The sixth episode of The White Lotus’s second season, “Abductions,” provides viewers with a healthy dose of even more anxiety and drama, the two main hallmarks of the television program. While nothing incredibly dramatic or traumatic is revealed in this episode, it continues to set us up for increasing pandemonium. This is episode six, and with presumably only twelve episodes in a season, “Abductions” should be a turning point episode of sorts.
Tanya, played by Jennifer Coolidge (Legally Blonde, Another Cinderella Story), warns Portia, played by Haley Lu Richardson (Five Feet Apart, Edge of 17), that perhaps her new Essex man perhaps isn’t everything that she thinks he is. Yes, Tanya is only trying to look out for her, but Portia almost sees it as an attack because she thinks Tanya is just jealous that she doesn’t have anyone for herself; however, as the episode progresses, it’s only clear that Portia does end up taking her boss’s advice to heart a little bit. She and Jack, played by Leo Woodall (Cherry, Nomad), roam the streets as he gets rip-roaring drunk. In doing so, he ends up revealing some questionable secrets about Quentin, his “uncle,” and Quentin’s estate. Whether this will end up coming up as a topic of discussion in episode seven is inevitable, but I wonder what conclusions Portia will decide to jump to after their exchange.
In the life of Tanya, Quentin, played by Tom Hollander (Bohemian Rhapsody, Pride & Prejudice), hosts a grand party at his palazzo and sets Tanya up with a hot man and an exorbitant amount of cocaine. What we get to see of this is just a frenetic and dizzying display of partying and excess. After viewing it, I can’t help but come to the concrete conclusion that Quentin is someone that Tanya should not be trusting. She also picks up a framed photo of a young Quentin and a man that suspiciously looks a lot like Greg, her husband. Is Quentin really who he says he is? Why is he giving Tanya so much attention? I think that this is the most important detail from “Abductions.”
On the other side of the hotel, Albie, played by Adam DiMarco (Radio Rebel), and Lucia, played by Simona Tabasco (Luna Park, Perez), continue their odd love affair while Lucia continues to demand her rightful payment from Cameron and Ethan. Amidst all of this, Albie’s family needs a translator for their journey to meet their possible relatives. Who does he choose as their translator? None other than Lucia, of course, which makes for an awkward family dynamic in the car — Albie’s grandfather questions Lucia about her line of work, which she claims is “hospitality,” and so forth. In the end, the possible DiGrasso family meet up is an absolute (yet hilarious) failure, and Lucia is “abducted” by a former client. While it’s called an abduction, she doesn’t exactly do unwillingly, and Albie is upset but understands that she feels like it’s something that she needs to do for now.
In the final main clump of characters, Harper, played by Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation, Little Demon), finally believes that her husband, Ethan, played by Will Sharpe (Flowers, Black Pond), didn’t actually cheat on her with an escort. The caveat, though, is that she only now believes it because Cameron, played by Theo James (The Divergent Series), confirmed it for her. What we see between the two is a rather flirty exchange — one intense and confusing enough to even raise suspicion and insecurity for Ethan. Was he unfaithful? No. But now we fear that Harper may end up playing that role instead.
Overall, “Abductions” doesn’t have any insane drama reveals, but it provides lots of potential seeds that will bloom over the course of the rest of this season of The White Lotus.
Rating: 7.0/10.0