Who dies in The White Lotus season 2? A run-down of possible theories ahead of the hit drama’s gripping finale

If you’re wondering who dies in The White Lotus season 2 you’re probably not alone as this intriguing mystery has been teased since episode 1. 

Just like in The White Lotus season 1, episode 1 of the second season teased murder and mayhem when hotel guest Daphne discovers a body floating in the pool. And unlike the first season it seems there could be more than one death as multiple “guests” had been reported as having died. The matter of who dies in The White Lotus season 2 is expected to finally be revealed to fans in the highly-anticipated finale. So far in season 2 there have been plenty of hints and a few confusing moments that mean fans could start putting some pieces of the puzzle together. 

Whether they’re the right ones remains to be seen, but here we reveal some possible theories about who dies in The White Lotus season 2 and who could kill them…

*Warning: Spoilers ahead!*

Who dies in The White Lotus season 2? The possible theories explained  

Cameron

Whilst we might not know the killer’s identity (if there even is one) or that of the person who dies in The White Lotus season 2 it’s thought possible that businessman Cameron - Daphne’s husband - could be the body she found. Rich, arrogant and determined to never be out-done by anyone he’s been rubbing people up the wrong way all season. This includes his friend Ethan and Ethan’s wife Harper. After the women went off on their own, Cameron cheated on Daphne with Lucia and whilst Ethan remained faithful to Harper, she found a condom wrapper in their bedroom and accused him of cheating. 

He kept insisting he hadn’t done anything but told Harper about what Cameron did, causing friction with his friend and not really helping his relationship with his suspicious wife. Later on in The White Lotus season 2 Harper began flirting with Cameron and it’s possible that it was just to make Ethan jealous and nothing ever happened. But Ethan soon began to think that it did and he was not happy about it. 

Meanwhile, when Harper told her Cameron had cheated with Lucia, Daphne essentially told her friend to do “what she had to” to make herself feel better if it happened to her. It seemed like Daphne was encouraging Harper to be unfaithful to Ethan. So whether something happened or not, tensions might reach boiling point in The White Lotus season 2 finale.

In the preview of the episode Ethan was seen apparently punching Cameron in the face in the sea. So it could be that Ethan took things one step further and killed Cameron, or even pushed him or something and caused a fatal accident. Alternatively, Daphne could have had enough of her husband and set-up some elaborate alibi so that she happens to “find” his body or Harper could have also lost patience with him.  

Tanya

As the only returning character and given actor Jennifer Coolidge’s brilliant performance and star status this is a theory that’s perhaps unlikely - but technically possible. At this point it definitely seems like Tanya has become the focus of some kind of scam or extortion plot put together by Quentin and/or Jack. Quentin befriended her out of nowhere in Italy and then swept her away with his group of friends, taking her to the opera and inviting her to stay at his palazzo. 

Whilst Tanya believes Quentin being rich himself means she doesn’t have to worry he’s only after her money, his “nephew” - although after The White Lotus season 2 episode 5 it’s not so clear if that’s true anymore - Jack told her assistant Portia that Quentin has no money. 

He also revealed that Quentin is expecting to come into some money very soon, perhaps suggesting that Tanya could be the source of it. She enjoyed a steamy night of passion with Niccolo and with a red light briefly seen in the background rumors are circulating that she was being filmed as part of a plot to get her to pay up. After all, she had a water-tight prenup with her husband Greg to protect her cash but who knows if an infidelity clause would impact this?

Of course, if she doesn’t pay up she could be in danger but equally, it’s possible that instead of trying to blackmail Tanya or anything else, she becomes a target for murder instead. That way Greg would be free of his wife and likely in line to inherit all of her money. And Tanya herself might not have noticed it but Quentin had a photo of what looked suspiciously like a young him and Greg in his palazzo. 

He’d also opened up about falling in love with a heterosexual man in Wyoming and how, even 30 years later he’d do “anything” for love. If Greg is the man he loves and he wants out of his marriage with Tanya, it’s possible Quentin would go as far as murder to help him. 

Quentin

Then there’s Quentin himself. He could end up being the one who dies in The White Lotus season 2 if there really is a plot to con (or potentially harm) Tanya and he gets found out. Or alternatively, things could simply go wrong and get out of hand, leading to a possible confrontation by Tanya or a genuine accident. Greg could even possibly have manipulated Quentin to help him get Tanya’s money, then decide he’s a loose end. He’s also talked about seizing the day and not knowing whether you’ll still be here tomorrow which could be nothing, but could hint that he’s going to end up being the body found by Daphne in episode 1.  

Alessio

Viewers don’t know exactly who Alessio is although he seems to be Lucia’s pimp, some theories have suggested that he’s actually working with her to scam Albie and could be her brother or a friend. Alessio’s interactions with Lucia have certainly seen Albie start to feel very protective of her and they’ve been sleeping together without money being exchanged. He has feelings for Lucia and has spoken openly about being a “nice guy”. It’s possible that he takes his protective instinct too far and ends up killing Alessio in The White Lotus season 2 finale. 

Alternatively, Albie’s father Dominic and grandfather Bert could also get involved to help Lucia and/or Albie and end up killing Alessio. Although he’s not technically a guest as far as we know so perhaps this one is a more out-there theory. 

Ethan

Since there seems to be several deaths yet to happen ahead of the finale it’s always possible that the whole Ethan/Harper/Cameron mess could mean Ethan is a person who dies in The White Lotus season 2. If a confrontation between him and Cameron got out of hand, he could possibly kill his friend but be seriously injured doing it. Harper could also potentially kill her husband if he continues to accuse her of sleeping with Cameron and she continues to distrust him. 

Or if she genuinely did cheat on Ethan with Cameron and Daphne found out, who knows? She might be happy to tolerate his infidelity when it’s not someone she knows or if it happens right in front of her, but her husband sleeping with Harper might prove to be a step too far. 

What is The White Lotus season 2 finale release date? 

The White Lotus season 2 finale will be released on HBO on Sunday, December 11 at 9pm ET and 6pm PT for US-based viewers. If you live in the UK, then you can watch it at the same time it airs in America if you want to wait up until 2am on Monday, December 12 on Sky Atlantic. If not, then it’ll be available to catch-up on afterwards via Sky On Demand and Now TV. Only then will viewers finally learn who dies in The White Lotus season 2 and we can’t wait to find out!