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

Not today satan!!

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.

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.

Awesome, thank you.

There is one reference in the next episode, if you watch the promo.

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?

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).

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

> 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.

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.

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

Will take your opinion into consideration.

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.

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

>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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

Way, way better than the first season.

only 6. so really quick binge.

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

Wait sex is bad? Plz explain

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

We're supposed to dislike the characters and their actions IMO.

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.

I don't think you understand the show

So far I like S2 way more than S1.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Are you from the 19th century?

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.

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.

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

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

Yes, the child of incest from bastardized father

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.

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

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

2 if you count her husband

Could do without Coolidge.

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.

Yes, I agree with that. Tanya is such a caricature.

> 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.

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.

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

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

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.

There are a number of hilarious scenes with her.

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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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.

Glad to hear that. Thanks for the efforts.

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

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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.

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

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.

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.

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...

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.

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

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

This is how I deal with the book problem.

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.

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

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

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.

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

Had not seen it and will check it out!

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

You either get it or you don’t. I think she is remarkable.

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!

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.

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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