The White Lotus S2 TV Show Review: Buongiorno in Italy!
The White Lotus Season 2 is another chaotic and satirical look into the fictional lives of the wealthy and privileged. This season, we get transported to The White Lotus in Sicily, which overlooks the Ionian Sea and is a quick drive away from the hustle and bustle of historic, Italian cities. We get introduced to a new group of characters, but we also get to reunite with two familiar faces - Jennifer Coolidge as Tanya and Jon Gries as Greg. Mix together some of the staple elements of season one - murder mystery, quirky characters, dark humor, spectacular vacation views - and you’ve got yourself another hit!
The White Lotus starts out with thick layers of sarcasm, humorous exchanges, and an overall tame vibe. But as the season progresses, things start to get more and more chaotic. This season, in particular, is driven by sex, and characters are found to be making questionable or awful decisions because of it. As the secrets start to pile up, so does my anxiety. Every character is nuanced and layered, to the point where you don’t know what their true intentions are and if they’re ever telling the truth. With the underlying murder mystery, everyone in the cast is pretty much fair game for either being the killer or the killed. I think this show does an excellent job with keeping the viewers on their toes with anticipation, while also keeping us laughing with the dark humor.
I think the cast for this show is amazing per usual. Being set in Italy, I really liked that they hired local Italian actors/actresses to become an integral part of the show. I don’t think I realized before how beautiful Italian is as a language. In terms of characters, I really enjoyed watching Meghann Fahy as Daphne. At first she comes off as happy-go-lucky and ditzy, but the more we get to know her, the more it feels like she might be the smartest one of them all. Not to say that her life choices and decisions are things to strive for, but I think that her ability to make the most of her situation and exude a confidence in herself as a person is really impressive. She may be harboring deep pain, but she has learned to overcome it (or hide it) behind a veneer of smiles and congeniality. Something about that might seem sad…but at the same time, also very strong, and I love that duality about her. Another standout character for me was Michael Imperioli as Dominic. I loved the dynamic between the three generations of men and how hilarious they were as a unit.
I can easily see how The White Lotus is a show that can keep churning out season after season for a long time. There’s so much unlimited potential with this concept. It’s fun to put together a fresh cash of complex characters, set against the backdrop of a beautiful new location. And for the most part, we don’t have to worry about the repercussions and character arcs of the previous season, as every new location is a blank slate of storytelling power. I can’t wait to watch this show continue to evolve and grow in popularity.