The White Lotus season 2 review: A worthwhile follow up

The White Lotus season one was one of my favorite shows of last year, so getting another season with a majority of a new cast in a different city has me excited. Does it live up to season one? I share my thoughts on season two below.

The White Lotus season 2 takes place at a resort in Sicily that, like season one, will follow a host of guests that check in along with employees from within the country. The series sees the return of writer/director Mike White with cast members including F. Murray Abraham, Theo James, Aubrey Plaza, Haley Lu Richardson, and the returning Jennifer Coolidge.

Let me start by saying that if you weren’t a fan of the slow pacing of season one, you might not want to check out season two. It begins with us in the water with someone finding a body, and we return to the guest first arriving at the resort. Throughout the season, we get to know the principal characters and their potential involvement in the story.

Speaking of the principal cast, what made season one as good as it was, was the cast and how they delivered Mike White’s script. White doesn’t have that typical straightforward script, which is why I love his work. So, you have to find the right people to deliver, and I think they did that here again.

The White Lotus season 2 ensemble cast is amazing

It is down to two sets of people when narrowing down some of my favorite people within the season. First, you have the Di Grasso family, which F. Murray Abraham and Michael Imperioli lead. They play the father/son combination in which the former is a smart-ass older father who finds humor in his son struggling to get his life back together.

Then you have Aubrey Plaza, who plays Harper, a wife of Ethan who just sold his company for a lot of money and is on this trip with her husband’s college roommate Cameron and his wife. Harper is a character that you grow to love over time the more they peel back the layers of her story. Harper shares some rather intense scenes with Cameron, highlighting some great work by James and Plaza.

Another thing that makes The White Lotus so good is how Mike White uses the city as their own character. He incorporates it into his stories that bring out the city, whether that’s the culture difference, wage gap, or language barrier. Sicily is GORGEOUS, and throughout the series, you cannot help but have your breath taken away by the view.

Overall, The White Lotus season 2 is on par with season 1 with its great whodunnit-style mystery that leaves you guessing at every turn. Jennifer Coolidge steals the show as only she can. If you loved season 1, you are in for a real treat with season 2. I hope HBO and Mike White keep making these for years to come.

White Lotus season two debuts on HBO on Oct. 30, 2022.