Did the First ‘The White Lotus’ Death Just Happen?

We’ve just passed the halfway point in The White Lotus’ sophomore season, but, unlike in the first season, the first death may have just happened. It seems that Mike White might not be waiting until the final episode to reveal the fatalities. In Episode 4, “In the Sandbox,” one of our not-so-beloved characters takes a drug that may lead to his death.

(Warning: Spoilers ahead for Season 2 of The White Lotus.)

It’s not really who you might expect, either. No, we don’t get to see the epic murder of Theo James’ cruel Cameron, who hired prostitutes in the last episode and is being unfaithful to his delightful wife, Daphne (Meghann Fahy). Neither does it seem to be one of the aging Di Grasso boys—Nonno Bert (F. Murray Abraham) or cheating Dominic (Michael Imperioli)—who takes a tumble that ends their life. And no, Greg (Jon Gries) doesn’t burn up in a fiery plane crash on his way back to Sicily.

Instead, the doomed character appears to be Giuseppe (Federico Scribani), the pervy hotel piano player obsessed with poor, sweet Mia (Beatrice Grannò). This episode feels a little like the beginning of Chicago, in which our beloved Roxie Hart kills the man she’s having an affair with after he makes an empty promise to get her a job in showbiz. Only, instead of Cook County, we’re at a posh Italian seaside resort.

Mia has had her ups and downs with Giuseppe, who tried to order her services as a sex worker in the first episode of the season. While Mia’s friend Lucia (Simona Tabasco) is, indeed, a working prostitute in Episode 1, Mia’s still unsure about it. She throws her snazzy cocktail in the face of the pianist and storms off, uninterested by his horniness.

But as we learn in the episodes following, Mia’s dipping her toes in sex work. She’s learning from Lucia, who brings her along for her tryst with Dominic, as well as with Cameron and Ethan (Will Sharpe), the two unfaithful-ish hubbies. So, by Episode 4, Mia thinks she’s ready to go off on her own and make a few bucks. Or, rather, an exchange: If she has sex with Giuseppe, he promises he can get her a job in the singing world, where Mia wants to make it big.

So, she agrees to sleep with him. But, again, as any of us who have watched Chicago know, she shouldn’t! Who is this “connection” he knows? Sounds fake to me. Run, Mia!

Instead, she does something much worse, albeit an accident. When Giuseppe can’t get it up, she races to the beach to grab some of Lucia’s Viagra to help him out. Sprinting across The White Lotus Resort, sweat from Giuseppe’s chest still dripping down her arms, Lucia finds Mia flirting with Albie (Adam DiMarco) on the beach, too entranced by his awkward American lingo to assist Mia with the pills. She grabs some, praying they’re Viagra.

Naturally, they aren’t. They’re MDMA, aka Molly, aka Ecstasy, aka Giuseppe’s worst nightmare. He pops the pill and the pair migrate back into the hotel—by the way, these two were screwing in a chapel at the resort. Closer to God, closer to heaven!

The effects of the molly kick in as the pianist returns to his post at The White Lotus’ baby grand. As he plunks out the first few notes, singing as if he were drunk on fifteen tequila shots, Giuseppe takes a tumble from his little piano bench. He’s dragged out of the resort. In true White Lotus fashion, guests continue to munch on ravioli and lobster tails after some murmurs of “What was that?”

Could this be our first death of the season? Let’s look at the evidence. In the very first episode, Rocco (Federico Ferrante) warns lead concierge Valentina (Sabrina Impacciatore) that guests—i.e., plural, multiple, more than one—have been dying. So, although Giuseppe may be one death, there are still characters who will most likely get killed off in the episodes to come. We only know one person who’s safe: Daphne, who was alive and well in the flashback of the first episode. But, hey, who knows? She could be a killer too.

But there’s another key word here that may mean Giuseppe the perv isn’t actually dead. At the beginning of the show, Rocco alerts Valentina to the guests who are dying. Giuseppe isn’t a guest, he’s an employee of The White Lotus, so he doesn’t really count. And, honestly, good! We need a more brutal, violent death than the Viagra mix up. And I just know Mike White’s ready to rev things up in the back half of The White Lotus Season 2.

The Five Guests Most Likely to Die

We’re placing bets on who will die this season on The White Lotus. After this episode, here’s our top five picks of folks who may become corpses in just a few episodes.

1. Giuseppe: Obviously, he’s not doing so hot by the end of this episode. See the above ascribing for proof.

2. Ethan: Ethan’s wife Harper (Aubrey Plaza) finds a loose condom wrapper after his night of fun and cheating with Cameron, setting her heart ablaze. Will she confront him, or will she just kill him first?

3. Dominic: Dominic’s son, Albie, starts to show signs of anger towards his father. So with nearly everyone in the Di Grasso family turning against old pops, it’s not a question of “if” he dies. It’s who kills him.

4. Mia or Lucia: I worry about these two, who have quickly become my favorite characters on the show. Sorry, Tanya! They’re playing with fire, sleeping around with some of the nastiest men staying at The White Lotus. I’m afraid they’re not only going to get burnt—but eventually, someone will torch them completely.

5. Jack (Leo Woodall): This guy’s vibes are off. As are Albie’s. I could see Albie drowning this man after he steals his girl, Portia (Haley Lu Richardson).