Among all the plots that we have in ‘The White Lotus’, this week (and not to vary) the palm of the funniest Tanya McQuoid takes it and her Italian fantasy. Something that Jennifer Coolidge’s character fulfills in the second episode of the HBO Max series.
A dream of touring the coastal roads with her husband aboard a Vespa that has its origin in one of the great actresses of Italian cinema: Monica Vitti.
This is how Tanya describes to her husband Greg (Jon Gries) what she wants to do that day:
«My dream in Italy is to look like Monica Vitti. And then a man in a tight suit comes over and lights my cigarette. And he knows very well. And then he takes me for a ride on his Vespa. And, at sunset, we went down to the sea to one of those very romantic places. And then we’ll drink lots of snacks and eat huge pasta dishes with giant clams. We’re very elegant and happy and we’re…attractive.”
‘The Adventure’ as a reference to ‘The White Lotus’
As you can imagine, Tanya’s dream is practically to be the protagonist of films like ‘The Adventure’ (L’Avventura, 1960), a film by Michelangelo Antonioni which is one of the clear references to this season of ‘The White Lotus’ (The film, in fact, ends in the same hotel where the series was shot).
In the film, we witness the search for a woman by her partner (Gabriele Ferzetti) and her best friend (Vitti), who begin to feel attracted to each other. A not casual tribute/reference because the theme of this season and this particular episode is precisely infidelity.
This is one of Vitti’s pinnacle films, to which we said goodbye this past February. The actress, who would have turned 91 last week, It is considered an icon of the Italian seventh art. Throughout his career he won five David di Donatellos and a Silver Bear at the Berlin festival, among other awards.
The end of the dream (Italian)
Returning to the tribute, Tanya’s idea It’s one of those that sounded spectacular in his head and reality is something else. To Valentina’s misgivings, including a rather witty exchange, we finally see that the recreation of that Vespa ride is anything but glamorous.
However, the potholes and the annoying air and the mosquitoes do not end up knocking down the mood of the getaway but the moment to finally rest, go to dinner at a restaurant and find yourself withWith the bad news that Greg is leaving the next day for Denver for work.
Something that greatly upsets Tanya despite the fact that her husband justifies it by saying that he cannot always depend on her money, bringing up the prenuptial agreement. The ending also reflects in its own way a bit that of the Italian film, with Tanya waking up to see that her husband is not in bed and discovering a possible infidelity when listening to Greg talking on the phone in an affectionate tone.
A great way to end an episode in which the shadow of infidelities has been sailing. And not only in this plot between Greg and Tanya or in the adventures and addictions to sex of Dom, but also begins to glimpse something between the characters of Theo James and Aubrey Plaza.