It may have been filled with twists, turns and a truly divisive season two finale but The White Lotus also has a couple of easter eggs in there for diehard fans of Survivor.
While everyone probably remembers Mike White from his role as Mr Schneebly in School Of Rock, he also appeared in season 37 of the US version of Survivor and damn near won the whole thing.
He appeared in the David vs. Goliath season in 2018 where he made it right to the end and came in as runner up with Angelina Keeley when Nick Wilson took home the title of sole survivor.
I love how Mike White is actually Tanya and The White Lotus is semi-autobiographical pic.twitter.com/xgL5qBc0EZ
— asta (@lollasta) December 13, 2022
Survivor fans may have noticed some familiar faces in both seasons of The White Lotus. Hutch, the bartender with the perfect surfer bro hair at the Hawaiian outpost of the luxe-but-cursed resort in season one, is Alec Merlino who lasted 28 days on the island.
Then, in The White Lotus season two, we’re introduced to a couple of new guests on the beach who ask Daphne (Meghann Fahy) about her time at the Sicilian resort.
Those two women probably also looked quite familiar to fans of the reality show because they too were roughing it out on the Fijian beach with Mike White in 2018. That was Angelina Keeley and Kara Kay, who made it to the top four with White and Wilson all those years ago.
White admitted at the season two premiere that there are some themes from his time on Survivor weaved into White Lotus. Kay told Variety things like the interpersonal politics between the fictional characters in Italy and Hawaii line up well with the dynamics on the longrunning reality show.
“A lot of it is how people deal with others and how we’re all human at the root of it,” she said.
“Survivor is about winning by being cunning and strong. In White Lotus one, winning is about money and socioeconomic levels. With White Lotus two, it’s about sexual politics and power.”
Honestly, love this for the extended Mike White Creative Universe (MWCU). If there’s anything you gotta do over the holidays it’s watch him in season 37 of Survivor (which is on Paramount+ by the way).
Who the fuck will he wrangle for season three? Professional wrestler and fellow Goliath tribe member John Hennigan? Big torch-snuffing daddy Jeff Probst? I simply need to know.
