White Lotus Season 2

Submitted by spectacleskeptic t3_z5uzg9 in television

I was hesitant about watching season 2. While I enjoyed season 1, there seemed to be a lot of hype going into the second season, and I was worried that the show was buying into its own hype and hastily just putting out more content without thought to quality.

I just watched the first four episodes, and I am pleasantly surprised. I think I even like it more than season 1--it feels more cohesive somehow. The acting is tremendous and the fashion/scenery are to die for.

So, if you're like me and were holding off on this season, give it a go!

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ChangeUpstairs3352 t1_ixy4awd wrote

I never doubted it, Mike White is really passionate for this show & I knew it would be great.

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soundslikemitchell t1_iy2il07 wrote

As a member of the audio post team for White Lotus, I can tell you everyone who works on it cares tremendously for this show. Mike White’s passion drives us all to tell the story as best we can.

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Mentoman72 t1_ixzq4to wrote

Agreed, I think it's well crafted and surpassing season one. The setting is a lot more interesting imo.

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KennyKatsu t1_iy0ulnv wrote

I like the characters more in this season too. Harper and Dom are my favorites

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theangryfurlong t1_iy1jv7n wrote

The Italian actress who plays Lucia is stunning. At first I thought Aubrey Plaza would just be too much Aubrey Plaza, but I must admit she has been great in this role - I think we are getting to see more acting range from her than before.

I wouldn't say it's better than the first season, but I'm really enjoying it. I think the characters and relationships in S1 were more interesting, but that's looking back on the entire season. Still looking forward to seeing where S2 goes.

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fvalt05 t1_ixz136z wrote

It is so good. I love the relationships this year and the gorgeous locations.

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cactusmaac t1_ixzs9xy wrote

I prefer it to season 1, there are a lot more characters I am interested in. The hotel manager is my favourite, wish she was featured more.

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Rururaspberry t1_iy0rj7w wrote

I also held off for a few weeks and then watched all the available episodes last week. It is way better than I expected and basically all of my worries about a second season went away instantly. Character writing is top-notch, acting is great, cinematography is beautiful, music is perfect. Doesn’t feel like a rip off of the first season at all.

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Clueless_in_Florida t1_iy1x2q3 wrote

What are the Italian guys up to? I have a feeling that they are going to bankrupt that poor lady.

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queue517 t1_iyboj2w wrote

I definitely think they are running a grift, but I think she is far too self centered to be griftable. Basically a repeat of season 1 but instead of leaving a hopeful spa lady broken spirited she'll just flit out of the grifter's grasp.

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oldcarfreddy t1_iy3nks8 wrote

Hadn't even thought of this, but since so much of this season is about secrets, now you have amped me up and made me even more interested...

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Flimsy-Intern4750 t1_iy3oof2 wrote

And there is a story about dead reach women who had lived there on the island. There was the same reason money. Maybe these gays are reach cause they are taking old ladies money. This is only an speculation.

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Clueless_in_Florida t1_iy3vax0 wrote

I didn't catch that. Who mentioned the dead ladies? I suspect the guys may be who ends up dead.

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Flimsy-Intern4750 t1_iy78yop wrote

In 4 th EP the old Lady was talking with this gay and meanwhile Portia was talking to Chad.

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CaroylOldersee t1_iy0cfvm wrote

Agreed this season is better than the first; I definitely am liking the majority of the characters more than the first and Jennifer Coolidge’s character is a nice return. I want to sympathize with her to a degree, but I also really want to slap her and tell her how dysfunctional she is and that her taste in men suck. It’s like girl, stop! It’s you, ultimately.

Anyway, looking forward to season 3. Hoping it’s as fast a turnaround as this season.

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bicameral_mind t1_iy278l8 wrote

Loved season 1 and agree season 2 might be edging it out. I would say season 1 felt more humorous and at times absurd with a bit less edge. Season 2 borders on horror at times for how much anxiety it gives me.

