The White Lotus was released as a miniseries, but because of its popularity became an ongoing show. With only two characters returning from the insane Hawaii vacation at the White Lotus resort, Season 2 had a clean slate for its story and new guests. One of the new characters was Portia, played by Haley Lu Richardson.
The actress has been in a few projects, being known for the romance drama Five Feet Apart, Unpregnant, and she was also in M. Night Shyamalan's movie Split. Portia was one of the characters in the ensemble cast that spent their vacation in Sicily in The White Lotus Season 2. And while she had been working for a few years as an actor, it was the Max series that skyrocketed her career.
Some considered her the villain of the season while some felt sympathy for her struggles to decide what to do with her life and how much to put up with her boss. Her clothes were the main topic of discussion for a while when the show was airing new episodes. Nevertheless, she is not the only character in the show, particularly this season, that made questionable choices — some did far worse than her. Here are Portia's best moments in The White Lotus.
10 Portia Is Nice to Bert
Portia is nice and genuinely cares for others, even if she barely met them. She is talking to Albie for the first time by the pool when she sees his grandfather, Bert (F. Murray Abraham), fall. They run to help him, and she even apologizes that he went through that. Then, every interaction they have is endearing, even if he sometimes mixes up her name with other people. He invites her to go with them to the coliseum, and there she offers him water — something neither his son nor grandson does.
9 When She Changes Her Mind
Portia didn't feel connected with Albie (Adam DiMarco) and decided to try things out with someone else, which is the mature and normal thing to do, and something Albie also does. However, after her dream vacation becomes nightmare fuel, she reencounters Albie at the airport. Portia takes the lead and approaches him, then asks for his phone number. They both are awkward and don't know how to talk to each other, but eventually manage to do it.
8 Reviews Her Point of View
In a conversation filled with double meaning that will only make sense for the viewer and Portia later, she talks with Jack (Leo Vincent Woodall) about their ambitions, goals, and the current state of the world. Jack tells her she should be satisfied, as, in his opinion, they live in the best time in history. It's an interesting moment when her point of view is questioned. The character really listens to it and thinks about where her general dissatisfaction with her life comes from.
7 Hides From Tanya's Husband
Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) makes an impossible request: Portia needs to stay inside her room so that Greg (Jon Gries), her husband, doesn't find out she is still there while they are on their romantic vacation. While it was a stressful and unhappy situation for Portia, it was comical to watch her trying to have breakfast or enjoy her time in the resort while having to hide from Greg. It says a lot about the lengths the character would go to in order to keep her job.
6 She Makes Her Wants Clear
One of Portia's biggest complaints about her life is that she just wants to live more and experience things. So, when she is starting her relationship with Albie she is quite direct and says that he should be more aggressive and take action, rather than keep asking if she is comfortable with them. Portia takes the lead, and it's a nice journey for the character, as the episodes pass she keeps doing it more and more. Is cool to see this growth as the audience met Portia when she was doing everything Tanya asked her to — even if the requests were ridiculous.
5 Tries to Warn Tanya
The moment, granted quite late on, Portia realizes there's something wrong with Jack and his supposed uncle, Quentin (Tom Hollander), she takes Jack's phone when he is in the bathroom and calls Tanya. It's a tense moment as the viewer has realized for a while that something was not clicking with the characters' stories. Also, it furthers her relationship with her boss.
4 Goes After Her Adventure
After debating for a while about what she should do, Portia decides to have the summer she wants with the boy she wants. She goes out and travels and dates. Of course, it didn't turn out to be the best of decisions in the long run, but it was important for the character to stop waiting for something to happen to her and take action on her future and life. As she says to Albie on their first date "I just want to live my life, so badly."
3 She Realizes There's Something Wrong
The two final episodes of the show are really intense and impossible to stop watching. When Jack refuses to get back to the villa to Tanya's party, proceeds to get drunk, and passes out in their new hotel room, Portia grows suspicious. The moment everything falls apart is when Jack is drunk and spills that Quentin doesn't have money and even hints that he is not his uncle. Richardson's performance is quiet but powerful, as she holds her breath and realizes there might be something really bad going on.
2 Portia Confronts Jack
The ultimate confrontation in Portia's story arc happens in the final episode when she gets in the car with Jack. He keeps being dismissive and saying he wants to drive her back to her hotel. That's when she presses him stating she knows he stole her phone and that Quentin is not his uncle: she is aware they have a sexual relationship. Jack shuts her up and Portia is completely terrified as they drive away.
1 Every Time She Has a Conversation With Tanya
All the scenes with Tanya and Portia were hilarious, even if they weren't intended to be. These unlikely duo worked well together and made the audience care for them. Portia acts more as a mother to Tanya rather than an assistant, and the character even described being with her boss as babysitting — not too far from the truth. Nevertheless, they will be a duo that will be missed in the new season of The White Lotus.