‘The White Lotus’ Season 2 Episode 2 Non-Spoiler Review – “Italian Dream”

Season 2 of Mike White’s hit HBO multiple Emmy Award-winning satire comedy-drama series, The White Lotus, continues to grace us. With incredible beats and excellent performances from its cast members, you will soon be in shock at what will come.

The second season’s second episode is titled, “Italian Dream”. It is written and directed by Mike White.

In this review, I will be discussing The White Lotus Season 2 Episode 2. There will be no major spoilers here, as the title of this article suggests. Nonetheless, please read ahead at your own discretion.

Please note that I have seen the season’s first five out of seven episodes before their airing to properly understand the small details and the larger picture of the narrative.

Plot Synopsis

According to WarnerMedia, here is the logline for The White Lotus Season 2 Episode 2—“Italian Dream”.

Though Harper (Aubrey Plaza) bristles at Ethan’s (Will Sharpe) suggestion that she’s overly critical, her suspicions are raised when Cameron (Theo James) and Daphne (Meghann Fahy) claim they never fight. Meanwhile, Lucia (Simona Tabasco) and Mia (Beatrice Grannò) take full advantage of their newly acquired hotel guest status, Albie (Adam DiMarco) and Portia (Haley Lu Richardson) (sort of) connect over dinner, and Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) enlists Greg (Jon Gries) to help her live out her perfect day in Sicily… on a Vespa.

WarnerMedia

Discussion

After last weekend’s second season premiere, The White Lotus has now taken some time to settle down. Bovaird, Sprouse, and their team of costumers do a magnificent job at bringing us appealing outfits to appear on-screen. Mia and Lucía’s outfits throughout the episode; Harper Spiller’s light blue and white striped top for breakfast or her black dress for dinner; Portia’s purple sweatshirt that says “No Problems” on it; Tanya McQuoid-Hunt’s “Italian Dream” dress. The women pop out more than the men, although I could also add that Albie Di Grasso has an interesting look with his orange-and-brown striped polo shirt.

At 57 minutes, White puts a well-written teleplay on the screen that further develops the dynamics of his characters. While in the season premiere he establishes his new characters and what they can offer to the table, “Italian Dream” begins to take us through the beats of the story. (Read the plot synopsis above for a hint at what happens.)

Harper Spiller’s suspicions of the Babcocks, notably Cameron, intensify with the two psychological beats in next week’s episode and at least one emotional beat following afterward. Keep an eye out for her dynamic with this character as well as her husband, Ethan Spiller, as there will be a larger reason why we see the Babcocks and the Spillers vacationing together. I appreciated the few beats that begin with Harper’s discussion with one character about her “personality quirk”, followed by a swim in the ocean with another character, and ending with that character’s use of pathos when they tell their dinner table a rather stressful event that happened in their family.

There is also a reason for Greg to grant his partner, Tanya, her Italian Dream. After the course of next week’s episode, White gives us a small beat in the plot followed by a huge change in the interconnected narrative between the guests. This will further affect Portia and Albie’s relationship with each other along with Albie’s relationship with his father, Dominic. Personally, this is one part I feel that the audience should take note of, as there will be drastic repercussions following the end of Episode 205.

White’s Writing

Allow me to extrapolate the topic of White’s writing. As a filmmaker who does both directing and screenwriting alone, as well as executive producing, he does it flawlessly, in comparison with another HBO series creator (of whom the social media public has argued would need a writers’ room). First of all, let me just say that the “Peppa Pig” line didn’t register the first time around, but upon a second and third watch, I caught on and it was absolutely hilarious considering the context. White doesn’t give us much of Valentina (Sabrina Impacciatore) in these first two episodes of The White Lotus Season 2. However, we will get to know her a bit more starting with next week’s episode.

I also appreciate how meticulous the details are. We learn that Ethan Spiller is a morning jogger, which is something that also plays out later episode. This also shows us a much wider reason besides him being someone who likes to jog. It could be argued, then, that the first beat of the teleplay could be why he jogs and how this affects his relationship with his wife. Take note of this small detail in next week’s episode and the episode after, as it could be interesting.

