The White Lotus: Mike White explains why he killed off major character

Season two finale finally revealed the identities of the dead bodies teased in the premiere episode

Mike White has spoken about his decision to kill off a major character in the season two finale of The White Lotus.

Here at The Independent, we came up with our own theories regarding who wouldn’t survive their stay at the Sicily White Lotus resort.

Following the seventh episode of the comedy drama’s second season, which aired on Sunday (11 December), fans were left heartbroken when it was finally revealed who had died.

Warning: spoilers for ‘The White Lotus’ season two finale follow!

Upon discovering a suspicious connection between her estranged husband Greg (Jon Gries) and her new friend Quentin (Tom Hollander), Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) realises Quentin is out to get her.

As Quentin’s yacht docks close to the mainland, the plan is for his friend Niccoló (Stefano Gianino) to escort Tanya back to the hotel in his small speedboat.

However, when Tanya notices he’s carrying a black bag, she swipes it on the way to the bathroom. In it, she finds masking tape, rubbish bags, a rope and a gun, further confirming she’s in serious danger.

The White Lotus Tanya and Quentin (HBO)

Niccoló then bursts through the door with Tanya shooting him dead. Followed by Quentin, who she shoots and kills after confronting him about his affair with Greg.

In an attempt to escape the bloodshed she’s caused, Tanya jumps off the yacht’s high deck below to the speedboat. Sadly, she botches the leap and hits herself on the edge of the speedboat, falling into the water to her death.

During a recent post-finale featurette with TVLine, creator and director White explained why he felt it was time to take out season two’s only returning player, Tanya.

“Not that I really wanted to kill Tanya, because I love her as a character and obviously love Jennifer, but I just felt like we’re going to Italy, [and] she’s such a diva, a larger-than-life female archetype,” he said.

“It just felt like we could devise our own operatic conclusion to Tanya’s life and her story.”

Speaking about his choice for Tanya’s accidental “derpy death”, White added: “It felt like she needed to give her best fight back, and that she, in a way, had some kind of victory over whoever was conspiring to get rid of her.

“So it just made me laugh to think she would take out this whole cabal of killers and that, after she’s successfully done that, she just dies this derpy death. It just felt like that’s so Tanya.”

Since watching the episode back with Coolidge, White has made a “sad” admission regarding his decision.

Here are the five biggest season two clues that hinted Tanya would die.