The White Lotus: Ranking The Female Friendships; What They Reveal About Power, Rivalry, Jealousy, and Sisterhood

A sharp, satirical ranking of every major female friendship in The White Lotus—from Daphne and Harper to Tanya and Belinda—reveals what these complex bonds say about power, rivalry, jealousy, and survival.
  • Amit Diwan
  • Editorial
  • Updated - 2025-04-08, 19:30 IST
 the white lotus female friendships

There's a kind of magic in how The White Lotus operates: it takes gorgeous resorts, plops in a group of rich, complex, usually insufferable people, and lets simmering class, gender, and social anxieties explode like shaken champagne. But among all the wealth, murder, and midlife crises, there's something sneakily powerful going on—female friendships. Or, well, what passes for female friendships in a Mike White universe.

The White Lotus: Female Friendships Ranked

Across three seasons, the show has offered layered dynamics between its women—some sincere, some poisonous, and most hilariously dysfunctional. So here is a ranking of every major female friendship in The White Lotus and what they tell us about the messy, beautiful nature of womanhood.

Daphne and Harper (Season 2)

This is The White Lotus' magnum opus of female friendships. Daphne, the seemingly Stepford wife of Season 2, and Harper, the hard-to-impress cynic, shouldn't click, and yet, they do. Not because they trust each other but because they see each other. Daphne's ditziness is a carefully constructed armour, Harper's intelligence a shield of superiority. But when they escape their husbands and take a spontaneous trip to Noto, the walls crack.

It's a love letter to quiet power plays between women.

Chelsea and Chloe (Season 3)

Chloe and Chelsea's friendship in The White Lotus Season 3 offers a nuanced exploration of female relationships, highlighting themes of mutual support, shared experiences, and the challenges of maintaining healthy boundaries. While their bond is still surface-level, it provides a promising glimpse into the potential for genuine sisterhood amidst the show's otherwise cynical portrayal of relationships.

Mia and Lucia (Season 2)

Amid all the toxic energy of Season 2, Mia and Lucia are a breath of chaotic fresh air. They're sex workers, but they're also dreamers, schemers. They manipulate wealthy men with a wink and high heels, and when they run out of hotel passes, they charm their way into another plan. It may not be friendship. Maybe not. But it's honest, loyal, and deeply funny.

Jaclyn, Kate, and Laurie (Season 3)

Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan), Kate (Leslie Bibb), and Laurie (Carrie Coon) reunite for a vacation in Thailand, aiming to rekindle their bond. Throughout the season, their interactions oscillate between warmth and underlying tensions. Laurie, dealing with personal and professional setbacks, feels increasingly alienated as Jaclyn and Kate discuss their successes. This culminates in a poignant moment during their final dinner, where Laurie candidly expresses her feelings of sadness and the realisation that their friendship provides her with genuine meaning. This confession leads to a renewed sense of connection among the trio, highlighting the importance of open communication and mutual support in long-term friendships.

Belinda and Tanya (Season 1)

Tanya and Belinda's relationship in Season 1 exists in a grey area between genuine connection and self-interest. Tanya seeks a therapist in Belinda, hoping to heal her traumas, while Belinda sees Tanya as a potential investor for her spa business.

What starts as a seemingly uplifting alliance ends with Belinda burned by false hope. Tanya never meant to be cruel. But she also never meant to follow through.

Tanya and Portia (Season 2)

Tanya, played to tragic perfection by Jennifer Coolidge, is a grown woman so lonely she treats her assistant like a daughter and emotional sponge. Portia, Gen Z's embodiment of "I need therapy, but I'm tired," is both repulsed by and drawn to Tanya's chaotic orbit.

This dynamic isn't healthy, but it's real. Women who get stuck together by proximity, not choice. A toxic mentorship where both feel abandoned by the other. Tanya never really helps Portia, and Portia abandons Tanya at the moment it matters most. But that's kind of the point: not all women support women.

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Olivia and Paula (Season 1)

From the start of Season 1 of The White Lotus, Olivia and Paula come off as insufferably cool, lounging by the pool with their Judith Butler books and wokeness. But beneath the TikTok-era nihilism lies good old-fashioned insecurity. Olivia resents Paula's inner world, and Paula resents Olivia's privilege. And when Paula falls for a hotel employee and gets him involved in a theft, Olivia retaliates—not by outing her to the parents, but by silently letting her face the consequences.

This friendship is brutal in its dishonesty. They weaponise intellectual superiority and shared trauma until one gets more attention than the other.

The White Lotus doesn't offer us neat BFFs, heartwarming montages, or girl-power moments. What it gives us is rawer: moments of recognition, betrayal, manipulation, and yes—sometimes solidarity.

Don't Miss:The White Lotus Season 3 Ending Explained: Breaking Down The Twists And Tragedy

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