Lucía and Mia’s love for money is also an intriguing element of the narrative. For the former character, it is not certain just exactly why she engages in sexual relations in exchange for money. Although, the first shot of the girls in the season premiere might provide a hint. This is something that will play out in the fifth episode and possibly later in the season. As for Mia, it is not so much the money that she is concerned about but rather what she needs the money for or the means she takes to earn it.

Themes That Can Go Over Your Heads

Further along in the episode, the Babcocks and Spillers discuss one couple’s honeymoon location along with Harper’s ethnic background. The two couples bring up Puerto Rico and its political status as a United States territory. This is an interesting detail that is not explored much in the first five episodes of the season that I’ve seen.

I do find some significance in the inclusion of this, which could not be done in the first season due to Hawaii’s political status as a State. It would be interesting if White had Season 1 take place on a different island such as Guam, which is a United States territory, much like Puerto Rico. Moreover, the inclusion of Puerto Rico as a topic serves to provide a disparity between the two couples through their viewpoints on land as solely aesthetics or for meaningful value.

During a meal with Albie, Portia speaks of her purpose for coming to Sicily. She brings up her desire for a sense of adventure, which subtly foreshadows a crucial plot point for her starting at the end of next week’s episode. This changes the course of the two characters’ dynamic drastically, although for now, I cannot explain how or why.

Portia also brings up social media and mobile applications, which leads to an excellent yet obsolete type of monologue about digital technology and the era in which it has human beings living (or shall I say, “living”). It is intricacies such as this that White sprinkles in during these first two episodes that viewers might not pay much attention to but are still important to understand. This is why I enjoy the writing of his series.

The Crew Behind The White Lotus Season 2 

The White Lotus is created by Mike White.

Mark Kamine, David Bernad, and Mike White are the executive producers. John M. Valerio, Heather Persons, and Todd Brown are the producers, while Marco Valerio Pugini and Ute Leonhardt serve as the co-executive producers.

Xavier Grobet is the director of photography, with Frank Larson on additional cinematography. Persons serves as the editor. Bob Allen serves as the assistant editor.

Cristobal Tapia de Veer returns to score the music of the series. Kim Neundorf serves as the additional composer. Gabe Hilfer serves as the music supervisor. Mikael Sandgren is the music editor. Henry van Roden is the music coordinator, while Evan M. Greenspan works on the music clearances.

Meredith Tucker is the casting director for the series. Francesco Vedovati and Barbara Giordani serve as the Italian casting directors. Joe Gery serves as the US casting associate.

Aesthetics

Alex Bovaird is the costume designer. Brian Sprouse serves as the assistant costume designer. Erminia Melato, Lisa Crescioli, and Paola Stefanelli are the costumers of the series.

Rebecca Hickey is the head of the make-up department. Federica Emidi is the key make-up artist. Francesca Antonetti and Rosa Saba are the make-up artists. Ilenia Fanciulli, Claudia Pompili, Federico Meniconi, Cecilia Proiette, Ambra Samrau, and Annalisa Parisi serve as the additional make-up artists.

Miia Kovero is the head of the hair department. Elena Gregorini is the key hairstylist, while Italo Di Pinto is the hairstylist. Armandina Bernandini is the additional hairstylist.

Cristina Onori serves as the production designer, while Federica Salatino is the assistant production designer. Gianpaolo Rifino serves as the supervising art director, while Silvia Colafranceschi is the art director. David Orlandelli is the storyboard artist. Letizia Santucci is the set decorator, while Luisa Iemma is the senior assistant set decorator. Fabiana Rizzi and Giorgio Pizzuti are the assistant set decorators.

Fabio Lovino is the stills photographer, with Francesca D’Angelo as the stills photographer assistant.

The Cast of The White Lotus Season 2

F. Murray Abraham portrays Bert Di Grasso. Adam DiMarco plays Albie Di Grasso. Michael Imperioli portrays Dominic Di Grasso.

Jennifer Coolidge and Jon Gries portray Tanya McQuoid-Hunt and Greg. Haley Lu Richardson portrays Portia, Tanya’s assistant from San Francisco.

