Meghann Fahy and Theo James talk sex and Sicily in season 2 of The White Lotus
The stars behind the well-to-do White Lotus couple take us on a deep dive into their characters' relationship—and TV’s most awkward double date

You’ve got to choose your travel companions carefully. Otherwise, you may find yourself stuck in Italy with people you can’t stand for seven days straight. As we saw in the latest episode of The White Lotus, “Italian Dream,” things aren’t getting any more comfortable for our two mismatched couples on their second day of vacation. Harper (Aubrey Plaza) and Ethan (Will Sharpe) aren’t connecting, and Cameron (Theo James) seems to be making things worse with his off-hand insults and aggressive behavior. Meanwhile, Daphne (Meghann Fahy) may put on an air of personable detachment (she thinks Cameron’s temper tantrums are “kind of funny”), but she’s subtly clocking every interaction. She might be the most underestimated character this season.
In a recent interview with The A.V. Club, Fahy confirmed that there’s more to her character than meets the eye. “I think you meet her and you sort of think that she’s maybe a little bit one-dimensional,” she says. “[She has] kind of trophy-wife vibes. And then you sort of quickly come to realize that there’s a lot more going on there under the surface. She’s a bit of a complex character, a little bit mysterious. I think that the real driving force between the two in their marriage is just these psychological games that they sort of get off on playing with each other.”
Both Fahy and James talked with The White Lotus creator Mike White before they began filming about the ways in which their characters’ relationship would defy expectations. If you think you know what’s going on between them, you may be rethinking that by the end of the season. “Mike was really specific about Daphne not being a victim of the circumstances of her relationship and rather an active participant who has agreed to the terms that are very specific to them and their marriage,” Fahy says.