That's Amore (The White Lotus)
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| "That's Amore" | |
|---|---|
| The White Lotus episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 5 |
| Directed by | Mike White |
| Written by | Mike White |
| Cinematography by | Xavier Grobet |
| Editing by | John M. Valerio |
| Original release date | November 27, 2022 |
| Running time | 59 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"That's Amore" is the fifth episode of the second season of the American black comedy drama anthology television series The White Lotus. It is the eleventh overall episode of the series and was written and directed by series creator Mike White. It originally aired on HBO on November 27, 2022.
The series follows the guests and employees of the fictional White Lotus resort chain. The season is set on Taormina, Sicily, and follows the new guests, which include Ethan and his wife Harper; Cameron and his wife Daphne; Bert, his son Dominic, and grandson Albie; and Tanya and her husband Greg. The season explores the characters' conflicts, along with the short-tempered manager Valentina. In the episode, Quentin takes Tanya and Portia to accompany him to Palermo, while Harper discovers what happened on Ethan's and Cameron's night.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.641 million household viewers and gained a 0.11 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received mostly positive reviews from critics, who praised the character development, performances (particularly Aubrey Plaza) and ending.
Harper (Aubrey Plaza) leaves the condom wrapper by the bathroom sink for Ethan (Will Sharpe) to find when he wakes. When he asks her about it, she says she found it on the couch. He finally reveals the details of his partying, confessing that Cameron (Theo James) had sex with two prostitutes. Ethan swears that while he was drunk and on MDMA, and one of the girls tried to kiss him, he never had sex with either of the girls. Although Harper is angry that he lied, she accepts his apology.
After having sex, Lucia (Simona Tabasco) asks for payment from Albie (Adam DiMarco), who until then was unaware she is a prostitute. When he asks Dominic (Michael Imperioli) if he can go to the bank, Dominic deduces his interest in Lucia and tells her to stay away from Albie, as he previously slept with her. Ethan and Harper join Cameron and Daphne (Meghann Fahy) on a wine-tasting trip near Mount Etna, with Harper hinting at their night's events. During their talk, Ethan brings up "mimetic desire", feeling that Cameron wanted to seduce all the girls Ethan was interested in at college to prove his superiority. Cameron tells Ethan of his annoyance at telling Harper about their night, but Ethan says he had no choice. During dinner, a drunker Harper opens up about her sex life, humiliating Ethan. Cameron, sensing interest from Harper, grasps her thigh behind the table but she quietly swats him away.
Quentin (Tom Hollander) invites Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) and Portia (Haley Lu Richardson) to stay at his home in Palermo, and Tanya accepts. While Portia and Jack (Leo Woodall) leave to explore the town, Quentin takes Tanya to see a performance of Madama Butterfly at the Teatro Massimo. During dinner, Dominic finally opens up to Bert (F. Murray Abraham), blaming Bert’s affairs for his condition and only thinking about himself; Bert rejects blame and insists that he and his late wife (Dominic’s mother) loved each other. In Giuseppe’s absence, Mia (Beatrice Grannò) tries to get Valentina (Sabrina Impacciatore) to hire her as the new lounge pianist. When she refuses, Mia offers to exchange sex for the job, deducing that she is a lesbian. Under Mia’s premise of helping a woman, Valentina finally allows her to play, at least until Giuseppe recovers.
While going out with Albie, Lucia is approached by a man, whom she identifies as Alessio, her pimp, but she refuses to elaborate. They return to his room to have sex, despite Lucia having said she doesn’t want payment from Albie. That night, Tanya awakens and decides to walk the house. She stumbles upon a room, where she sees Jack having sex with Quentin. Shocked, she quietly leaves.
Production
Development
The episode was written and directed by series creator Mike White. This was White's eleventh writing and directorial credit for the series.[1]