The second season of The WhiteLotus is even more phenomenal than the first.A series to enjoy slowly: with Italian villas, wild parties and jealousy.
George BelgersDecember 13, 202211:03
A dead hotel guest, whoever it is, remains in the middle for seven episodes -a week’s vacation. And that against a breathtaking setting, in a luxuriousresort, with a cast full of unsympathetic, spoiled, wealthy American guestsand sulky hotel staff.
The second season of The WhiteLotus does the trick again, this time inSicily instead of Hawaii. With, apart from grand lady Jennifer Coolidge,just the hotel name as common denominator. And: in the first episode there istalk of ‘multiple bodies’, instead of one victim.
Who they are became clear last week. That The WhiteLotus in that last hourmanaged to tie together the threads so carefully spun in the six previousepisodes, is an achievement anyway. We hereby forgive creator Mike White thatthe ending felt a bit rushed, and that the unsubtle denouement is quite out oftune with the slow, sure-fire sultryness of the first six episodes.
Tension and jealousy
Because you might think: the first part was so phenomenal, there is nothing toadd. Now: the second season turns out to be even better. White triumphs withsimply the very best that appeared on the streaming services in the past year.
That’s because of a lot of things. We can mention the soundtrack, thebeautiful shots, the controlled editing, the acting, the great writtendialogues. But above all, it is how tensions, insecurities, jealousies anddesires between the characters are slowly, very slowly, brought to a boilingpoint with taste over seven episodes.
The friends Harper, Daphne, Cameron and Ethan in the second season of TheWhite Lotus.
During the week’s holiday in a luxury resort in Sicily, several storylinesintertwine, but the main one is that of former college buddies Cameron (TheoJames) and Ethan (Will Sharpe), vacationing together with their wives Daphne(Meghann Fahey) and Harper (Aubrey Plaza). The two aren’t really such goodfriends anymore, as it turns out. The more insecure couple of the two areconstantly comparing themselves to the apparently more successful couple.
They’re just people
The powerlessness with which Harper and especially Ethan slide intouncertainty, suspicion and jealousy is fascinating to watch. A highlight isthe scene in which Ethan is alone in his room. In his head he replays whatcould have happened within the walls of his room. He envisions how his wife isdoing with his buddy, but the episode vacillates whether this is real orwhether it’s in his head.
That a lot is not what it seems is the common thread within anyway_WhiteLotus_. Because no matter how rich: these are just people. Well-dressed,beautiful people – but people. With all the uncertainties and shortcomingsthat entails.
Those other storylines: about three generations of Italian-American men whohope to find their roots in Sicily and hope to come closer together. The plotunfolds to seize the family fortune of the insanely naive Tanya, who hasbrought to Sicily her brooding millennial assistant (a phenomenal Haley LuRichardson in the best part of the cast). And then there are the two Sicilianprostitutes Lucia and Mia who deftly weave their way between the plot lines,the hotel guests, and the staff.
Bizarre, yet recognizable
The WhiteLotus is not a series to binge one after the other, it’s one tomunch on slowly, like one first , second followed by a dolce. A seriesto digest afterwards. To, perhaps, learn a lesson. Because even though we arenot wealthy successful Americans who spend thousands of euros on prostitutesor have wild parties in Italian villas without frowning, the dilemmas arerecognizable. Jealousy, the paranoia, the sexism, class difference, privilege:The WhiteLotus is bizarre at times, but often enough deeply human.
The WhiteLotus is a brilliant satire on modern life; with just as much drama(and humour!) as the Italian opera to which it emphatically emulates. Which,like that opera, can only end one way.
The second season of The White Lotus is now available in full on HBOMax.