Wednesday, July 1, 2026

Ratings: HBO’s “White Lotus” Up 55% with Episode 5 as the Kinky Stuff Spirals Out of Control

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HBO’s “The White Lotus” is not for the faint of heart.

Sunday’s episode was up nearly 55% in total viewers as the word has spread of the kink factor in this season.

Two weeks ago some dialogue was spoken between the two “bros” on the show played by Theo James and Will Sharpe that suggested there may be more to their relationship than meets the eye.

On Sunday, the show ended with Jennifer Coolidge’s character discovering two other characters — who are presumed to be uncle and nephew (but let’s hope not) — getting it on rather graphically.

Word must have spread to other time zones, because “White Lotus” ratings zoomed up to 641,000 just on the HBO main channel. I’m sure HBO Max also went crazy. This is not timid stuff.

There are two episodes left. This Sunday the stage will be set for who gets killed and who does the killing. Something tells me Theo James repulsive Cameron has got to go, and his wife, Daphne, is going to do the deed. When the season began, Daphne was seen on the beach looking all innocent and talking to a stranger. Then she went for a swim and discovered a body. Hmmmm….

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Roger Friedman
Roger Friedman
Roger Friedman is the founder and editor-in-chief of Showbiz411. He wrote the FOX411 column on FoxNews.com from 1999 to 2009, where he covered Michael Jackson, and previously wrote the "Intelligencer" column at New York magazine in the mid-1990s, where he covered the O.J. Simpson trial. He also edited Fame magazine. His bylines have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the New York Daily News, the New York Post, Vogue, Details, and the Miami Herald. He is a voting member of the Critics Choice Awards (Film and Television branches), and his movie reviews are tracked by Rotten Tomatoes. With D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus, he co-produced the 2002 documentary "Only the Strong Survive," which screened at Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival.

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