Mia all seem like they could meet a grisly end. It may even be that the multiple deaths are unconnected and that all of these separate groups turn violent over the course of their stay at the White Lotus. If the plot develops as it did in season 1, Daphne may end up being the only innocent in The White Lotus season 2.