Missing The White Lotus? Death and Other Details Can Fill the Void

This article contains spoilers for the first two seasons of The White Lotus.

There may not be a detective on the guest list at The White Lotus, but the dark dramedy could certainly use one.

After all, both seasons of the HBO anthology series start with glimpses of dead bodies and spend subsequent episodes tracking the story of how those individuals ended up in such an … unfortunate state. Hulu‘s Death and Other Details is a bit more up front with its detective work and murder plot, but the series’ witty humor and vibrant scenery gives definite The White Lotus vibes and makes a great stand-in while fans wait for The White Lotus season 3 to drop in 2025. After all, what’s more entertaining than watching wealthy, love-to-hate characters suffer a bit of misfortune on their opulent vacations?

Both series present an ongoing storyline related to a murder. In season 1 of The White Lotus, fans tune in to discover who’s in the box of human remains Shane Patton (Jake Lacy) sees being loaded onto an airplane in episode one. Season 2 begins with multiple dead bodies washed up on a Sicily beach, leaving viewers to wait for their weekly fix in hopes of figuring out the who and how of the series’ opening scene. (I never saw the Tanya McQuoid thing coming and still wear caftans on vacation in memoriam.) Hulu’s Death and Other Details starts off with a harpooned cruise ship passenger, Keith Trubitsky (Michael Gladis), who, although missed by few aboard the SS Varuna, becomes the focus of a murder investigation.

Each series really entertains, however, with their subplots involving all of those vacationing rich people. In addition to Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge), who brings main character energy to both seasons of The White Lotus, season 1 viewers found themselves wrapped up in plotlines like Shane’s overwhelming sense of privilege and his new wife, Rachel Patton’s (Alexandra Dadarrio), distaste for it. Resort manager Armond (Murray Bartlett) and his sobriety (or eventual lack thereof) brought its share of intrigue, as did Mark (Steve Zahn) and Nicole Mossbacher’s (Connie Britton) rocky marriage and their teens’ large collection of first-world problems.

In season 2, The White Lotus fans were treated to storylines like Ethan (Will Sharpe) and Harper Spiller’s (Aubrey Plaza) vacation with Cameron (Theo James) and Daphne Sullivan (Meghann Fahy), couple-friends of theirs who lived a very different kind of marriage and facilitated more than a few awkward vacay moments. There were also fascinating characters like Italian prostitutes and a group of aging gay men plotting a murder between lavish cocaine-fueled parties and visits to the opera.

The character development in Death and Other Details is just as binge-worthy. The Flash’s Violett Beane and iconic actor Mandy Patinkin (Yes, that’s Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride.) lead the cast in the roles of Imogene Scott, a woman whose mom was killed when she was young, and Rufus Cotesworth, “the world’s greatest detective” who failed to catch Imogene’s mom’s killer years ago, but is aboard the SS Varuna and more than willing to investigate the murder of Keith Trubitsky. 

As the unlikely duo investigates whodunnit, the show flawlessly unfolds some juicy plotlines, including varying scandals involving each member of the well-to-do Collier family, who chartered the cruise ship to celebrate patriarch Lawrence Collier’s upcoming retirement. Like The White Lotus, Death and Other Details unfolds lots of drama, sex and hot gossip, all while gently reminding viewers that there’s a dead body or two to be dealt with. 

Tanya’s amazing caftan collection in The White Lotus wasn’t the only fashion trend birthed by the series. Viewers tuned in week after week for the murder and intrigue, yes, but there were also sparkling evening dresses, flawlessly floppy sun hats and vacation wardrobes guaranteed to please the eye and have fans pulling out their phones to click “add to cart” on their own future vacay outfits.

The fashion is equally enviable aboard the SS Varuna, where the Death and Other Details cast stuns everywhere from the pool deck to the formal dining room. From Imogene’s chicly smart dress pants and crop top combos to crew manager Teddy Goh’s figure-flattering colorblock dresses, there’s plenty of fashion to be seen in every episode. In both series, a whodunnit becomes a who wore it for fashion-savvy viewers.

With mesmerizing characters, witty scripts, gripping plot twists and beautiful scenery, both series are perfect for fans of murder mysteries and travel-related dramas. Each show contains a jam-packed plot you truly cannot miss a moment of without finding yourself a bit confused about what’s going on. True nail-biters mixed with beautiful people wearing breathtaking outfits in far-flung destinations, fans of The White Lotus will love Death and Other Details, and vice versa.

The first eight episodes of Death and Other Details are available to stream on Hulu now. The final two episodes premiere March 5. The White Lotus seasons 1 and two are available to stream on Max now.