I can’t tell you how much I love that you spend time writing a critical analysis essay after each episode and wish I had access to the earlier “essays” from episodes before you started doing this!
I can’t help but think about the legend of Testa di Moro and how it seems to be a theme of this season.
It’s essentially about a man who desires more than he possesses and it gets him killed for acting on it. And while the legend is a warning for husbands, I do think it transcends beyond just the problematic men of this show.
Almost every character in this season is presented with this concept of desiring something or someone beyond what they actually possess (or should possess) and failing to appreciating what/who they do have.
Dom and Bert are obviously guilty of this as we’ve seen by the failure of Dom’s marriage due to infidelity and Bert’s apparent loneliness that is aggravated by the disgust of his surviving female relatives in Sicily.
Tanya doesn’t seem capable of appreciating anything she has, even when she’s given red flags to pay attention and winds up in a pretty perilous situation, she continues to pursue experiences (Niccolo) that she hopes will make her happy outside of a marriage she seemed to desperately want 5 minutes ago.
Harper and Ethan are the only ones fighting to hold onto what they have, which makes them some of the most sympathetic characters. However, they aren’t without temptation to abandon their relationship, and influences from others indulging those desires are clearly having an effect on their resolve. They’re faced with the challenge of choosing one another or giving into their impulses of jealousy, so it’ll be interesting to see how they come out from this.
Cam and Daphne are interesting and I haven’t quite figured out what their relationship represents. I wonder if it’s their mutually assured destruction due to the facade of their seemingly perfect relationship while constantly disrespecting one another - Cam being the greater offender of this charge. We’ll have to wait and see what happens to them.
I could go on as this theme seems to apply to each character uniquely, but those were the highlights!
DYING for the finale. Can’t believe we were robbed of a full 10 episode season.
Did anyone else notice that Portia had a big butterfly sticker on her suitcase, and was also wearing a butterfly necklace in an early scene? (I always look for clues in costuming- Tom and Lorenzo taught me well!) When Tanya went to see Madame Butterfly, it clicked- Portia, you in danger girl!
Mia's wardrobe also killed me this ep (in a good way!!) - perfect mix of angel with the white maribou and devil with that red lip and loosely undone hair bow.
Another small thing I noticed was in the beginning of the DiGrasso family road-trip, we very briefly see a street sign that reads ALESSIO !!!
I think the continuing fruit motif may be representative of the Garden of Eden, forbidden temptation, lust, etc. What happens when we finally get the thing we desire, and it doesn't turn out to be what we thought? Be careful what you wish for...
I also keep thinking about the early Rocco/Valentina exchange where we learn that there have been deathS, plural... I wonder if they were accidental, purposeful, related in the same incident, or more like a Rube Goldberg effect where one death somehow causes others?
Final thought: I don't think that Daphne personally knew (or recognized) the body she found in the ocean- her reaction I think would have been even more hysterical. Which doesn't mean that Cam/Ethan/Harper aren't dead, just that I don't think it was any of their bodies she bumped into.
Ps- Portia is a Shakespearean character in both Merchant of Venice and Julius Caesar (I just googled based on a hunch) -- doesn't seem like those characters get very happy endings. But I am hoping this is just a red herring, and actually she comes back in time to save Tanya / kill Quentin!
In one of the stills for the next episode it shows Tanya on the upper deck looking down at someone. I think that Greg will be on the yacht waiting for them and maybe they confront her on the water. I just feel like this is too easily predictable that Greg is trying to get her money. For whatever reason, I feel that Quentin is doing this without Greg’s knowledge and Greg will become protective of Tanya. But, I also think giving Tanya ‘one last perfect day’ before he left makes me feel like that was his way of giving her her last meal before he knew she would be blackmailed. I also don’t think any blackmail would work on Tanya. Both her parents are dead and she lives a transient lifestyle. If she is humiliated by a sex video, she just goes to the next place where no one knows her and it’s no harm no foul. The conversation with Portia leads me to believe she is more coherent than she outwardly portrays herself to be. She certainly has moments of clarity between the Chardonnays and xanex.
