Ending with a 94% Rotten Tomatoes score, and four Golden Globe nominations, it is safe to say that HBO and producer Mike White completed another brilliant season of “The White Lotus.” The second season of the show premiered Oct. 30, 2022, and finished airing Dec. 11, 2022. The newest season features an ensemble cast of Theo James, Aubrey Plaza, Jennifer Coolidge, Simona Tabasco, Beatrice Grannò and Sabrina Impacciatore. The show’s incredible storylines, cinematography and performances make the second season even better than the first.
The show follows the same framework as the first season, following wealthy couples, families and people on a luxury vacation at the fictional ‘White Lotus’ resort. In both seasons, the opening scene is quite morbid—showing either a casket or a dead body to begin the mystery. The first season took place in Hawaii, while the most recent season took place in Sicily, Italy.
its official debut on HBO.
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White added more cultural elements to the second season. The casting was both Italian and American, and there were large portions of the show spoken in Italian.
The storylines this season were more complex as well, as the writing dove deeper into the downsides of being wealthy and focused on relationships built off of lust and power. Two couples who are at the resort, Ethan (Will Sharpe) and Harper (Plaza), along with Cameron (James) and Daphne (Meghann Fahy), are prime examples of this.
Both couples are cheating on each other, either all of the time, as is seen in Cameron and Daphne’s relationship, or just once for Harper and Ethan. The two couples are also polar opposites; Harper is a politically active lawyer along with Ethan, but Daphne and Cameron cannot even recall if they voted. This dynamic and intense storyline can be interpreted in many different ways; this can be seen as White’s criticism of wealthy people being out of touch with reality.
Tanya (Coolidge) also has an intriguing plot line. Tanya is the only returning character from season one, and Coolidge’s performance is just as spectacular. Her character is aloof and dramatic which brings comedy to the show.
Following the Di Grasso family, the third storyline is quite comical as well. The grandfather Bert (F. Murray Abraham), the father Dominic (Micheal Imperioli) and the son Albie (Adam DiMarco) are all in the complicated Di Grasso family. Albie and Dominic end up having relationships with Mia (Grannò) and Lucia (Tabasco).
The story between these five people becomes messy, creating suspense and humor in the show. The narrative with the family and the girls ends up adding a complex web of relationships, which makes for witty and suspenseful dialogue.
Mia and Lucia are two very interesting characters this season. They make appearances in the Di Grasso’s story as well as those of Ethan, Harper, Cameron and Daphne. These two cause the most trouble, but they come out unscathed, which makes them very likable characters.
The show is creative, balanced and beautifully executed. I would recommend this season to all appropriate audiences.