The White Lotus invited viewers to a world of drama, unbelievable wealth, and dark comedy. Each of the seasons took place at the White Lotus resort (first in Hawaii, then in Sicily) where a dynamic group of characters came together on vacation. Out of all of these characters, the most memorable, disastrous, and amazing was Jennifer Coolidge‘s Tanya.
Every Tanya line is golden, partially because of the writing and also because of Coolidge’s amazing performance. It’s hard to envision anyone else pulling off the role with such humor, sadness, and authenticity. Tragically, her character said farewell in Season 2, so we decided to honor Coolidge and Tanya by listing some of our favorite quotes.
10
“I’m my own phallic mother… I’m my own vaginal father.”
Season 1, Episode 1 – “Arrivals”
Immediately upon arriving at the White Lotus, Tanya was desperate for a massage. Luckily, Belinda (played by Natasha Rothwell) was able to squeeze her in, and as the massage began, Belinda told Tanya to repeat after her. At first, there was nothing strange about this request, but once Belinda mentioned her phallic mother, and Tanya repeated it, we viewers were all as confused as Tanya.
Only Gets Funnier
The line Tanya repeats about her vaginal father is even more confused sounding than the one before it. Still, she trusts Belinda, so she keeps going (even if she gets some of the words wrong). Belinda then begins chanting, and Tanya follows suit. The whole scene is adorable and hilarious, and Coolidge’s timing and trust in Belinda really sell the lines.
9
“She was always in search of male affection… she took her money and she manipulated people with it.”
Season 1, Episode 3 – “Mysterious Monkeys”
Tanya originally went to the White Lotus with the goal of spreading her mother’s ashes. However, the task proved far more difficult than she expected. As she stood on the boat with her captive audience, she gave a speech about her mother and all the ways the woman had mistreated her. Interestingly, many of the things she said about her mother could easily be applied to Tanya herself.
Her Two Biggest Flaws
Many times throughout the series, Tanya would reveal a surprising amount of self-awareness. This was not one of those times. As she spoke about her mother, it became apparent that two of her biggest shortcomings were also Tanya’s own: her investment in “emotionally unavailable men” and the way she used money to buy others’ attention. These behaviors not only hurt herself, but also the people she seemingly cared about (or should have cared about) like Belinda and Haley Lu Richardson’s Portia.
8
“At the core of the onion, Belinda, is just a straight-up alcoholic lunatic.”
Season 1, Episode 5 – “The Lotus-Eaters”
Tanya didn’t expect to find love at the White Lotus, but after meeting Greg (Jon Gries), she found herself head over heels. This wasn’t necessarily a good thing, as she expressed her fear to Belinda that he’d only like “the first layer” of her. The more he peeled away, the more he’d find, and the more she would worry that he’d stop liking her.
Belinda assured Tanya that this wasn’t the case, but Tanya insisted it was, which led to the rest of the quote: “I just wanna show my hand. I don’t wanna play poker anymore. I just wanna skip all the layers, and just go straight to the crazy, and just like, you know, let the chips fall where they may. And, you know, just show him, just show him the core of the onion.”
The Core of Tanya
During the same episode, Tanya decided to act on her words and show Greg the core of the onion. She confronted him with her mother’s ashes, asking him to take them and throw them away, before expressing that, “I’m a very needy person, and I am deeply, deeply insecure.” Rather than be put off by this, Greg seemed intrigued, saying that he still wanted to have sex with her. In hindsight, this wasn’t a romantic response, and given what would happen in Season 2, we kind of wish he’d turned the onion away.
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7
“Death… is the last immersive experience I haven’t tried.”
Season 1, Episode 6 – “Departures”
The best line to come out of the last episode of Season 1 is also the most haunting. After Greg reveals his illness, he assumes Tanya won’t want anything to do with him. On the contrary, she reveals that “Death is the last immersive experience I haven’t tried,” and that she’s interested in testing it out. Come Season 2, she would cross the experience off of her bucket list, but not in the way she expected.
Foreshadowing
While many were shocked by Tanya’s death, director Mike White reminded them of this line and how Tanya’s journey was meant to be one toward death. In hindsight, the quote is pretty haunting and did a good job of setting up Tanya’s tragic ending to come.
6
“I’m Monica Vitti!”
Season 2, Episode 2 – “Italian Dream”
It’s hard to remember a line said quite as jubilantly as “I’m Monica Vitti.” The line comes when Greg and Tanya are preparing for their Vespa ride, which was part of Tanya’s Italian fantasy. The ride itself was far from magical, with Tanya getting a bug in her mouth and nearly causing the vehicle to crash. Still, it was a touching moment in which Tanya actually felt good about herself (even after Valentina’s Peppa Pig comment).
