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The White Lotus Season 2 Review

The second season of The White Lotus premiered in 2022 on HBO Max. It is not just another amazing season of this great show, but one that is even better than its predecessor.

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“Is that what happens when you’re rich for too long?

Your brain just atrophies“

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The first season was sit in Hawaii and it dealt with themes ranging from class relations to privilege to social justice warriors. This second season is set in Sicily and its concerns are somewhat different this time around. It brilliantly sets itself apart from the original by focusing on more individual themes and characters. The main theme is human relationships, in particular focusing on sexual dynamics between the sexes.

The only character who returned is Tanya, played superbly by the one and only Jennifer Coolidge. She is just as campy and as crazy as before, and her story is actually more outlandish this time around. How she met her end was both sad and hilarious. The over-the-top antics that she got herself into were so funny and some of her remarks were truly hysterical. The season both empathized with and criticized her, and she remains a fascinating figure within this show’s mythology.

Portia as her clueless assistant was also interesting, though not as well developed as most of the other characters. Both of her romances were actually very well developed. As for the entire crime subplot that ended up being the main mystery of the show, it was gloriously unsubtle and very unique. How many times have we seen gay gangsters in Italy going after wealthy older women? The results were truly unforgettable.

The Di Grasso family of three men of different generations represents this highly grounded and truthful satirization of men. Albie acts like your typical modern SJW, but it is eventually revealed that he isn’t all that different from his family after all when it comes to his relationships with women. He is one of the most annoying characters on the show. Dominic is your standard cheating husband archetype and Bert is an old geezer womanizer. The series cleverly depicted the age gap as being superfluous to biology, which means that men are all alike after all.

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The show also criticizes women and their frequently abhorrent behavior. Daphne and Harper represent these very different women, both dealing with cheating in unhealthy ways. The former conceals it and acts as if it never happened while the latter obsesses over the smallest details, being jealous all the time and insecure to the extreme. Aubrey Plaza’s performance is by far the best of the bunch. She has always been a phenomenal actress, but here she delivered her best work yet. She effortlessly sold through her highly emotive acting the character’s inner turmoil and the emotions that range from anger to frustration to jealousy.

Ethan is a clueless idiot. Probably the most likable character of the bunch, he is still not a good partner at all, and watching their relationship was quite tough and awkward at times. Cameron is obviously very easy to hate as this cocky, handsome guy who has it all and is not afraid to rub it in everybody’s faces. Jack is a tragic figure as this guy who is connected with the gay mafia and cannot escape it.

The show is authentic for featuring an Italian cast of characters along with the Americans. Mia and Lucia are these immensely unlikable prostitutes who would stop at nothing to get what they want. They are depicted realistically nonetheless. But Valentina is one of the standouts as this tragic figure. She is a no-nonsense hotel manager who is refreshingly honest toward her guests, but her softer side is eventually shown when we see that she’s this lonely lesbian who’s never had a girlfriend.

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The White Lotus can get overly melodramatic and soapy toward the end. The gay mafia subplot is even ridiculous when you think about it. However, the addition of a murder mystery worked as it made the season more intriguing. The gorgeous sun-drenched streets and buildings of Italy are gorgeous to behold while the score is amazing. The opening theme was stunning. The acting performances are superb across the board while the humor is stupendous, especially the mixture of black and cringe humor. The dialogue is easily the show’s biggest strength as it’s incredibly realistic to the point that you will as if you are watching real people talking.