LOVE your recaps Sami! I was going to watch today (Monday) but watched last night so I could see your thoughts as soon as it ended. My take with the Greg photo was that it was definitely him - I thought you could tell from the photo it was a younger version of him and Quentin? Either way, I think he is definitely in on it with Quentin to get Tanya's money. Maybe I missed this but was it ever discussed why Greg and Tanya didn't fly to Italy together? He's already there when she shows up and not like it shows him interacting with Quentin but could he have shown up early to plot out everything? Also with Jack - I feel like maybe he got hired for the summer and told he wouldn’t be paid until the end and if everything went through? The way he talked about being in a deep hole made it sound like he had no choice for what he was helping do. And the fact he couldn’t pay for the arancini (along with Tanya’s quote about how cheap it is) makes it seem like he has literally zero money and needs this to work or else he’ll still be in that deep hole. The way it ended with Portia made me think she’s taking Tanya’s advice and *hopefully* going to swoop in and save the day? It seemed to me like she was going to escape that hotel room and try to find a way back and hopefully interject into whatever plot Quentin has with that Niccolo (?) guy. After reading the other comments, I didn’t even notice there was a camera in there! I definitely think this will be used against her especially because I don't think it was mentioned for nothing she and Greg have a prenup.
Lucia/Alessio - I think Lucia is conning Albie for sure. In the last episode or maybe episode before that, Lucia is talking to Mia saying how innocent Albie is and also he’s rich. She knows he’s “safe” and can easily be controlled. I think she’s a lot smarter than she leads on and knows how to get what she wants. Also I don’t think she has a pimp because in the very first episode, Mia asks how she got into this and Lucia mentioned something about how she met Dom online and also how men would pay for photos of her feet so they’d pay a lot more for sex. I think she’s doing it all on her own and probably is giving Alessio a cut if he makes it look like she’s a victim.
DECH - I don’t think Harper would cheat on Ethan but I do think she’s enjoying the male attention and feeling “wanted” by Cameron. After her convo with Ethan in the beginning where she asks if he wants her, he doesn’t say yes and just says I love you. I think the feeling wanted piece is driving her to act like this and also she’s enjoying knowing she can get back at Ethan after that night with Mia and Lucia. Also, her knowing that Cameron and Ethan have always been in competition with each other makes (I think) her feel more valued right now when she was feeling so insecure and confused in the last episode. Random but one weird flaw I keep thinking about in every episode with DECH - they’re in Italy and instead of trying out the restaurants and having extravagant dinners out, they’ve been dining in the hotel for breakfast, lunch, and dinner everyday? This part confuses me so much! I know it’s a luxury hotel but still, how could you want to eat there for an entire week?
Omg I literally said the same to my husband! But I think it’s a portrayal of how a lot of people (Americans especially) travel in Europe. Some never leave the resort
agreed with the not leaving the resort thing totally. i also thought that jack's spiel about just being "satisfied" and fulfilled also might have been meant to represent how americans stereotypically view europeans, that they are just content and don't always need more
keep remembering that scene the morning after with Cam and Ethan in bed where Cam is propositioning Ethan to have sex, there is an odd feeling of familiarity to it, did they have a past sexual relationship? I think body or bodies likely get dumped off the yacht into the ocean
Yes, I think there's something there! When Harper asked if they ever had sex with the same person, it could also be read as, did you two ever have a threesome together...
Something is going on with pineapple. Tanya and Portia were eating pineapple at breakfast and then Quentin suggested pineapple mimosas. Later in the episode, Harper is eating pineapple on the beach from the garnish of her drink. Maybe a nod to the pineapple suite from last season? But I think something bigger.