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InspectorMendel t1_ixytnd4 wrote

Why would you think that the hype would diminish the quality of the show? Do you think TV creators intentionally put out subpar content just because they think they can get away with it?

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ImposterSyndrome_ t1_iy0hddo wrote

It’s happened many, many times before. The hype does two things: 1) condense creative and production timeline and 2) sets a new standard + pressure. Those two things generally don’t mix. That’s why sophomore slump is a term across sports, music, film and television.

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InspectorMendel t1_iy0m3n8 wrote

I think sophomore slump is a thing because people (particularly music acts) have many years to develop their first release, but much less time to create a followup which will be held to the same standard.

A compressed timeline can be harmful, and I guess that can happen if some money guy gets worried about catching the hype before it fades, but I think that’s pretty rare. Seems like White Lotus had a normal amount of time between seasons in any case.

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oldgeek123 t1_iy0pccj wrote

Sometimes too much time is harmful too. West World and GRR Martin’s writing between his books are good examples of that. Sometimes if you have too much time you over think it and get in your own way.

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williamthebloody1880 t1_iy3l1l3 wrote

With The White Lotus, it's the other way round. HBO, worried about running out of new content due to pandemic shutdowns, asked Mike White, who is known to write quickly, for a show that could go into production quickly and be filmed in a Covid safe manner. Season 2, as you noted, had a normal production cycle

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GaryTheCabalGuy t1_iy0xr59 wrote

The good thing about White Lotus is that the actual story is relatively simple, so it might not need years to develop. It's all about the characters, and Mike White seems to have a good ability to create interesting characters that people enjoy watching interact with eachother.

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oldcarfreddy t1_iy3mmbk wrote

Exactly. See: Game of Thrones, and The Walking Dead, each of which two very different ways but in both cases it was because of pressures to keep it going. GOT went off the railes while TWD became a slow, boring, painful drama to keep the series going as long as possible.

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oldgeek123 t1_iy0p0f2 wrote

It’s not that they intentionally do it. Nobody puts out lesser quality on purpose, it just can happen when you either are high on your ego which leads into pretentious bullshit (West World) or when the pressure and expectation is so high you crumble with the anxiety which can lead to writers block and stifles the creative juices.

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bruddahmacnut t1_iy1qqnk wrote

> Do you think TV creators intentionally put out subpar content just because they think they can get away with it?

True Detective has entered the chat.

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BernardJordan t1_iy1jah4 wrote

Could do without Coolidge.

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ChrisRedfieldfanboy t1_iy2eqi8 wrote

There are a number of hilarious scenes with her.

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A_cold_fire t1_iy2ptzv wrote

Do you have something cute to wear? ….. Are you sure? Love how casually cruel her character is.

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37Schmeckles t1_iy1uyey wrote

I actually reckon its massively underrated on imdb.

Im fussy as fuck and dont really enjoy much these days ans this shows an instant watch for me the moment its out.

9/10 show. Cant out my finger on why exactly, but theres something just brilliant and polished about it.

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oldcarfreddy t1_iy3mrz6 wrote

What sticks out to me is great writing, and complex characters. Easy to describe but hard to pull off in a finished product (most shows for many reason become cookie cutter despite writers and creators who I'm sure can do much better).

Of course there's more. The camera work is amazing, the score it perfect, the actors are all fantastic, and the direction and pacing is great. I remember watching one of the recaps of White Lotus before an episode this season and it had this goofy sitcom-y soundtrack that completely undercut the drama of the moments that it was summarizing, and I couldn't help thinking that this show in any other hands would basically just be a quirky Netflix soap opera without any of the dramatic tension.

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37Schmeckles t1_iy523cu wrote

Bro that soundtrack is killer underrated. Like, it NAILS the tone. Sometimes with an interaction, its such an oddball character point that youre honestly not quite sure what to think of it, then the soundtrack lets you know the tone and you realise you’re on track with whats going on.

