In a present filled with unlikable folks, it takes a particular character to be absolutely the, no-contest worst of the bunch. On White Lotus’s season three, it’s indubitably Greg (Jon Gries) a.ok.a. Gary a.ok.a. the not-so-grieving widower of season one and two’s Tanya McQuoid (Jennifer Coolidge).
In a little bit of a twist, Greg is the one character to seem on all three seasons of White Lotus, as he was reintroduced to viewers within the first episode of season three. Technically, he’s not a visitor on the resort. Having inherited Tanya’s large fortune, Greg now owns an opulent home steps away from the White Lotus in Thailand. He’s additionally relationship a mannequin named Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon) who barely resents him, and is relationship him for his wealth — not not like his personal relationship to Tanya. He’s additionally going by the alias Gary, presumably as a result of legislation enforcement is Greg as a suspicious particular person in Tanya’s loss of life.
White Lotus is an anthology sequence, following a special group of appalling wealthy folks round a special lavish resort every season for a trip that inevitably ends in somebody’s loss of life. Though the present has seen some characters return — specifically Tanya and Belinda (Natasha Rothwell), the saintly White Lotus Hawaii staffer who Tanya plied with guarantees of her personal spa in season one — it hasn’t appeared to have (or been billed as having) a throughline narrative, till now.
The issue for “Gary” is that Belinda simply so occurs to be on the Thai resort as a part of an trade program. She lastly acknowledged Greg in episode three, however whereas she knew that he distracted their mutual patron from funding Belinda’s dream of proudly owning her personal enterprise, she didn’t but learn about Tanya’s premature demise — or Greg’s function in it. (Fast refresh: Greg employed a coterie of scamming homosexuals to have his spouse killed, however in the end she smacked her personal head on the aspect of a ship whereas attempting to leap to security.) He denied they’d ever met (he’s Gary in spite of everything), however within the season’s fourth episode, Belinda is up to the mark due to a fast Google, and terrified. So is Greg. If Belinda exchanges sufficient info with authorities, she may shatter every little thing he labored to cover!
Episode 4 picks up after Greg and Belinda’s face-to-face. He has a ship celebration to begrudgingly host, and he or she’s making ready for her son’s arrival. However they will’t cease considering of one another (negatively) and appear to be on a collision course. Now it appears increasingly doubtless that the person who gave the impression to be nothing greater than a aspect character/love curiosity in season one has, this entire time, been taking White Lotus followers on the acquainted arc of a true crime romance scammer: seduction, violence, and the determined battle to not get caught.
The customary White Lotus boat journey
As sure that the solar will rise tomorrow, the characters on White Lotus will get on a ship and have an terrible time. In season one, Tanya scattered her mom’s ashes within the Pacific Ocean (or tried to) with newlyweds Rachel (Alexandra D’Addario) and Shane (Jake Lacy) alongside for the experience. In season two, Tanya once more discovered herself on a ship within the Mediterranean the place she by chance died after killing the wealthy homosexual guys who have been attempting to homicide her. And, in season three, episode 4, the White Lotus Thailand’s visitors are at sea as soon as extra.
With (presumably) Tanya’s cash, Greg has procured a yacht, and at Chloe’s behest invited the Ratliff household — dad and mom, youngsters, and lorazepam stash — in addition to Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wooden) and Rick (Walton Goggins) all spend a day aboard.
Technically they’re all Greg’s visitors. However most everybody, together with Greg, appears a bit depressing.
The ship is stuffed with older males and their a lot youthful feminine firm. As Chloe says, these previous bald guys are all the identical. Even on open water with champagne flowing, pressure — lacking capsules, inappropriate flirting, wrong-headed revenge plots, and a few earlier antipathy between the Ratliffs and the extremely nervy Rick — is unavoidable. All of it goes again to the concept irrespective of how wealthy you’re and what number of stuff you purchase to throw at your issues, you may nonetheless completely hate the life you’ve gotten.
On the bar, Tim Ratliff (Jason Isaacs), the quickly unspooling South Carolina businessman loaded on his spouse’s lorazepam and lots of, many noon drinks, needs to learn about Greg’s life in Thailand. When Tim asks if he likes it, Greg tells him, “I by no means wish to depart.” That could possibly be true, however with the police looking out, he additionally by no means can.
“Simply heard somebody say that anybody who strikes to Thailand is both on the lookout for one thing or hiding for one thing,” Tim slurs.