Pineapples also symbolize swingers and I think the Quentin/Jack group are swingers. I think Cam and Daphne are as well and that’s why Daphne wants Harper to cheat
I think Lucia gets her one way ticket to LA but Mia dies. Mia is such an expendable character and where does she go after this? She can’t stay singing at the hotel and sleeping with Valentina. Maybe her death is accidental like Armons but I think Mia dies and Valentina is there for it. Mia’s body is the one in the ocean, which Valentina knows about then Rocco tells her. But Valentina doesn’t know other guests have died and that is genuine surprise.
I was thinking this too about Mia. I think it will always be the “help” or workers that get the shit end of things. Like the rich people can leave destruction in their wake and go back to life.
So I think it’s Mia, Portia, Lucia, Jack as my top predictions. Though Harper could fall into the old world before Ethan got loaded camp? Wildcard would be extra body is Lucia’s manfriend killed by Albie.
Wish I had a screenshot but one thing I clocked was when Cam and Daphne were getting frisky in their room, Cam had a small bird tattoo on one of his legs. I googled and it does not appear to be a real tattoo that Theo James has so must be some kind of symbolism (makes me think even more so after you pointed out that Aubrey Plaza’s opening credit has a bird attacking prey)
Ohh and the scene with Lucia- my bet is Alessia is totally in on it and she told him to follow them so she could get picked up and not be stuck in awkward town with the three guys all day. This helped further heighten Albie wanting to “save” her.
Funny though, Dom seemed more concerned about her then Albie...Albie was the first to want to get away from a “dangerous” situation
Yes yes re: The Godfather scene! And Portia in The Godfather shirt!
Also thanks for calling out the camera! Totally missed it. My husband had the cheating/prenup thought too- wouldn’t have thought of that! I’m just confused about what she thought of that photo.. would she not recognize Greg? Did she? Of course she didn’t know him then but…
her not recognizing Greg is a little confusing, but it didn't look SO clearly like him, and also maybe she was on too many drugs for it to register? I'm so sure it was him in the photo though.
It was totally Greg. Tanya will probably go back and look for the photo when she's sober and it will be gone and she'll blame it on the drugs, but I completely agree it was him.
I can’t stop reading these and stewing in my thoughts of them and the episode! That master key.. if M&L use it to try to get the money from Cameron, I could see that being a disaster. Perhaps similar to the death in season 1, but not sure MW would repeat that in any way.
Really love and look forward to reading your thoughts, Sami! Regarding who might die- definitely seems it will be someone or multiple people from the group of gays. I think they’ll get rid of a body/bodies on the boat ride back to Sicily from Palermo and one of the bodies is one that’s floating in the water when Daphne saw it in the first episode. Someone who dies has to be a person that Daphne has not met/did not recognize!
Thinking about the Greg, Tanya, Quentin plot. How Greg was so angry that Tanya brought Portia. Also Jacks masculine binge drinking and drunk behavior, is he conflicted about what he has been told to do or is about to do to Portia? He seems less romantically interested in her on this day trip, and more focused on killing time.
Interesting that you thought abductions referred to Portia, because I was more focused on it referring to Lucia! Also, love Valentina and think she’s one of the best characters, look how big fans can latch onto such different parts of the show, that must be part of the draw :).
I am rewatching now and keep thinking that the reason why Greg was so pissed that Portia was on the trip is because it ruined the preexisting plan with Quentin and they had to bring Jack, a sex worker, in to make sure Portia was otherwise occupied. The story was that Jack was Quentin’s cousin, but Jack keeps giving himself away.
I can’t tell you how much I love that you spend time writing a critical analysis essay after each episode and wish I had access to the earlier “essays” from episodes before you started doing this!
I can’t help but think about the legend of Testa di Moro and how it seems to be a theme of this season.
It’s essentially about a man who desires more than he possesses and it gets him killed for acting on it. And while the legend is a warning for husbands, I do think it transcends beyond just the problematic men of this show.