Its just perfectly complimentary. And actually gorgeous too. The italian music in the last ep was fantastix. Makes me want to dive into italian music hehe

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ndoty_sa t1_iy2krz1 wrote

I’m all caught up and definitely enjoying ss2 over 1, but can somebody please explain how Coolidge gets so much love? I honestly can’t stand to watch or hear her, whether here or in The Watcher or elsewhere. I’m baffled.

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treacle2020 t1_iy7m2xb wrote

It's sooooo good, even better than season 1. I am super picky and don't like much TV. Has anyone noticed than they've presented Tanya /Coolidge in a slightly more sympathetic light this season, she was something of an object of ridicule in season 1. Perhaps because it was such a popular character. I am dying to see the last two episodes but glad I have to wait as I don't want it to end!

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RebootJobs t1_iy0eu0t wrote

So far I like S2 way more than S1.

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youneedtoregister t1_iy4n12z wrote

My concern about S2 stands - what I really enjoyed from S1 was the friction between the resort employees and those that stay at the resort, and also the resort employees interacting with each other sans guests.

I'm enjoying S2 immensely (especially the intro, which took a couple of listens to grow on me), but it looks like I'm probably in the minority for preferring S1 over S2 so far.

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quintessential-cake t1_iyc07op wrote

I've really been enjoying season 2! But... some of the "reveals" are starting to get repetitive in my opinion if ya know what I mean. It's starting to feel a bit tropey to me because of that but overall I really love this season.

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Lil_Mcgee t1_ixylz6w wrote

How much of the experience do you think I'd be missing out on by skipping season 1?

I know it's mostly a new story save for one or two recurring characters. I'm mainly concerned that there might be lines or references that spoil the first season in case I decided I wanted to go back afterwards.

I just really want to see Michael Imperioli and I don't want to have to wait lol.

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travelsnake t1_ixz12fw wrote

Honestly, why skip the first season? There is a whole character who is pretty much an ongoing reference to the first season. Plus, the first season is fantastic and the second season is turning out just as good. The show has an atmosphere about it that is quite unlike anything else I have ever seen, aside from Mad Dogs, which is from the same producer or showrunner (i think).

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LostOnTheRiver718 t1_iy44z2v wrote

Which producer? Not sure about the connection to Mad Dogs except some cast.

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travelsnake t1_iy4d3x4 wrote

I was mistaken. Damn, I thought for sure there had to be a connection. Not just the cast, but the overall vibe of that show is very similar to White Lotus. Highly recommend it, though. It's a fantastic show.

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Lil_Mcgee t1_ixz1xpz wrote

> I just really want to see Michael Imperioli and I don't want to have to wait lol.

There are so many good shows and not nearly enough time to watch them all. I can't really binge things like I could when I was a teenager.

I may still decide to watch the first season but my interest in the show is rooted almost entirely in a season 2 casting decision so I'm having to mull it over a bit.

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travelsnake t1_ixz3j6a wrote

You're just missing out, that's for sure. Michael Imperioli is good (as usual), but he is not carrying the show by any means. I stand by the fact that you have to enjoy this show in chronological order. It plays with your expectations and while the storyarchs are self contained, there are clear parallels and call backs. Also, with one of the characters you're missing half of the story if you skip season 1.

It's a quick watch anyway. 8 episodes if I'm not mistaken.

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Lil_Mcgee t1_ixz3sx0 wrote

Well that's what I was hoping to find out by asking.

Will take your opinion into consideration.

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MrPotatoDead20 t1_ixzftz3 wrote

>There are so many good shows and not nearly enough time to watch them all.

Well then I guess the only answer is to partially watch several shows /s

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Starbuck522 t1_ixzaxfp wrote

I think it's FINE to just watch the second season! I have not finished season 2, but I can only think of one scene with the recurring character that really has anything to do with the first season, but it will just come and go , probably without you even noticing.

