Yahoo Lifestyle 'The White Lotus': How Does Belinda's Return in Season 3 Connect to Season 1?
The White Lotus has returned to HBO, this time for a stay in Thailand. Last season, Jennifer Coolidge reprised her role as Tanya McQuoid from Season 1, and Season 3 once again brings back a familiar face. This time, it's Belinda, played by Natasha Rothwell, who's back for another trip at the deadly resort. So what does the spa manager's return mean and how does it connect to Season 1?
Why has Belinda returned to The White Lotus?
Belinda is in Thailand for a three-month wellness program. The first time we see her in Season 3, she is greeted by White Lotus staff. She says "it's been a rough couple of years" and learned that a spot opened up in a wellness program at the White Lotus resort.
Related: Everything to Know About 'The White Lotus' Season 3
As she gets shown her room, she can't believe how beautiful it is. "You sure know how to treat a burnt-out bitch," she tells Pornchai (Dom Hetrakul). The room has two beds which is perfect because her son is coming to visit.
So now we know the why. Having had a stressful few years, Belinda is hoping to decompress with a three-month stay in Thailand and will surely get to spend some time connecting with her son. It's not like The White Lotus resort has a history of a well deserved vacation going awry or anything!
What do the lizards mean?
As she walks to her room, guided by Pornchai, Belinda gets startled by a Monitor lizard on the path. Surely this won't be the last surprise Belinda gets while at the resort but it's an ominous start to her journey. The staff member tells her that "in time, lizards will become your friends," something Belinda doesn't seem to believe.
Lizards often represent sacrifice and re-growth. Known for shedding their tail when they are in danger, lizards are known for their survival ability. They then re-grow their tail, symbolizing resurrection and adaptability. This sounds an awful lot like what Belinda is looking for!
She is brought to a statue of Brahma, the creator and Hindu god. He tells her that Thai people believe spirits are everywhere and so they are given offerings for protection. She stops and prays for a moment with him but as she walks away from the shrine, she bumps the offering she gave. Perhaps a bad omen for the safety provided by the spirits.
As Belinda says goodnight to her son, she hears a rustling sound in the trees above her. Worried about a snake falling on her head, she rushes inside. She's just finished telling her son that despite what she expected, "she finally feels like something good's going to come out of this". But the commotion above her, along with the lizard and the statue, feel like Belinda might be a little too optimistic about her trip.
Related: 'The White Lotus' Season 3 Cast: Where You Know Them From
Belinda notices some other guests
While enjoying her first dinner at the resort, Belinda spots two guests walking to their own table. Played by Survivor contestants Natalie Cole and Carl Boudreaux, Belinda watches them and gives them a polite wave. Later, she tells her son that she "saw two Black people tonight and they weren't staff."
This moment is important because it highlights the racial and class dynamics persistent in The White Lotus. Her comment to her son is not just an offhand remark, it's a note at the rarity of Black guests at places like this. People of color are often seen in service roles rather than as the guests.
Is Belinda going to recognize Greg?
But there's a more ominous guest present at the resort in the form of Greg (Jon Gries), Tanya's ex-husband. Belinda's story in Season 1 was linked to Tanya's as she promised to fund her own wellness spa, a gift that never materialized. In Season 2, Greg hired assassins to kill Tanya.
Belinda's connection with Greg could prove to be a complicated one, to say the least. The ex-husband might be wary of anyone who had a connection to Tanya, even if that relationship was tenuous at best. We don't yet know how Belinda feels about Tanya's death (or if she even knows about it), but Greg's presence at the resort adds a whole other layer of complexity to her stay at the resort.
Related: 'The White Lotus' Season 3 Hints at Incest: What's Going on With the Ratliff Siblings?
