This article contains spoilers for The White Lotus season 3 episode 1.
The first episode of The White Lotus season 3 is all about immersing viewers into creator Mike White’s version of Thailand and the vast array of new characters staying at the ominous resort. From Walton Goggins’ MVP-type start to 2025 (this man is in everything right now!) to the return of The Leftovers’ shining star (our queen Carrie Coon), there is no shortage of megawatt talent on the table for the third go-around at HBO’s most famous exotic hotel.
Even with all of the novelty that comes with a new season of an anthology such as The White Lotus, fans of these types of shows always want connective strands that tie the DNA of the series’ present to its past. The announcement of Belinda’s (Natasha Rothwell) return was a major cause for celebration while the void left by Jennifer Coolidge’s absence made many wonder whether the show would be able to go on without her. It turns out that Tanya’s presence and history at the White Lotus are very much alive after watching “Same Spirits, New Forms.”
You all remember Greg (Jon Gries), right? Tanya’s love interest throughout the first two seasons of the show was revealed to have a lot more up his sleeve than anybody would have originally imagined. Greg’s plot to have Quentin (Tom Hollander) dispatch Tanya resulting in him inheriting Tanya’s wealth didn’t go as planned. Tanya sniffed out the conspiracy and murdered Quentin on his yacht before offing herself by accident during her escape from the boat. The season ends without any conclusions about what happens to Tanya’s money or whether Greg inherits it.
It looks like this story might just be getting started after Greg makes a surprise cameo in the premiere for season 3. While sitting in a bar to get away from her cranky boyfriend, Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood) starts up a conversation with a stranger over some drinks. The other woman says she is also trying to get a break from her lousy significant other before the camera pans over to Greg sitting alone eating dinner. The whole scene is only a couple of minutes but gives us a smorgasbord of speculative chatter to analyze before next week’s episode.
Greg is obviously still very wealthy and very much ready to mingle in the aftermath of last season’s Tanya murder fiasco. Perhaps he did inherit his late wife’s money after her death, otherwise, it’s hard to imagine how he would have the pretty penny to travel to Thailand for another vacation. Why is he returning to the hotel chain affiliated with a crime scene that he’s surely a suspect in, though?
I also find it fascinating that Greg is now serving as the Tanya figure for his new girlfriend. Whereas Greg was only with Tanya for her wealth throughout the first two seasons, he is now the one with the major money in his relationship. He’s several decades older than his new partner which indicates he might be using his fortune to pursue women who otherwise wouldn’t give him the time of day.
For plot purposes, it’s hard to imagine Greg’s appearance will only be a fun nod to the past. The way his scowl and villainous glance at the camera as it pans out holds for several seconds indicates that there is something sinister brewing in the character’s mind yet again. What is he up to? Is he trying to hide from the authorities by jumping ship to another foreign country after Tanya’s death? The show does a great job of introducing new characters such as Greg’s new girlfriend while incorporating the past into the present. Patience is key as we wait to find out just how much screen time Greg gets, but we think it would be pretty frivolous to tease fans with a cameo and then not provide any more answers.
Everyone who goes to the White Lotus is hiding secrets. Deception and corruption are two of the show’s best themes and creator Mike White isn’t exactly ambiguous in his application of these storytelling methods. Greg’s return acts as one of the biggest mysteries of the third season so far and should be the best way for the show to continue crafting an extended universe that forces viewers to watch all previous episodes if they want to understand thoroughly what’s going on. It also helps to establish Greg as the show’s ultimate villain in a world full of unsavory people.
The White Lotus season 3 episode 1 is available to stream on Max now. New episodes premiere Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.
The post The White Lotus’ Biggest Villain Makes a Surprise Return in Season 3 appeared first on Den of Geek.
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