Recap of The White Lotus Season 3, Episode 1: Death, Nudity, and Surprise Return of Villain

The White Lotus returned for its hotly-anticipated third season on Sunday night, this time set at an exclusive Thai resort. 

The new eight-episode season of the social satire follows the exploits of various guests and employees over the span of a week, previously being described by creator Mike White as a ‘satirical and funny look at death and Eastern religion and spirituality’.

As is tradition, the show saw a familiar face return in the form of Belinda (played by Natasha Rothwell) the spa manager at Maui’s The White Lotus hotel (season one).

Yet in a shock twist, there was also the previously unmentioned return of Greg (Jon Gries) who played conman and husband of Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) in the first two seasons.

In typical fashion, the season opener began with the discovery of a dead body, with the next episodes set to determine who met their demise, at the hands of who, and most importantly, why. 

Read on for everything you need to know about The White Lotus season three, episode one. 

The episode began with Belinda’s son Zion (Nicholas Duvernay) seen enjoying a meditation session at The White Lotus, admitting he was sent to the retreat by his mother in order to ‘de-stress.’ 

Yet the calming nature of the session comes to an abrupt end when gunfire erupts across the retreat, with a panicked Zion racing off in search of his mother. 

Having leapt into a lake to avoid detection, he is soon confronted with the sight of a floating body – a throwback to the season two opener when Daphne (Meghann Fahy) came across a body in the sea at The White Lotus Sicily. 

The show then cuts back in time, showing the new crop of hotel guests arriving via boat to the exclusive retreat.  

An argument immediately breaks out between Rick (Walton Goggins) and fellow passenger Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger) because of his smoking, with his young girlfriend Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood) stepping in to diffuse matters. 

With the row settled the guests then make their way onto the island to be greeted by one of the owners of the White Lotus, Sritala (Lek Patravadi) one of the owners of the White Lotus, who pioneered its health program. 

Among the guests is the Ratliff family – Timothy (Jason Isaacs) a wealthy businessman vacationing with his wife, Victoria (Parker Posey) and children Saxon,  Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook) and Lochlan (Sam Nivola). 

He reveals the family are there to support Piper as she works on her thesis examining Buddhism. 

Up next is actress Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan) who is joined by former schoolfriends Kate (Leslie Bibb) and Laurie (Carrie Coon) who are planning to reconnect after life has seen them drift apart in recent years. 

Finally Belinda makes her entrance as she is introduced to resort worker Pornchai (Dom Hetrakul) and it is revealed she is on a three-month training course to bring new spa treatments back to Maui. 

As the Ratliff family settle in for their first day at the resort, it’s revealed that Saxon works for his father and is keen to show off his worth. 

Once informed there are only two rooms for the three siblings to share, Saxon pipes up that he will bunk with his brother, claiming it would be ‘weird’ for Piper and Lochlan to share because ‘brothers and sisters don’t sleep together after they have full grown genitals’. 

The Ratliffs also turn their nose up at the digital detox approach of the retreat, insisting they won’t surrender their mobiles to the staff. 

Potentially foreshadowing an upcoming drama, staff then warn the family not to eat any fallen fruit from the neighbouring pong-pong trees., informing them the seeds are poisonous. 

Rick and Chelsea are also seen talking with the staff, yet while Chelsea is keen to make small talk, Rick only seems concern with locating the whereabouts of the owner Sritala’s American husband, who is described as a ‘very famous man in Thailand’. 

Upon learning the husband is in Bangkok recovering from an illness, Rick flies into an unexpected rage, becoming cagey when Chelsea questions why he was so hellbent on checking into The White Lotus Thailand.

Childhood friends Jaclyn, Kate and Laurie are then seen in their rooms, showering each other in so many compliments that the efforts seem sycophantic. 

Spa manager Belinda is seen being shown the ropes by the Thai salon staff, before freaking out when she crosses path with a monitor lizard – a large reptile. 

As Pornchai calms her down he cheerfully utters the foreboding statement that ‘in time, lizards will become your friends’. 

A budding romance seems to be brewing between two of the workers at the resort, with hotel security guard Gaitok (Tayme Thapthimthong) attempting to woo ‘pretty’ health guru Mook (K-pop star, Blackpink’s Lisa). 

Back inside the hotel, Saxon has set his sights on Chelsea, lusting over her as she tans herself by the pool. 

An attempt to talk with her falls on deaf ears, however, as does his efforts with ‘cougars’ Jaclyn, Kate and Laurie. 

His sister Piper, meanwhile, is behaving strangely at a Buddhist temple, watching on nervously while trying not to draw attention to herself. 

Her father Timothy is also raising eyebrows, as it’s revealed a journalist has been ‘urgently’ trying to get hold of him for a yet-to-be named reason. 

Not paying much notice, he takes his family to dinner, where an awkward conversation arises over which college Lochlan should attend. 

While Timothy insists there’s ‘no decision’ and he should go to private research university Duke, it’s clear Lochlan has desires to attend the public University of North Carolina, known as Tar Heel. 

Yet Timothy is distracted by another phone call from the journalist, asking about his dealings with a man called Kenneth Nguyen and a fund named Sho-Kel. 

As the journalist presses about Kenneth’s relationship with the government of Brunei, Timothy appears flustered and is quick to end the call before leaving a message for Kenneth asking what has been going on. 

On the other side of the restaurant, there is another awkward dinner but between Rick and Chelsea. 

As Rick moans about the health-conscious food choices, Chelsea notes that it’s ‘on brand’ for him to ‘be a victim of your own decisions’, but he soon perks up at the sight of owner Sritala.

He soon excuses himself to Google images of Sritala’s husband in his room, leaving Chelsea to make a new friend Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon) at the bar.

While chatting to Falcon she learns her boyfriend is Greg, leading to the shock return of Jon Gries. 

Chloe remarks that there are plenty of ‘white bald men’ in Thailand, stating the locals call them ‘LBHs’ – losers back home’. 

Back with the childhood friends, Jaclyn, Kate and Laurie are in their villa continuing with their sycophantic compliments. 

Yet Laurie – having sunk a bottle of wine – soon excuses herself, sobbing as she watches her other two friends bond from the window in her room.  

In his room with younger brother Lochan, Saxon is warning his brother that their sister Piper has ‘issues’.

Asked to name the aforementioned ‘issues’, Saxon bizarrely replies that ‘she’s pretty hot, but I don’t think she’s ever been laid before’, adding ‘Buddhism is for people who want to suppress in life’.

Saxon then vows to help Lochan ‘get laid’ before asking ‘what kind of porn do you like?’ before questioning how he will be able to masturbate while sharing a room with his little brother. 

Excusing himself to the deed in the bathroom, Lochan is seen watching his naked brother wander off before there’s a brief glimpse of naked Saxon, putting on a porn video in the toilet. 

The episode ends with their father Timothy frantically checking his phone in bed while wife Victoria – unaware of the looming news story – tells him what a ‘great man’ he is. 

The White Lotus Season 3 is released on HBO streaming service Max at 9pm ET / 6pm PT on Sunday. 

It is available in the UK on Sky and streaming service NOW from at 2am on Monday mornings.