‘The White Lotus’ Season 3 Premiere: Deadly Shooting Shocks Viewers

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As I settled into the latest season of The White Lotus, I knew I was in for a thrilling ride. Just like the previous seasons, this one’s got a chilling twist – murder. Creator Mike White seems to have invited death as a guest once more, and this time it’s bringing some seriously deadly luggage!

In its third installment, the story unfolds at a White Lotus resort on the beautiful island of Koh Samui, Thailand. The narrative begins during a spiritual workshop conducted by Amrita (performed by Shalini Peiris), a renowned guru, and Zion (Nicholas Duvernay), one of the guests. Interestingly, Belinda (played again by Natasha Rothwell), who returned from the Hawaii-based first season, is also part of the resort’s staff. Amrita guides Zion through a meditation practice, assisting him in calming and regulating his breath.

She advises him to “quiet our busy thoughts,” she says, “and discover in stillness what endures through time.

As a gamer, I can’t help but feel the same sense of serene anticipation that Zion seems to be experiencing – except I already know what awaits him: somebody’s life is hanging by a thread, a tradition as old as the White Lotus premieres themselves. This time, however, things take an unexpected and perilous turn compared to any previous openings of this series. While season one started with a coffin being loaded onto a plane and season two introduced us to a body floating ashore, season three kicks off with a literal explosion.

Then another bang. And another, and another.

In Amrita’s training area, bullets penetrate, prompting her to flee in panic. Meanwhile, Zion leaps into the shallow water and conceals himself as both he and spectators become aware of a dangerous scenario unfolding – one that appears to be an active shooting incident.

In the end, he stands before a statue of Buddha, whispering a quick plea: “May she be safe, please.” As gunshots echo, Zion curses the statue, “I said keep her safe! Damn it!” Filled with both rage and fear, Zion witnesses a mysterious figure drifting past him… And that’s where the scene concludes, as the story jumps back a week to the commencement of another set of travelers’ unfortunate journeys.

Aimee Lou Wood shared with The Hollywood Reporter her excitement about reading the intense scene penned by White for the script. As Chelsea, the companion on travels with Walton Goggins’ enigmatic character Rick, she described the scripts as novel-like in their beauty and clarity. “The opening is particularly heavy because it focuses on Zion, a pure character,” Wood said. “It’s a different start compared to previous seasons, as it directly connects with our emotions right away by focusing on Zion’s concerns for his mother’s safety.”

Michelle Monaghan, portraying Jaclyn, elaborated that the initial scene effectively sets the stage for the themes explored in season three – life and death. She further explained that the opening scene showcases a contrast between light and dark, which becomes evident from the start. “In this season, there’s an underlying spirituality,” Monaghan added, “and you can already see some of its representation.

Initially, only a single corpse appears, yet the numerous gunshots suggest a higher death toll for this season compared to previous ones, perhaps even matching or surpassing season two’s bloody finale where beloved character Tanya McQuoid (Jennifer Coolidge) brutally massacred a boatload of villains before her own heartbreaking demise. At the moment, we can eliminate Zion and Amrita as potential shooters, although they could still meet their end when we resume in the season finale. However, they are the only characters safe from being the floating corpse in question. The remainder of the premiere subtly hints at possible casualties among the cast, including Jason Isaacs’ character Timothy Ratliff, the embattled businessman whose life hangs in the balance due to an impending Wall Street Journal exposé.

Rick Hatchett, portrayed by Goggins, is a mysterious character seemingly holding a grudge against one of the managers at the White Lotus resort.

Jaclyn Lemon, portrayed by Monaghan, is embarking on a “victory tour” accompanied by her two childhood buddies, both of whom are well-known figures.

This season of “White Lotus,” it appears that only Belinda, who is Zion’s mother, will be reappearing among the characters… but there might be a surprise or two!

At the conclusion of the first episode, we encounter a well-known figure once more: Greg (played by Jon Gries), the widower of Tanya McQuoid who orchestrated his wife’s demise in the previous season, and now seemingly resides at the White Lotus resort located in Thailand.

The creator hinted at a darker, more spiritual season ahead, mentioning that he might provide further insight into Tanya’s tragic demise and her husband’s role. This revelation would undoubtedly please Coolidge, who expressed to THR after her character’s death in season two: “I believe Greg should suffer the consequences for all the misery he inflicted on Tanya. He definitely deserves his comeuppance.

In an interview after season two, White commented, “Instead of opting for a full-blown anthology format, I find it more engaging to weave small continuities throughout the series…I don’t believe that each episode should always start with a body discovery. The show can be refreshed in numerous ways every year. For instance, presenting a new mystery could be an exciting aspect that viewers might anticipate. However, I don’t feel compelled to adhere strictly to such expectations.

It seems like season three might be brewing a gradually unfolding revenge storyline involving Greg. Could he be the next target in this HBO series’ drama? We’ll have to wait and see, as there are still seven episodes left until the season three conclusion.

In the third season of “The White Lotus,” fresh episodes air every Sunday at 9:00 PM, available on both HBO and Max. Keep up with our season analysis through THR’s coverage.

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2025-02-17 06:25