Nobody captures the emptiness of wealth like HBO. Regardless of genre, no other network is quite so committed to centering the lives of the rich and dissatisfied, from “Succession” to “The Gilded Age” to “House of the Dragon” to “The White Lotus,” the latter of which is back for another season because, just like the ruling class, these shows are firmly assured of their place in the world.
The geography of “The White Lotus” has shifted from Hawaii to Sicily for Season 2, but the setting remains the same: A luxury five-star hotel with its high thread count linens and gleaming surfaces, filled to the gills with bored and restless guests.
Returning is the daffy heiress played by Jennifer Coolidge (who won an Emmy last month for her performance in Season 1; this time out, it’s as if she were cast in a more heightened and clownish show than everyone else) along with the everyman she fell for (Jon Gries) who is now her unhappy husband, wincing at her very presence.
