In season 2, The White Lotus visited none of the well-known Sicilian locales. The satirical comedy series completed up season 2 this year after switching from the sunny Hawaiian islands of season 1 to the dynamic island of Sicily. Along with recurrent characters played by Jennifer Coolidge and Jon Gries, Sicilian residents, and hotel personnel, the most recent episode of the anthology program included a new group of incredibly affluent and superficial viewers. Through its use of art, music, and place, The White Lotus season 2 combines themes of sexuality, brutality, and greed with the island’s history and mythology, demonstrating director Mike White’s fascination with exploiting new settings to bring out the worst in its characters.
The San Domenico Palace in Taormina, the season’s real-life hotel run by the Four Seasons, was recently featured on CNN, highlighting the enthralling setting of The White Lotus season 2. Lorenzo Maraviglia, the hotel manager, admits that although White was anxious to include a lot of local Sicilian legend and culture in the season, one spot, in particular, was left from the show. The bar, Bar Turrisi, is decorated with phallic symbols, with penises prominently displayed on even the cups and stairs. The old pub was frequented by both the cast and the actual hotel personnel, and waitress Giorgia Ponturo provides further background information on the intriguing location. Below, you may read what Maraviglia and Ponturo had to say.
Maraviglia: “Director Mike White was extremely receptive of these local things, we’d joke about them, and he included many of our suggestions in the season, like Italian songs, adapting his approach to reality.”
Ponturo: “[Bar Turrisi] dates back to 1947, it used to be a brothel and gay hotspot. Then the owner decided to adopt the phallus motif, which was an ancient Greek symbol of sexual potency and fertility, to reaffirm the virility of Sicilian men. It also brings good luck.”
The Role of Local Lore in White Lotus
The White Lotus is a satire program that focuses on what appear to be exotic locales to expose the luxurious and carefree lifestyles of its rich actors. The guests’ experiences in seasons 1 and 2 have a feeling of the ephemeral because the show focuses on extremely wealthy travelers on vacation, yet their activities have actual, often disastrous effects on the locals and places they visit. Despite the fact that the visitors generally come out of each season unscathed and occasionally even better off, it is frequently their interactions with the local culture that prompt them to reflect on their personal lives and at least attempt to develop some level of self-awareness, however fleeting it may prove to be.
The interactions between privileged Paula (Brittany O’Grady) and her vacation lover Kai (Kekoa Kekumano) in season one of The White Lotus opened her eyes to the ways in which colonialism still lurks in plain sight, inspiring a misguided impulse within her to try to help Kai, ultimately leading to his arrest. Paula was allowed to return home, but the trip’s finale left her plainly shaken by what she had gone through. Similarly, in The White Lotus season 2, Harper (Aubrey Plaza) and Ethan (Will Sharpe) are surrounded by historical statues at the hotel that represent infidelity. These early-on seeds may have caused each of them to consider having an extramarital affair, reigniting their marriage’s love.
Speculations on the Location of White Lotus Season 3
Given the season’s sexual nature and fascination with human desire, Bar Turrisi would have been a suitable setting for The White Lotus season 2, but White could have found the neighborhood bar to be too overt. Even if that site wasn’t used, Sicily was a crucial character in season 2, leading viewers to speculate about the anthology show’s upcoming vacation spot. Some have noted season 2’s allusions to Greece as potential season 3 hints, while others have suggested Japan, Bali, or Mexico. No matter where The White Lotus season 3 goes, the local culture will undoubtedly play a significant role in the upcoming episode.