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AnacharsisIV t1_ixzug0t wrote

There are so many good shows these days but few of them have more than like 12 episodes per season. You don't have to binge the show: 1 hour a day for about two weeks seems reasonable to me, but even if time was limited you could double up instead of binging and be done in a week; assuming, of course, you enjoy the show.

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Apoc_Dreams t1_ixzbbwr wrote

Wtf just watch the first season lol. It’s 6 episodes and it’s fantastic

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blindedbyhindsight t1_ixymw4a wrote

You dont need to have seen S1, it has 2 characters from the first season, but the story is totally new, and no relevant refereances are made.

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Lil_Mcgee t1_ixynb6e wrote

Awesome, thank you.

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Thiscat t1_ixzkslt wrote

Yeah I think their relationship and history are explained during this season as well.

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Empeor_Nap_oleon t1_iy0h7c7 wrote

They are not though? So much of the relationship is left unsaid. Watching s1 is important to see how the relationship started.

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BillMurrie t1_iy0rr15 wrote

You're getting a lot of shitty answers and downvotes, but you absolutely do not have to watch season 1 to jump into this right now

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Lil_Mcgee t1_iy4f5hl wrote

Haha not sure why it seemed to piss people off so much.

Probably will watch season 1 at this point but thank you.

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Sunflower2025 t1_iy06uw8 wrote

Do yourself a favor and watch Season 1. It's a very quick watch

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RBlomax38 t1_ixzse16 wrote

You won’t really miss anything. Only one returning character and I don’t think you’ll miss out much of her development if you really want to just jump into season 2

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Interactive_CD-ROM t1_ixztlzy wrote

It’s a good show. That said, the constantly ridiculously attractive people trying to normalize and romanticize sex and adultery rubs me the wrong way.

It’s just a personal thing, probably some PTSD from my previous relationships.

But yes, it’s very good.

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MR_TELEVOID t1_iy07yxw wrote

Sex and adultery is already pretty normalized, tho. The White Lotus is actually pretty critical of it's character's behavior.

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Mediocre_Nova t1_iy0dn9h wrote

I don't think you understand the show

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Interactive_CD-ROM t1_iy0gvss wrote

I guess I don’t

If I understood it, would that make me like it more? It just rubs me the wrong way

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oldgeek123 t1_iy0pli0 wrote

The adultery is clearly viewed in a negative light. It isn’t depicted in a sexy way at all but a critical one.

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Interactive_CD-ROM t1_iy0zck4 wrote

I suppose that is true

Maybe it’s the way they portray the characters doing the cheating, like if course they have to be overtly sexual and ridiculously attractive.

I mean, I get it, but I also think it’s just like… idk, trying to fulfill the viewer’s dream of hooking up with someone super hot? Like romanticizes the idea? I wish there were more straight men (in the acting sense) to relate to. Give me a normal human being, I suppose.

I don’t care all that much. I do like the show, I think I just need to see a therapist lmao

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NoDiver7283 t1_iy1ww36 wrote

dont be scared to share your opinion, it's just downvotes who cares

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[deleted] t1_iy2kavz wrote

[deleted]

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oldgeek123 t1_iy3dqn1 wrote

I did not, but that is interesting having read that comment chain (I have no problem with spoilers hehe). I haven't watched that one yet, but the way it sounds and from what was said in the episode before we kind of knew she cheated on him as well. It's clear that relationship is toxic and the "intimacy and closeness" they have is completely fake.

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BillMurrie t1_iy0raqx wrote

Adultery is kind of the point of this season, emphasized with those weird totems that were explained to us in EP 1. If that's not your cup of tea, I totally get it, depictions of cheating make me uncomfortable too, but the showrunners clearly have a vision of how they want these characters depicted. They're not glorifyin it though, I'm not sure that there's a single sympathetic character in the show, and that's the point they're trying to drive home. Think 'Its Always Sunny' but in a dramedy.

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Mediocre_Nova t1_iy0xxzs wrote

The characters aren't supposed to be likeable, the first season's cast wasn't either

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