Almost every character in this season is presented with this concept of desiring something or someone beyond what they actually possess (or should possess) and failing to appreciating what/who they do have.
Dom and Bert are obviously guilty of this as we’ve seen by the failure of Dom’s marriage due to infidelity and Bert’s apparent loneliness that is aggravated by the disgust of his surviving female relatives in Sicily.
Tanya doesn’t seem capable of appreciating anything she has, even when she’s given red flags to pay attention and winds up in a pretty perilous situation, she continues to pursue experiences (Niccolo) that she hopes will make her happy outside of a marriage she seemed to desperately want 5 minutes ago.
Harper and Ethan are the only ones fighting to hold onto what they have, which makes them some of the most sympathetic characters. However, they aren’t without temptation to abandon their relationship, and influences from others indulging those desires are clearly having an effect on their resolve. They’re faced with the challenge of choosing one another or giving into their impulses of jealousy, so it’ll be interesting to see how they come out from this.
Cam and Daphne are interesting and I haven’t quite figured out what their relationship represents. I wonder if it’s their mutually assured destruction due to the facade of their seemingly perfect relationship while constantly disrespecting one another - Cam being the greater offender of this charge. We’ll have to wait and see what happens to them.
I could go on as this theme seems to apply to each character uniquely, but those were the highlights!
DYING for the finale. Can’t believe we were robbed of a full 10 episode season.
Did anyone else notice that Portia had a big butterfly sticker on her suitcase, and was also wearing a butterfly necklace in an early scene? (I always look for clues in costuming- Tom and Lorenzo taught me well!) When Tanya went to see Madame Butterfly, it clicked- Portia, you in danger girl!
Mia's wardrobe also killed me this ep (in a good way!!) - perfect mix of angel with the white maribou and devil with that red lip and loosely undone hair bow.
Another small thing I noticed was in the beginning of the DiGrasso family road-trip, we very briefly see a street sign that reads ALESSIO !!!
I think the continuing fruit motif may be representative of the Garden of Eden, forbidden temptation, lust, etc. What happens when we finally get the thing we desire, and it doesn't turn out to be what we thought? Be careful what you wish for...
I also keep thinking about the early Rocco/Valentina exchange where we learn that there have been deathS, plural... I wonder if they were accidental, purposeful, related in the same incident, or more like a Rube Goldberg effect where one death somehow causes others?
Final thought: I don't think that Daphne personally knew (or recognized) the body she found in the ocean- her reaction I think would have been even more hysterical. Which doesn't mean that Cam/Ethan/Harper aren't dead, just that I don't think it was any of their bodies she bumped into.
Ps- Portia is a Shakespearean character in both Merchant of Venice and Julius Caesar (I just googled based on a hunch) -- doesn't seem like those characters get very happy endings. But I am hoping this is just a red herring, and actually she comes back in time to save Tanya / kill Quentin!
In one of the stills for the next episode it shows Tanya on the upper deck looking down at someone. I think that Greg will be on the yacht waiting for them and maybe they confront her on the water. I just feel like this is too easily predictable that Greg is trying to get her money. For whatever reason, I feel that Quentin is doing this without Greg’s knowledge and Greg will become protective of Tanya. But, I also think giving Tanya ‘one last perfect day’ before he left makes me feel like that was his way of giving her her last meal before he knew she would be blackmailed. I also don’t think any blackmail would work on Tanya. Both her parents are dead and she lives a transient lifestyle. If she is humiliated by a sex video, she just goes to the next place where no one knows her and it’s no harm no foul. The conversation with Portia leads me to believe she is more coherent than she outwardly portrays herself to be. She certainly has moments of clarity between the Chardonnays and xanex.
