The White Lotus Season 3 Episode 1’s Blast From the Past Is a Blessing and a Curse

Critic’s Rating: 3.25 / 5.0

3.25

After what seems like an eternity, The White Lotus is finally back.

The hit HBO drama shifts the action to Thailand on The White Lotus Season 3 Episode 1.

Unfortunately, the magic that made the first two seasons so iconic is no longer present, as the premiere introduces a wealth of characters and not enough plot.

We’ll get the elephant out of the room first: Jon Gries’ return as Greg genuinely surprised me.

I audibly gasped when the Winona Ryder-lookalike pointed him out as her boyfriend and said they lived together at the top of the hill in what I can only assume is a mansion.

I have to hand it to Mike White. Keeping a casting of that caliber under wraps takes a lot of skill, and while I’m happy to get answers about Greg and what became of him after Tanya’s demise on The White Lotus Season 2 Episode 7, I don’t see this ending very well.

The biggest reason is that Belinda is on what can only be described as a three-month wellness break from Maui, and she will have question after question about Greg when she sees him.

Will The White Lotus Season 3 End Greg’s Reign of Terror?

He has a distinct look and a vacant stare, and despite what Tanya did to her on The White Lotus Season 1, Belinda will remember who he is pretty quickly.

That doesn’t instill much hope that she’ll survive the season. If The White Lotus Season 2 taught us anything, Greg is resourceful and has no qualms about reeling in the most horrible people to do his dirty work.

I have questions about how long he’s been in a relationship with this new woman and whether he was with her while he was with Tanya.

Another thing to ponder is why Greg would want to be anywhere near a White Lotus resort, given his actions. Does he like playing with fire or tempting fate?

The first two seasons barely explored his character. All we got was a facade to pull the wool over Tanya’s eyes, so there’s the potential for the series to school us on his true motivations because viewers deserve payoff.

Greg has many secrets, but there’s a good chance he’ll be on a collision course with Belinda before we knows it, and it’s hard to tell how that will shake out.

When you think about it, Belinda is pretty much alone in Thailand. If Greg gets wind of her being there, he could deem her a loose end that he has to handle himself.

This could all go sideways, but Jon’s return to the franchise will only work if this is his last hurrah.

His being the connective tissue between all three seasons wasn’t on my bingo card, but The White Lotus loves to subvert expectations.

The Flashforward to the Season Finale Was Chilling

Beyond the mystery surrounding Greg, the premiere also introduced the season-ending crime spree, which is sure to kill many people.

The chilling visual of Zion in his wellness class and realizing that gunshots were ringing throughout the resort was a surefire way to ruin the tranquility of the place.

We still have many episodes before that development, so my theories will change episodically.

But is anyone else getting the impression that The White Lotus should be losing some of its esteemed stars at this point?

We had Armand’s death on The White Lotus Season 1, the bloodbath on The White Lotus Season 2, and now, with Season 3, the gunshots are sure to be an even bigger bloodbath.

The issue with such a massive cast this go around is that many innocent parties could die at the hands of whoever is shooting their way through the resort.

It adds an unpredictable layer to the season, and given that The White Lotus excels when it switches things up on a dime, we’d be wise to hold off on theories for a bit.

The Ratfliff family strikes me as the people with the most to lose from this trip because Lochlan seems the only one at ease.

Victoria seems to go with the flow, but she isn’t afraid to make observations that cut like a knife when her family least expects them.

Timothy isn’t quite sure how to get his family together for a vacation that involves them all spending time together.

Then there’s Saxson, a total Chad, who thinks he’s the most prominent family member and has the most to offer the world.

Patrick Schwarzenegger turns in a remarkably effective performance, and I can’t wait to see what he does with it in the coming episodes.

Aimee Lou Wood Steals the Show

Piper is the most complex family member to read because she’s not on the best terms with everyone, and that should lead to some vintage White Lotus moments as the season progresses.

Chelsea made a great first impression as this young spiritual woman who wants her boyfriend, Rick, to be a better man and partner.

There’s so much good to mine from this story because they’re opposites. As a result, it’s hard to see them together by the end of The White Lotus Season 3.

Chelsea has good intentions, which isn’t typical of a White Lotus guest, so she’s the one character who deserves to find some semblance of happiness, even if it isn’t with Rick.

Rick strikes me as self-serving. He expects Chelsea to be at his beck and call, which won’t work for much longer based on their relationship’s current trajectory.

The rest of the guests didn’t impact me much, but I thoroughly enjoyed the dynamic between staff members Gaitok and Mook.

You’d never believe this was Lisa’s acting debut because she fit into this series like a glove, and her character was interesting.

Gaitok and Mook will obviously have some form of romance, but nothing is ever easy on The White Lotus, especially for the resort staff.

What are your thoughts on Greg’s return? Is it too soon, or is it time he got his comeuppance?

What’s your take on the new characters? Hit the comments below.

Watch The White Lotus Online