As published in CLAUDIA

Watching The White Lotus is tortuous and endless fun, almost like following two series in one. On one side, we have the already traditional drama of rich people losing their way – and, inevitably, one of them, their life – in a luxury spa in an exotic location. On the other, we follow the schemes of a bisexual con man in search of the fortune of older and vulnerable women. Yes, I’m talking about Tanya McQuoid (Jennifer Coolidge). I want Tanya’s death avenged this season!

The tagline of the first season already made it clear that “Vacations are not Paradise”, while the second warned that “La Dolce Vita is not so sweet”. Now, the third season maintains the same tone, promising “Same Luxury, New Reservations” – but leaving everything open, because we already know that nothing is what it seems.

The marketing insists that Mike White will still surprise us, and it’s hard to doubt that after last season’s shock when he dared to sacrifice the audience’s favorite character: the clueless and narcissistic Tanya. She may not be back physically, but her ghost haunts the Thai resort, especially since her former friend Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) – who Tanya promised to invest in but abandoned – is there on a job training program. And, to my dismay, Greg (Jon Gries), her con artist and murderous ex-husband, also makes a reappearance. At this point, the fictional chain The White Lotus may have covered up the death of its manager in the first season, but Tanya’s tragedy, even though it occurred outside the confines of the Sicilian resort, certainly left its mark. Especially for Belinda, who not only knew Tanya but also worked in the same system that covered up Armond (Murray Bartlett). In other words, even though Tanya is no longer there, her shadow looms over the plot.

Jennifer Coolidge‘s award-winning performance fuels the inevitable exercise of “Who will be the new Tanya?”. Parker Posey is the most obvious candidate, but for me, Aimee Lou Wood emerges as the spiritual successor to chaos. Her character, Chelsea, a yoga teacher with an older boyfriend, is not fazed by his stern face and rudeness. It is she who crosses paths with Greg and his new girlfriend, Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon).

And this is where my indignation reaches another level: Greg, after using an ex-boyfriend to kill Tanya, is enjoying the good life? Chloe gives us the time reference – she has been living with Greg for a year in a house near the resort. In other words, the passage of time since Sicily has already been established. That emotional blow he dealt to Tanya by pretending to be sick? “Cured”, of course. And the bad mood he showed with his ex-wife is now repeated: Chloe describes him as grumpy and says he often throws her out of the house after fights.

But something doesn’t add up. Why did Chloe get close to Chelsea, whose boyfriend, Rick (Walton Goggins), looks like a criminal? Do they know who they’re dealing with? More than the incest plots that The White Lotus promises to explore this season, it’s this Greg-Chloe-Chelsea-Rick quartet that intrigues me. Who is Greg, after all? What does he want? How does he deal with the loose ends of the Sicily scam? Will he be the next victim? Or is Belinda in danger because she knows full well that he always operates within The White Lotus network?

Mike White specializes in social satire disguised as a criminal mystery, and he has already made it clear that this season will be “much, much darker” than the previous ones. It’s hard to imagine anything more claustrophobic than seeing Tanya fall into Greg’s trap, but if the show’s creator says so, I believe it.

Personally, I hope Greg pays his price and stays in Thailand “forever” – but without the right to enjoy his fortune. I don’t have a firm theory yet, but I’m keeping an eye on it. Something tells me that this game of interests will still yield memorable twists and turns.

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