How to watch The White Lotus and why you shouldn't skip the intro

Here is how to watch The White Lotus, the HBO miniseries that follows the intertwining stories of a hotel resorts staff and its guests

How to watch The White Lotus
(Image credit: Copyright © 2021 Home Box Office, Inc. All rights reserved. HBO® and all related programs are the property of Home Box Office, Inc.)

Following massive success at the Golden Globes, viewers are wondering how to watch The White Lotus, which had a number of nominations and won at the awards ceremony.

Stars from season 2 of The White Lotus shined at the Golden Globes last night as the successful TV series took home a number of awards. Some have even suggested that Jennifer Coolidge's Golden Globes speech was the best moment of the entire show and showcased how much she is like her iconic character Tanya.

But how can you watch this fantastic series? Here is how to watch seasons 1 and 2 of The White Lotus from anywhere in the world.

The White Lotus season 2

(Image credit: HBO)

How to watch The White Lotus

For UK viewers, The White Lotus is available to watch on the streaming platform NOW. Fans of the show can also find the entire series on Sky Atlantic. For US viewers, The White Lotus can be viewed on HBO and the streaming platform HBO Max.

However, the show isn't available to viewers all over the world who may be outside the UK or US. But there is a resolution to this, VPNs (virtual private networks) are a popular way to access TV shows only available in other countries, and many are easy to get.

If you're already confused, don't panic—we've got you covered. Our sister site, TechRadar, has put every major VPN service to the test to save you the hassle of sifting through the web yourself. They've rated ExpressVPN as the best—and here's why.

In their words, “It’s compatible with all of your devices, supports most streaming services, and ranks among the fastest. You can even install it on devices like an Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox, and PlayStation. So for a one-stop-shop, you can’t go wrong with Express.”


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Ranked among one of the fastest VPN providers, this risk-free service is also compatible with all of your devices. Enjoy access to almost any streaming service, and if you don't like it there's a 30-day money-back guarantee.

If you've never installed a VPN before, don't worry, it's quick and easy. Just follow these three steps:

  1. Download and install the VPN following ExpressVPN's easy-to-follow instructions (ExpressVPN comes with a 30-day money back guarantee and if you click here you can get 49% off and 3 months free, too.)
  2. Once you've installed your VPN, open the app and select your server location to anywhere in the US or UK.
  3. With your VPN installed and server location set to US or the UK you can access NOW or HBO Max.

VPN disclaimer

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The White Lotus season 2

(Image credit: Fabio Lovino/HBO Copyright © 2022 Home Box Office, Inc. All rights reserved. HBO® and all related programs are the property of Home Box Office, Inc.)

Why you shouldn't skip the intro of The White Lotus

According to Vanity Fair, the intro of The White Lotus should not be skipped as it foreshadows the fate and charaterisation of some of the characters in the show.

Katrina Crawford and Mark Bashore, the heads of the studio Plains of Yonder, explained to Vanity Fair how they created the Italian-inspired intro and the significance of the title sequence. 

Mark explained, that they used wallpaper in season one as an idea that things were papered over, it was this idea that they developed in the season 2 title sequence. Mark said, "this idea of the way you want it to be isn’t really the way that it is. We knew that we could take that same thing that we did with the wallpaper in season one and take it much, much further with these murals and paintings, and create stories that fall apart in front of your eyes.”

Theo James' character is represented by a statue of a hunky man, which a dog is peeing on. Mark explained, "There’s definitely a through line of either people being trapped, and then, also, toxic masculinity. There’s a naked statue, which is a great metaphor for Theo James, but just to take it over the top, Katrina added this dog lifting its leg, which puts a smile on your face. It’s funny, but what men do best is lift their legs on things. Sometimes the simplest things, like a dog lifting his leg at the bottom of a statue, can do a world for a shot."

Jennifer Coolidge's title card shows a woman trapped in a tower, holding onto a monkey on a chain. Representing her character's toxic relationship with her husband and how she is later kidnapped by the friends she makes at the hotel. They also showed a couple on a donkey, for Jon Gries which served as a visual metaphor for his character Greg's Vespa ride with Tanya.

The White Lotus

(Image credit: Alamy)

For Meghann Fahy's title card, there is a visual of two cherubs. This could be representative of Meghann's character Daphne's love for her two children and how they are central to all of her actions in the show. 

Aubrey Plaza's title card shows two birds fighting in mid-air. This could be representative of her character Harper's relationship with her husband Ethan, which becomes filled with anger and suspicion over the course of the show.

Haley Lu Richardson who plays Portia is given a title card that features a young woman sitting on the floor and a lamb. This could be representative of Portia's confusion and loss of sense of self as she appears as somewhat of a lost lamb in the show. 

Laura Harman

Laura is the Entertainment Editor for woman&home who primarily covers television, film, and celebrity news. Laura loves drinking and eating and can often be found trying to get reservations at London's trendiest restaurants. When she's not wining and dining, Laura can also be found travelling, baking, and hiking with her dog.