LOVE your recaps Sami! I was going to watch today (Monday) but watched last night so I could see your thoughts as soon as it ended. My take with the Greg photo was that it was definitely him - I thought you could tell from the photo it was a younger version of him and Quentin? Either way, I think he is definitely in on it with Quentin to get Tanya's money. Maybe I missed this but was it ever discussed why Greg and Tanya didn't fly to Italy together? He's already there when she shows up and not like it shows him interacting with Quentin but could he have shown up early to plot out everything? Also with Jack - I feel like maybe he got hired for the summer and told he wouldn’t be paid until the end and if everything went through? The way he talked about being in a deep hole made it sound like he had no choice for what he was helping do. And the fact he couldn’t pay for the arancini (along with Tanya’s quote about how cheap it is) makes it seem like he has literally zero money and needs this to work or else he’ll still be in that deep hole. The way it ended with Portia made me think she’s taking Tanya’s advice and *hopefully* going to swoop in and save the day? It seemed to me like she was going to escape that hotel room and try to find a way back and hopefully interject into whatever plot Quentin has with that Niccolo (?) guy. After reading the other comments, I didn’t even notice there was a camera in there! I definitely think this will be used against her especially because I don't think it was mentioned for nothing she and Greg have a prenup.
Lucia/Alessio - I think Lucia is conning Albie for sure. In the last episode or maybe episode before that, Lucia is talking to Mia saying how innocent Albie is and also he’s rich. She knows he’s “safe” and can easily be controlled. I think she’s a lot smarter than she leads on and knows how to get what she wants. Also I don’t think she has a pimp because in the very first episode, Mia asks how she got into this and Lucia mentioned something about how she met Dom online and also how men would pay for photos of her feet so they’d pay a lot more for sex. I think she’s doing it all on her own and probably is giving Alessio a cut if he makes it look like she’s a victim.
DECH - I don’t think Harper would cheat on Ethan but I do think she’s enjoying the male attention and feeling “wanted” by Cameron. After her convo with Ethan in the beginning where she asks if he wants her, he doesn’t say yes and just says I love you. I think the feeling wanted piece is driving her to act like this and also she’s enjoying knowing she can get back at Ethan after that night with Mia and Lucia. Also, her knowing that Cameron and Ethan have always been in competition with each other makes (I think) her feel more valued right now when she was feeling so insecure and confused in the last episode. Random but one weird flaw I keep thinking about in every episode with DECH - they’re in Italy and instead of trying out the restaurants and having extravagant dinners out, they’ve been dining in the hotel for breakfast, lunch, and dinner everyday? This part confuses me so much! I know it’s a luxury hotel but still, how could you want to eat there for an entire week?
Omg I literally said the same to my husband! But I think it’s a portrayal of how a lot of people (Americans especially) travel in Europe. Some never leave the resort
agreed with the not leaving the resort thing totally. i also thought that jack's spiel about just being "satisfied" and fulfilled also might have been meant to represent how americans stereotypically view europeans, that they are just content and don't always need more
YES!!
keep remembering that scene the morning after with Cam and Ethan in bed where Cam is propositioning Ethan to have sex, there is an odd feeling of familiarity to it, did they have a past sexual relationship? I think body or bodies likely get dumped off the yacht into the ocean
Yes, I think there's something there! When Harper asked if they ever had sex with the same person, it could also be read as, did you two ever have a threesome together...
Something is going on with pineapple. Tanya and Portia were eating pineapple at breakfast and then Quentin suggested pineapple mimosas. Later in the episode, Harper is eating pineapple on the beach from the garnish of her drink. Maybe a nod to the pineapple suite from last season? But I think something bigger.
good catch... pineapples are supposed to symbolize "hospitality" aka Lucia's career. but idk I feel like I'm stretching with this one
I think they are using the pineapple as a swinging reference. Would more closely align to the sexuality of this season.
That was my thought too.
