Something sinister is coming for the beaches of Sicily. The White Lotus Season 2 opener introduced a new cast of vacationers (plus Jennifer Coolidge), but there’s plenty of mystery left to unfurl at this luxury Italian resort as we head into Episode 2.
And while you wait for White Lotus Season 2 Episode 2, here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming entry, along with our recap for Episode 1.
When is The White Lotus Season 2 Episode 2’s release date?
The White Lotus Season 2 Episode 2 will arrive on HBO and HBO Max on Sunday, November 6, 2022.
What is The White Lotus Season 2 Episode 2’s release time?
The White Lotus airs at 9 p.m. Eastern on HBO and HBO Max each Sunday.
How many episodes is The White Lotus Season 2?
Season 2 of The White Lotus will include seven episodes in total. After this week, there will be five episodes remaining.
What is the plot of The White Lotus Season 2 Episode 2?
Nothing specific to Season 2 Episode 2, “Italian Dream,” has been unveiled, but we can make some guesses based on the first episode, as well as the trailer and teaser for the season as a whole. For one, Tanya might begin to suspect that something sneaky is going on with her husband. That being said, the official HBO description for this episode describes Tanya and Greg spending more time together, as she expects her trip to be a perfect romantic getaway.
As for the couples, there will likely be more social anxieties as they try to spend time together, as well as the sexual tension between Cameron, who is clearly being salacious; and Harper, who seems a little intrigued. Plus, Cameron also seems like the type to rope Ethan into some trouble. For the Di Grasso men, Albie will probably have to deal with the lustful tendencies of both his father and grandfather, and maybe he’ll have more contact with Portia.
On top of all that, there are still two characters (played by Tom Hollander and Leo Woodall) who have yet to be introduced, so perhaps they will appear in this week’s installment.
Who is in The White Lotus Season 2’s cast?
The White Lotus Season 2 boasts a stellar cast that includes two returnees from Season 1 — Jennifer Coolidge and Jon Gries as the now-married guests Tanya and Greg, who are in Sicily on vacation together. Then there’s Michael Imperioli as Dominic Di Grasso, F. Murray Abraham as Bert Di Grasso, and Adam DiMarco as Albie Di Grasso. As for the married couples, Aubrey Plaza and Will Sharpe play Harper and Ethan Spiller, and Meghann Fahey and Theo James play couple Daphne and Cameron Babcock. Haley Lu Richardson is Tanya’s assistant Portia, Sabrina Impacciatore is resort manager Valentina, Simona Tabasco is local call-girl Lucia, and Beatrice Grannò is Mia, Lucia’s shier her best friend. Tom Hollander is set to be Quentin, and Leo Woodall will be a compelling mystery guest.
Is there a The White Lotus Season 2 Episode 2 trailer?
Not exactly, but HBO did release a trailer after Episode 1 teasing what’s coming next in Season 2. You can watch it exclusively on HBO. The video reveals lots of details, including Tanya asking for a local psychic to see if her husband truly loves her, Daphne and Harper leaving their husbands alone at the resort while they go on a day trip, Dominic hosting the Sicilian girls in his hotel room, Albie confronting his dad about his recklessness, Cameron and Ethan partying with the Sicilian girls, and someone holding a pistol.
What happened in The White Lotus Season 2 Episode 1?
Season 2 of The White Lotus, “Ciao,” opens on a scenic beach in Sicily. However, as resort guest Daphne wades into the ocean, she bumps into a floating corpse. As paramedics arrive on the scene, word spreads among the staff that a guest (or guests) has drowned.
We then flashback to one week prior, as all of the guests arrive to be greeted by the resort staff and manager, Valentina, with celebratory glasses of champagne. Two local Sicilian girls, Lucia and Mia, onlook as the foreigners unload onto the dock, because Lucia, a call girl, is a patron of one of the new guests, but she doesn’t know who yet.
At the resort, Season 1 returnee Tanya is ushered into the resort lobby to meet her husband, Greg, who has apparently been ghosting her recently. When Greg sees that Tanya brought her assistant, Portia, with her to their romantic vacation, he’s annoyed. Tanya then tells Portia to get lost but stay close by (aka, stay in her hotel room for the entirety of the trip). Later, when Greg and Tanya try to get intimate in the bedroom, things don’t go well. Meanwhile, resort manager Valentina chases Lucia and Mia out, clearly recognizing them as non-guests.
We meet the three men of the Di Grasso family: grandfather Bert, father Dominic, and son Albie. As they are escorted into their rooms, Bert makes uncomfortable advances toward the hotel employee. His son and grandson are grossed out and tell him he’s harassing her. Bert just says he likes to flirt. Dominic later calls his wife (surprisingly voiced by Laura Dern!), but clearly she, along with their daughter, wants nothing to do with him, and it’s hinted at that infidelity is the culprit.
Couples Harper and Ethan Spiller and Daphne and Cameron Babcock spend an awkward first day together, trying to socialize and figure each other out. Ethan, a quiet hard worker whose company recently sold for a ton of money, and Cameron, a privileged party man, were college roommates. Ethan’s wife, Harper, is a smart, cynical labor lawyer, and Cameron’s wife, Daphne, is a bubbly, ditzy stay-at-home mom. It’s clear they come from very different social circles. Daphne and Cameron, for example, don’t vote or follow current events, which horrifies Harper.
When Harper and Cameron go up to one of their hotel rooms to grab sunscreen and a borrowed bathing suit, Harper is shocked when Cameron gets fully undressed behind her, in full view of a mirror, as he changes into swim trunks. Neither acknowledges it, but Harper later tells her husband about it.
By the pool, Portia is crying on the phone to a friend about her situation. She then meets Albie. They come from very different backgrounds — he’s a Stanford University graduate on vacation with his wealthy family and she’s a state school grad on a work trip with a torturous, psycho boss. Still, they seem to hit it off — right before Albie’s grandfather falls and they rush to help him.
At dinner, more tensions arise. The Di Grasso’s sit down for dinner and Bert hits on the server. Albie and Portia share a flirty smile from across the room, but when Tanya notices Portia, she motions for her to leave, so that Greg doesn’t see her. Harper feels embarrassed for acting rigid in front of Daphne and Cameron. Lucia dresses Mia in a revealing dress and makeup in the bathroom, and they sneak inside the cocktail bar. Cameron points out to Ethan that they’re local hookers. Lucia eventually leaves to go upstairs to her client’s room. When the hotel piano player asks Mia how much she is, she throws a drink in his face for mistaking her to be a call girl.
Back in their room for the night, Tanya overhears Greg whispering on the phone to someone while he’s in the bathroom. When she asks, he dismisses it as a work call. Ethan and Harper reflect on their day, sitting quietly in bed next to each other, while they hear Cameron and Daphne playfully scream and jump on the bed in the room next door. And by the end of the night, it’s revealed that Lucia’s customer is none other than Dominic.
Will there be a White Lotus Season 3?
Nothing has been announced by HBO or show creator Mike White about a third season of The White Lotus. For context, Season 2 was renewed by the network about a month after the first season began.
Still, with the critical acclaim and public success of the anthology series, there’s a solid chance that there will be more White Lotus in the future should White want to continue it — and he has said he does. And if so, will Jennifer Coolidge be there again? We sure hope so, but until then, we’ll have to wait and see what drama unfolds this season in Italy each Sunday night.