“Neither,” Greg tells him, “I simply received sick of the rat race.”
Greg is in a race of his personal now, although. Discovering him sitting alone on the higher deck, Chloe asks if she will be able to take the boat to a special island to rejoice an upcoming full moon celebration. The person she calls Gary tells her she will be able to take the boat with out him, and he or she doesn’t appear to care when he tells her, “There’s one thing I gotta cope with at house.”
The “one thing” is Belinda.
Again on land, Belinda spots Greg speaking to the lodge’s grinning supervisor. From the look in his eye, she will be able to’t assist however assume it’s her. She and Greg make transient eye contact. Later, within the glossy house Tanya’s fortune purchased, Greg seems at Belinda’s Instagram, inspecting photos of her and her son.
Given what we learn about Greg’s historical past of grifting and Tanya’s eventual demise, it actually can’t be good for Belinda to be in his crosshairs.
Is Greg going to kill Belinda?
With Belinda understanding who Greg is and Greg understanding that Belinda is aware of about him and Tanya, it raises a really apparent query: Is Greg going to kill Belinda? And additional, is Belinda the thriller one who dies in episode one?
Many indicators level to sure. Belinda appears to be the one particular person in Thailand who is aware of that Greg isn’t Gary. Even when Belinda is intent on holding quiet, Greg doesn’t know that. It could seem to be this man, who has no qualms about grifting and murder-for-hire, wouldn’t suppose twice about discovering a strategy to silence Belinda for good. That’s as clear a motive as we see on the present.
However there’s one completely large motive why he’s not the killer stalking the resort within the season opener — taking pictures and killing Belinda wouldn’t be his MO or useful to his endgame.
The homicide that we get a glimpse of at first of the season is simply too blatant for Greg to be the killer. The person is needed in Italy, and the very last thing he needs to do is draw much more consideration himself. You already know what attracts consideration? Repeatedly and wildly firing a gun at a luxurious resort filled with the richest folks on earth. There’s a better likelihood of Belinda utilizing the gun in some sort of self-defense than Greg taking pictures her.
Greg has additionally confirmed himself to be the kind of man who wouldn’t do the murdering himself. Again in season two when he went to Italy with Tanya, Greg truly left Tanya and let the “evil gays” (one in every of whom Greg had a earlier relationship with) toy round along with her. If Greg goes to off Belinda, he’s going to determine a strategy to do it with out being straight concerned.
Little doubt, the stress between Belinda and Greg goes to drive the remainder of the season. She’s going to be cautious round him. He’s going to wish to maintain her shut, shut sufficient to smell out how a lot she is aware of and whether or not or not she’ll snitch.
What’s fascinating here’s what a flip that is for the present, which often tells contained tales.
White Lotus has at all times been a piece made up of intently noticed character examine (please see this season’s three quietly warring white ladies who’ve been pals since childhood). Since his first look in season one, although, Greg has been greater than a little bit of a cipher. He’s taciturn, he’s reserved. Sure, he’s offended, as he proved in season two when Tanya introduced her assistant Portia (Haley Lu Richardson) alongside on trip, however he’s pretty unknowable. We expect he likes fly-fishing, and we’re fairly certain he labored on the Bureau of Land Administration. What precisely was his relationship with Quentin (Tom Hollander)? Did he ever actually have most cancers, as he claimed when he met Tanya in Maui?
Greg additionally doesn’t neatly match into the present’s class criticism. So many characters on the present are cartoonish, exaggerated variations of the one p.c. They get away with spoiled entitlement, and impose themselves on locations the place widespread persons are shut out. Greg’s grift feels barely completely different, however possibly extra egregious — right here’s a thief who’s worse than the wealthy he’s stealing from. Arranging Tanya’s loss of life and getting away along with her fortune feels unjust.
White Lotus is a present about private unravelings, what these prosperous folks actually appear like when their cash can’t purchase what they really want. However Greg is wound tight. He could also be extra determined than ever, however there is no such thing as a true sense of who this man is.
It’s solely slowly and methodically, over years, that this present can allow us to into a personality like Greg: a person who doesn’t go on trip to let go, who isn’t there to chill out or make pals, who’s transferring like a shark towards some longer-term, darker objective. Not like the remainder of our vacationers, he doesn’t take pleasure in self-exploration. Greg is aware of who he’s. It’s his job to ensure that nobody else does.
