White Lotus S2 Review
Where S1 sent us into an inner discussion on White privilege and how even with seemingly good intentions, privileged people can often end up causing harm to those that are lesser privileged. This season the topic drifts towards sex and how various people treat their sexual desires as well as how some people’s lives get consumed and destroyed by their desires and hunger for it.
Sex is used in various ways in the three-story arcs as well as for each character. There is a conflict for Dominic between his obsession and his guilt in wanting to save his marriage. There is a lack of sex in the spillers leading to self-doubts and suspicion leading to darker places for the couple.
Cast — The only(main) character who returns from season 1 is Jennifer Coolidge as Tanya who is a show stealer. The last episode is a riot with her spiraling figuratively and literally after uncovering the truth. The next main attraction in the 2nd season is Aubrey Plaza as Harper who plays the most relatable character in terms of how we see everything going south around us in the world and yet wonders how some people are unaffected by any of it. She is judgemental about her issues. Aubrey and Will Sharpe as her husband Ethan make a curious pair. Their chemistry does not work as well as Theo James and Meghann Fahy as Cameron and Daphne but the chemistry not working is also what makes the characters tick. The paternal set of Di Grasso is played well by Murray Abraham, Michael Imperioli, and Adam DiMarco but of the three it is Michale as Dominic who steals the show from the other two with his conflicted life and obsession with sex.
Sabrina as Valentina the hotel manager does not have as memorable a part as the first season manager but still manages to shine through in her part. Of the rest, Beatrice Granno as Mia makes her character interesting through her take on it.
Spoiler Discussion —
Di Grasso Family: The sex-obsessed family(Yes, all three) are the ones who lose the least in this season and go back happier and better than the rest of the people in the hotel. Dominic’s character appears to show guilt and remorse after his latest affair is caught but we are not shown if this is new for him to feel guilt or if this is just another episode. Albie seems to follow his family legacy in letting his cock think and ends up losing money but for these super-rich families, what does losing a little money mean?
Spillers: This is the darkest the show has gone so far. From being judgemental of the Sullivans to becoming them by the end of the show is something we all hoped they would not become. Yet, the little insecurities Harper has over her body and Ethan’s doubts about his wife’s infidelity lead them to darker places where there is no turning back. The couple’s story is stereotyped as the husband losing interest in having sex vs porn discussion. Their timings appear to also affect them but the underlying truth is that they just seem to have lost interest in sex with each other. Rekindling that passion and saving their marriage, for now, seemed to work but it required a dark turn for them personally. What will they do if they need more spark a few years down the road? A repeat of the same? Have they truly become the Sullivans or was it a one-off? These questions remain unanswered but we all hoped Ethan did not follow Daphne to the caves. Yet, he did!
Tanya’s story is total fun including her assistant Portia. Portia plays the girl every innocent guy loves to hate. Be with the nicer guy but eventually chose the seemingly more adventurous and dangerous guy to finally fall on her ass. Tanya does not seem to do much wrong here in this particular season except for her choice of husband in the first season. Yet, she goes down all guns blazing in an episode for the ages. I wish she somehow survived the fall but it was glorious. Portio though seemed undisturbed by her bosses’ death and it gives an insight into her priorities in life.
