The White Lotus Star Addresses Possible Prequel Series

One of the most buzzed-about television series of late last year was easily Season 2 of The White Lotus, the return to Mike White's star-studded ensemble comedy. While both seasons have largely taken an anthology approach to their larger cast and crew, one connective tissue was Tanya McQuoid (Jennifer Coolidge), a scene-stealing component of each extravagant getaway. Given the way that Season 2 came to a close, with Tanya tragically and accidentally falling to her death, it's been safe to assume that she won't return in the already-greenlit Season 3. When asked by Variety if a prequel series could be a possibility instead, Coolidge expressed why she wouldn't want to immediately suggest it to White.

"For me, I think it looks like I'm a whiner or something," Coolidge explained. "If you can get that going. You're going to run into [White], I know you are. Tell him."

"I said, 'Do I really have to be killed?'" Coolidge recalled, when asked about her death. "And [White] said, 'Yes, it's over, Jennifer.'"

Who stars in The White Lotus Season 2?

Season 2 of The White Lotus stars Coolidge and Jon Gries, who reprise their roles as Tanya and Greg from the first season. New cast members include Aubrey Plaza, F. Murray Abraham, Adam DiMarco, Beatrice Grannò, Meghann Fahy, Tom Hollander, Sabrina Impacciatore, Michael Imperioli, Theo James, Haley Lu Richardson, Will Sharpe, Simona Tabasco, and Leo Wood. White executive produces the series alongside David Bernad and Mark Kamine.

Will there be Season 3 of The White Lotus?

While The White Lotus has yet to be renewed for a third season, these initial viewership numbers for Season 2 are definitely a good sign that it could happen. As White revealed, he already has plans in the works for a third season — although it remains to be seen if Coolidge will be a part of that, given the way that Season 2 shook out. 

"We just turned in our last episode to the network yesterday, so it's hard to think about the next race," White told Deadline. "But if we did, I think it'd be fun to maybe go to a whole different continent. You know, we did Europe, and maybe Asia, something crazy like that, that would be fun."

"Jennifer is my friend and everybody loved her in the first season, and I was like, 'I can't go to Italy without Jennifer.' And maybe that's still the case," White continued. "Like, maybe you can't go to Japan without Jennifer, either. There are so many fun actors we've worked with so far, so it's just kind of like who's available."

What did you think of Season 2 of The White Lotus? Would you want to see a Tanya prequel series? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!