Entertainment NOW

2 • October 30 - November 5, 2022 Entertainment Now By Dana Simpson TV Media I t may not exactly be Hotel Cal- ifornia, but it sure seems diffi- cult to leave "The White Lo- tus." After a critically ac- claimed first season — which was echoed in audience reception and ratings — HBO's titular hotel chain is back for more romance, relaxation and really complicated situations. "The White Lotus" Sea- son 2 kicks off on HBO and HBO Max Sunday, Oct. 30. This time spanning one week at the luxurious White Lotus resort in Sicily (actually the real-life Four Seasons San Domenico Palace in Taormina, which was closed for filming earlier this year), the scenery remains just as breathtak- ing as Season 1's Hawaiian vista in Maui. In addition to several scenes on-site at the hotel, view- ers can look forward to scenes shot in the Sicilian capital of Pal- ermo, including the city's famous Noto Cathedral grounds. Although the location may have changed, audiences who enjoyed Season 1 will have at least one familiar thing to looks forward to this time around: Tanya McQuoid (now McQuoid-Hunt), played by comic actress Jennifer Coolidge ("Legally Blonde," 2001), returns to soak up more drama and wisdom in the sun. A fan-favorite character from the first season, she heads to the chain's Italian resort this year with her new husband, Greg Hunt (Jon Gries, "Napoleon Dynamite," 2004), also returning from last season. Fans of other HBO shows might recognize a few other faces as well during Season 2. "The Sopranos'" Michael Imperioli stars as Dominic Di Grasso, an entitled Hollywood producer who is visiting Sicily with his aging father, Bert (F. Murray Abraham, "The Grand Budapest Hotel," 2014), and post-college son, Albie (Adam DiMarco, "The Order"), who is often forced to play peacekeeper during uncomfortable family squabbles. Theo James, star of HBO Max's series "The Time Traveler's Wife," also stars this season as Cameron Babcock, an incredibly successful businessman from a wealthy family. Needless to say, it becomes clear almost immedi- ately that Cameron rarely (if ever) worries about money. Travel- ing with Cameron are his wife, Daphne (Meghann Fahy, "The Bold Type"), a hard-working stay- at-home mom; Cameron's college roommate and newly successful businessman Ethan Spiller (Will Sharpe, "Flowers"); and Ethan's wife, Harper (Aubrey Plaza, "In- grid Goes West," 2017). Filling out the cast across this season's seven episodes are Haley Lu Richardson ("Five Feet Apart," 2019) as Tanya's personal assistant, Portia; Beatrice Grannò ("Zero") and Simona Tabasco ("Luna Park") as Mia and Lucia, two young Sicilian locals who frequent the hotel hoping to benefit from its wealthy clientele; Tom Hollander ("Pride & Prejudice," 2005) as Quentin, an English expat visit- ing with friends and his nephew; and Sabrina Impacciatore ("The Passion of the Christ," 2004) as Valentina, the White Lotus's dedicated, perfectionist man- ager. All these characters come together like pieces in a com- plicated (and very posh) puzzle as the season progresses, and much like in Season 1, viewers can expect the writers to have put some very clever dialogue into the mouths of the White Lotus guests. Cover Story Jennifer Coolidge returns in "The White Lotus" Il loto bianco: HBO's 'White Lotus' heads to Italy Ready Rental 3 x 4 Hayley Siefert 3 x 2 Letters & Numbers Sudoku Fill in the grid so that every row,every column, and every 4x4 box contains the digits 1 through 9 AND the letters A-F. Solution on page 12. Advertise Your Business In Call Advertising at 217-477-5105

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