Pineapples also symbolize swingers and I think the Quentin/Jack group are swingers. I think Cam and Daphne are as well and that’s why Daphne wants Harper to cheat
Good call. This thread is so much fun! What will we do when it's over?
wait for the new succession season to start
Such a good call! I totally forgot that they symbolize that
I think Lucia gets her one way ticket to LA but Mia dies. Mia is such an expendable character and where does she go after this? She can’t stay singing at the hotel and sleeping with Valentina. Maybe her death is accidental like Armons but I think Mia dies and Valentina is there for it. Mia’s body is the one in the ocean, which Valentina knows about then Rocco tells her. But Valentina doesn’t know other guests have died and that is genuine surprise.
I can get behind this prediction!! can definitely see it
I was thinking this too about Mia. I think it will always be the “help” or workers that get the shit end of things. Like the rich people can leave destruction in their wake and go back to life.
So I think it’s Mia, Portia, Lucia, Jack as my top predictions. Though Harper could fall into the old world before Ethan got loaded camp? Wildcard would be extra body is Lucia’s manfriend killed by Albie.
Solid theory, though I'll be sad if that's her fate! A "fallen angel" perhaps?
Wish I had a screenshot but one thing I clocked was when Cam and Daphne were getting frisky in their room, Cam had a small bird tattoo on one of his legs. I googled and it does not appear to be a real tattoo that Theo James has so must be some kind of symbolism (makes me think even more so after you pointed out that Aubrey Plaza’s opening credit has a bird attacking prey)
Ohh and the scene with Lucia- my bet is Alessia is totally in on it and she told him to follow them so she could get picked up and not be stuck in awkward town with the three guys all day. This helped further heighten Albie wanting to “save” her.
Funny though, Dom seemed more concerned about her then Albie...Albie was the first to want to get away from a “dangerous” situation
It seems that everyone is either being scammed or scamming, if this is true I think Daphne/Cam are scamming and Ethan/Harper are being scammed.
The trip to Noto ... seemed like a set up for Ethan and Harper.
Also Harper is smart ... even strategic, I think there is more to come from her.
I think Cameron & Daphne are broke. Why is it taking him so long to pay Lucia back?!
Yes yes re: The Godfather scene! And Portia in The Godfather shirt!
Also thanks for calling out the camera! Totally missed it. My husband had the cheating/prenup thought too- wouldn’t have thought of that! I’m just confused about what she thought of that photo.. would she not recognize Greg? Did she? Of course she didn’t know him then but…
her not recognizing Greg is a little confusing, but it didn't look SO clearly like him, and also maybe she was on too many drugs for it to register? I'm so sure it was him in the photo though.
It was totally Greg. Tanya will probably go back and look for the photo when she's sober and it will be gone and she'll blame it on the drugs, but I completely agree it was him.
I can’t stop reading these and stewing in my thoughts of them and the episode! That master key.. if M&L use it to try to get the money from Cameron, I could see that being a disaster. Perhaps similar to the death in season 1, but not sure MW would repeat that in any way.
Really love and look forward to reading your thoughts, Sami! Regarding who might die- definitely seems it will be someone or multiple people from the group of gays. I think they’ll get rid of a body/bodies on the boat ride back to Sicily from Palermo and one of the bodies is one that’s floating in the water when Daphne saw it in the first episode. Someone who dies has to be a person that Daphne has not met/did not recognize!
Thinking about the Greg, Tanya, Quentin plot. How Greg was so angry that Tanya brought Portia. Also Jacks masculine binge drinking and drunk behavior, is he conflicted about what he has been told to do or is about to do to Portia? He seems less romantically interested in her on this day trip, and more focused on killing time.
Interesting that you thought abductions referred to Portia, because I was more focused on it referring to Lucia! Also, love Valentina and think she’s one of the best characters, look how big fans can latch onto such different parts of the show, that must be part of the draw :).
I am rewatching now and keep thinking that the reason why Greg was so pissed that Portia was on the trip is because it ruined the preexisting plan with Quentin and they had to bring Jack, a sex worker, in to make sure Portia was otherwise occupied. The story was that Jack was Quentin’s cousin, but Jack keeps giving himself away.