Meghann Fahy and Theo James portray Daphne and Cameron, respectively. Aubrey Plaza and Will Sharpe portray Harper and Ethan Spiller, respectively.

Beatrice Grannò and Simona Tabasco portray Mia and Lucía, respectively. Sabrina Impacciatore plays Valentina.

Tom Hollander and Leo Woodall are credited as Quentin and Jack, respectively.

Federico Ferrante and Eleonora Romandini guest star as Rocco and Isabella, respectively. Federico Scribani portrays Giuseppe.

Ermanno Costantino, Luca Lo Giudice, Evelin Hubbard, Adriana Intelisano, Stefania Micale, Federico Valenti Pettino, and Angelo Osman Spartà also co-star.

Performances and Character Developments

Imperioli and Abraham have a chaotic dynamic, especially with their respective characters, Bert and Dominic, at breakfast. Bert Di Grasso is unaware of his personality and beliefs and how this affects those around him. This leads to generational trauma that bounces from him to his son, Dominic Di Grasso, then onto his grandson, Albie Di Grasso. Imperioli does a fine job with his role, where Dominic has to keep his composure every time he shares space with his father. We never get to really see the character be angry in these first five episodes, and I am curious to see his reactions to the following few episodes’ events via Episode 206 and the season finale.

Grannò performs so well as Mia, a local woman who wants to be a singer. She plays a musical number in the final act of the episode, which I loved listening to through to the end. Her dynamic with Scribani’s Giuseppe is a neat balance of comedy and drama, with the dynamic in these first two episodes being dramatic and well-grounded. It is important to see this and where it heads in the next three episodes of the season, which is not as intense as the other subplots but still remarkable.

Watch Out…

James plays an interesting role as Cameron Spiller throughout this episode. Something in the first act juxtaposes well with the Pattons’ reactions to a booking error from the series pilot. Take note of how the character says, “Incompetence…makes me homicidal”. It may or may not play into the mystery aspect of the multiple dead bodies in the ocean. His use of ethos when he is on-screen with Plaza’s Harper Spiller is noteworthy. I can say for sure that it is a dangerous feat when we see them together, and it leads to harsh results starting with the fourth or fifth episode.

Albie and Portia’s growing dynamic is lovely. I do not “ship” characters often, but DiMarco and Richardson have such great chemistry that I can invest profoundly in them. The characters’ discussion of what they yearn for in relationships — not necessarily romantic — is something to not be ignored. Aside from what we learn about Portia, Albie’s aspiration to break generational trauma leads him to some hardships that play out later in the season. This dynamic plays greatly into some tropes present in the rom-com genre, and it seems that White is setting this relationship up to mess with the viewers’ understanding and comprehension of television. Watch out for the beats in these characters’ subplots.

Gries and Coolidge are poignant as two individuals who are established (after a year, more or less) as partners. Greg and Tanya’s discussion at their dinner table is dramatic, and somehow, the latter delivers a line too hilarious to empathize with the gravity. However, I also wonder if one character or the other is at fault in the relationship. For example, can we be sure that Tanya is a manipulative character, or is she simply just a human being?

Final Thoughts on The White Lotus Season 2 Episode 2

There are some questions posed in this episode that are not quite answered in the following three episodes. For example, what did Dominic do to his daughter, specifically, for her to not join on the trip? Also, what is Greg really up to that he has to have a brisk change in plans? With what I know about the season up to the fifth episode, we would have to wait for the sixth and seventh/final episode in order to find out.

Watch out for the beats in this episode and in the next few episodes. Not only do they play into the mystery of the dead bodies, but they also showcase how an event as seemingly small as an overseas vacation leads to life-changing dynamics and decisions. Overall, this is the best episode White will give us before difficult and shocking beats take place, so hug and hold onto your happiness now because that will be over soon…

Mike White’s The White Lotus Season 2 is now airing on HBO and streaming via HBO Max!

Have you seen White’s series? If so, then what are your thoughts on it so far? Let us know! For more comedy and drama-related news and reviews visit and follow The Cinema Spot on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!