‘The White Lotus’ Season 2 Takes Things Up A Notch!

On Sunday, October 30 2022, the second season of the critically acclaimed drama show The White Lotus premiered on HBO Max. This time, Mike White adds more coal to the fiery drama from the debut season as The White Lotus heads to Sicily from Hawaii.  

As we learn from the sophomore season's introductory scene, several honorable guests could meet their maker by the season's end as they get what's coming to them.

Besides that, White's plot exploration reaches greater heights as he deviates from race and class to sexual politics issues embodied in new interesting casts and a few returning from the previous season.

The second season of The White Lotus sees a set of new characters in the luxurious resort set in beautiful Sicily, Italy. Let's take a look at the new season's cast, including some returning stars.

The Primetime Emmy Award winner Jennifer Coolidge is one of the few stars who reprises her role from the show's premiere. Coolidge's Tanya was a recurring character who journeyed to The White Lotus, Hawaii, to bury her mother's ashes. That's where she met her husband, Greg Hunt, who accepted her with all her quirks. 

This season, Tanya travels to Sicily with her newlywed husband for a romantic getaway.

Jon Gries’ Greg was a guest character in the previous season, a terminally ill well-off man who falls in love with Tanya. 

We'll be seeing more of Greg this season as he explores his newfound relationship that leaves a lot to be desired.

Dominic Di Grasso is an adulterous Hollywood producer who travels to Sicily unhindered by his wife and daughter, who hate him and would much rather remain in Los Angeles. 

He continues his tempestuous love affairs with two Sicilian women, Mia (Beatrice Grannò) and Lucia (Simona Tabasco), who are young enough to be his daughters.

Simona Tabasco is an Italian actress who portrays Lucia, a regular visitor of The White Lotus, hoping to get 'work' from its wealthy guests.

Beatrice Grannò is another Italian sensation who plays Mia, a local singer searching for stardom.

Theo James's Cameron is a wealthy businessman who goes to Sicily with his housewife Daphne (Meghann Fahy) and old university friend Ethan (Will Sharpe). 

Cameron's relationship with his wife appears rosy at first but that illusion fades away as the season continues.

Daphne is Cam's pleasant stay-at-home wife who joins him in Sicily together with Ethan and Harper, Ethan’s wife.

Ethan is Cam's friend from college, who acquired his newfound wealth from selling his business for a huge amount. He double dates alongside his buddy with his lawyer wife, Harper (Aubrey Plaza).

Ethan and Harper connect intellectually, but their sex life has taken a back seat, which causes tension in future episodes.

The Parks and Recreation alum portrays Harper, a resting-faced lawyer and Ethan's wife.

Tanya can’t hold it together without her assistant Portia. Dealing with Tanya’s emotional turmoil hampers Portia’s hopes of kicking back at the exotic getaway. 

However, the introduction of Quentin (Tom Hollander), a prosperous gay English guy and his sappy nephew Jack (Leo Woodall) spice things up in later episodes.

Quentin owns a lavish villa in Palermo. He visits the resort with his audacious nephew Jack.

Jack’s handsome face also tells how cheeky he can get. We can only hope the chap doesn’t end up in a ditch!

Sabrina Impacciatore is an Italian star who casts as Valentina, the manager of The White Lotus resort in Sicily. She leads with an iron fist and expects nothing but perfection from her employees. 

Her patience for men, as for her staff is thin, which makes her acutely lonely, stemming from her inability to live genuinely and be accepted as she is and not as people expect from her.

Bert is Dominic’s father who accompanies him to Sicily. Bert doesn’t let anything, not even his declining health put him down.

Albie is Dominic’s son, a college graduate who joins his father and grandfather in Sicily to bridge their strained relationship.

Like the debut, the show's second season is expected to feature six episodes. Episode 1, 'Ciao', dropped on HBO Max on Sunday, October 30, with the rest following a weekly release schedule. 

So, the second episode, 'Italian Dream', will debut next Sunday, November 6 and the third, 'Bull Elephants', on Sunday, November 13.

The show's creator Mike White, hinted at the third installment shooting in Japan and featuring returning characters from the first and second seasons. 

Like the second season's Italy location, the third season will lean into the local culture. You'll notice that some of season two's dialogue is in Italian, translated by Chiara Nanni, White’s assistant.