The White Lotus star Connie Britton recently reacted to a major fan theory involving her character, Nicole Mossbacher, and Laura Dern's Abby Di Grasso.
Britton revealed that she was unaware of speculation that Nicole and Abby will appear as sisters in Season 3 during an interview with Variety. "Oooh, I've never heard that before," she said, before confirming that she'd happily collaborate with writer-director Mike White on future seasons of the anthology series. There's currently no indication that either Nicole or Abby will feature in The White Lotus Season 3, and Britton and Dern are not currently attached to the production. Dern wasn't even credited for her portrayal of Abby in Season 2, as it amounted to a brief voice-only cameo during which Abby's estranged husband Dominic Di Grasso (Michael Imperioli) argues with her over the phone.
That said, there's certainly scope for both characters to return in The White Lotus' third season. There's even a precedent for it, given Jennifer Coolidge reprised the Tanya McQuoid-Hunt role in Season 2 that she originated in Season 1. Checking in to the HBO comedy-drama's titular hotel a second time is risky business, though, if Tanya's fate in The White Lotus Season 2 finale, "Arrivederci," is anything to go by. The very wealthy and very troubled McQuoid-Hunt dies in the finale's closing moments, slipping over the side of a yacht after foiling an apparent attempt on her life.
Highs and Lows for HBO and HBO Max
While Tanya's trip to Sicily ended in tragedy, it proved hugely successful for both Coolidge and HBO. The actor secured a Best Supporting Actress win for the Tanya role at the 2023 Golden Globes, while the show itself nabbed Best Limited or Anthology Series or Television Film. This represents a strong critical and commercial start to the year for HBO, which also landed its biggest series premiere since House of the Dragon with video game adaptation The Last of Us. Data indicates that 4.7 million viewers tuned in to The Last of Us' first episode, "When You're Lost in the Darkness" -- an impressive debut, albeit well short of House of the Dragon Episode 1's 9.986 million viewers.
The network's streaming platform, HBO Max, remains dogged by negative headlines, however. Most recently, HBO Max made waves after it canceled Gossip Girl after just two seasons, making the teen drama the latest in a string of shows axed by the streamer.
The White Lotus Seasons 1 and 2 are currently streaming on HBO Max.
Source: Variety