More of the Fantasy
“Italian Dream” is also the episode that gave fans the quote, “This is such a beautiful view. I wonder if anyone’s ever jumped from here,” which seemed to foreshadow Tanya’s eventual demise. Additionally, the episode revealed more of Tanya’s Italian Dram experience, which was sweet, simple, and romantic. The rest of her fantasy goes:
“At sunset, we go down very close to the sea, to one of those really romantic spots. And then we… we drink lots of aperitivos, and we eat big plates of pasta with giant clams. And we’re just really chic and happy, and we’re beautiful.”
5
“That’s the weirdest voice I’ve ever heard.”
Season 2, Episode 4 – “In the Sandbox”
Not every Tanya line had to be complicated or deep to be effective. Some of them were quick zingers that still worked on several levels. For example, during Season 2, episode 4, after meeting the beach greeter, Salvatore, she said the line above about his voice. Outside the randomness (and rudeness) of the quote, it’s especially funny coming from Tanya, who has a very distinct voice as well.
Always Speaking Her Mind
Tanya had a habit of saying whatever was on her mind, regardless of social appropriateness. This led to some other funny lines and interactions, like during Season 1 when she regularly interrupted Shane and Rachel’s dinners or during Season 2 when she insulted Portia’s fashion sense.
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4
“Is that the Queen of Sicily?”
Season 2, Episode 5 – “That’s Amore”
During Season 2, Tanya met a gay man named Quentin (played by Tom Hollander) and they quickly grew close. However, it would later be revealed that Quentin was planning to kill her, and before attempting to carry out the deed, he wanted to give her a good time. Viewing her as a tragic figure, he took her to the opera, where they saw an elegant woman sitting across from them in a box seat. Turning toward Quentin, Tanya excitedly asked if the woman was the Queen of Sicily.
Not the Queen of Sicily
Of course, Sicily doesn’t have a queen, and why that random woman would be the queen is a question all its own. However, we’re still glad that Quentin told Tanya yes. Her excitement at meeting royalty might have even surpassed her excitement over the Vespa ride.
3
“These gays, they’re trying to murder me!”
Season 2, Episode 7 – “Arrivederci”
During the final episode of White Lotus, Season 2, Tanya finds out that her new gay friends have been hired by Greg to murder her. In a panic, she runs up to the ship’s captain and tells him just that, adding that they’re going to take her husband’s money “so they can decorate their houses or some shit.” However, the captain doesn’t speak much English, so he starts gesturing to himself while speaking Italian. This leads Tanya to believe he’s also gay, which means (to her) that he’s out to get her as well.
High-End Gays
Tanya’s relationship with her gay friends started off adorable, with her saying that “gay guys really are the best [friends],” and referring to her specific friends as “high-end gays.” Humor like this could easily not land with audiences, but The White Lotus pulls it off time and time again. While Tanya wasn’t exactly the most PC character, Coolidge is a queer icon, and her delivery of, “These gays, they’re trying to murder me!” was both hilarious and horrifying.
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2
“Is Greg cheating? I know you know!”
Season 2, Episode 7 – “Arrivederci”
It’s hard to choose just one quote from Season 2’s “Arrivederci,” which is why we have to add another line that occurs during Tanya’s attempted murder. As she stood over Quentin and brandished her gun, she didn’t want answers about why he had tried to kill her, who had hired him, or even if any part of their friendship had been real. Instead, the only thing she seemed to care about was confirming Greg’s infidelity.
A Derpy Death
At this point in the show, it was all but certain that Greg hadn’t just been cheating on her, but also, that he’d hired Quentin and his group to kill her. You’d think that would be her priority, but because it’s Tanya, it was barely a blip on the radar. Instead, she killed most of the men before asking Quentin her iconic line. The scene then ended with another memorable quote, “You got this,” before Tanya tumbled over the side of the ship, banged her head, and drowned. As the creators of the show themselves said, it was a really derpy, but fitting, death.
1
“Whenever I stay at a White Lotus, I always have a memorable time.”
Season 2, Episode 1 – “Ciao”
Our favorite quote from Tanya came during Episode 1 of Season 2. After arriving at the White Lotus, she greeted Valentina and said that the resort “pulled out all the stops,” and that she always had a memorable time there. She then celebrated how she used to be a Petal, but that she worked her way up to the resort’s Blossom Circle. While a funny addition to the scene, the delivery of the first line was already tagline-worthy.
Will Be Remembered
There’s a reason why the line was used in Season 2’s trailer—Tanya is unforgettable, as is the show as a whole. From cheating spouses to “murderous Gays” and “alcoholic lunatics,” The White Lotus has left its mark on TV, and even with Coolidge’s absence, there’s still so much to look forward to in Season 3.
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