news Who Should Return to ‘The White Lotus’?

A naïve reporter once wrote on this very website that Tanya McQuoid (Jennifer Coolidge) was the connective tissue between seasons of “The White Lotus,” that she was unlikely to be killed off on Mike White’s HBO series as she tied it all together.

That reporter was wrong.

With Tanya out of the picture, there’s an unofficial opening for a new White Lotus loyalist to return to the resort in the already-announced Season 3 for all-new hair-raising encounters, fashion, and probably several deaths. Creator Mike White has already stated that he sees Season 3 being “a satirical and funny look at death and Eastern religion and spirituality,” but hasn’t hinted yet at which existing characters might embark on that journey.

Anyone or no one could make a comeback, but here’s who we think has the highest chance of returning to the White Lotus resorts — and why we want to see them in Season 3.

Daphne (Meghann Fahy) and Cameron (Theo James)​


Not only did White explicitly say he wants to explore religious traditions in Asia, but he also had Season 2’s core four make a toast to taking another trip together. “Next year, the Maldives!” Daphne exclaims joyfully. Suffice it to say that these four should not go on any more trips together, but Meghann Fahy in the Maldives is a tough sell to beat.

In fact, what if Daphne ditches the dead weight (insensitive, sorry) and takes a solo trip? Maybe she brings her kids and “personal trainer,” or finally makes a female friend and takes a girls’ trip (the friend, ideally, is played by Aisha Dee).

Ethan (Will Sharpe) and Harper (Aubrey Plaza)​


The only reason they aren’t included with Daphne and Cameron is that Ethan and Harper may need to spend some time alone. “I do think there’s more to mine in that relationship,” Sharpe told IndieWire after the finale. “There are still questions at the end. It’s kind of cathartic to a degree, but there’s still some mystery, and I feel like they will still have talking to do once they’re back home.”

Why not do that talking at a White Lotus resort? That won’t be deeply triggering, right?

A group of men in suits singing and standing around a piano; still from The White Lotus

You know who’s not coming back to the White Lotus? These guys.

Fabio Lovino/HBO

Greg (Jon Gries)​


Whether or not he orchestrated his wife’s murder (he probably did), Greg just came into a lot of money by working around his prenup. Is he brazen enough to return to the very resort where he met his dear-departed wife and ordered her murder at the hands of a handsome Italian man?

White suggested that Greg or Portia might return in connection with Tanya’s death, saying that authorities will most likely trace it back to Greg. He’ll need to dispel those connections before he clears his name and goes on vacation, and by then he’ll sorely need it.

Albie (Adam DiMarco) and Portia (Haley Lu Richardson)​


Albie and Portia’s relationship may not be long for this world, but they could also end up miserably locked in a long-term relationship and taking a trip together for their anniversary. How Albie would it be to book a White Lotus vacation because “it’s where we met” in the hopes of ignoring that it’s also where Portia’s former employer toppled to her unexpected doom?

Portia is also directly and traceably connected to Season 2’s death, and while “The White Lotus” is hardly a crime procedural, there’s no way that Portia got on a plane and left Sicily’s events behind her. Whether she’s going back or getting away, the White Lotus will always be part of her past.

Olivia Mossbacher (Sydney Sweeney)​


Who’s to say a Season 1 favorite can’t come back? Olivia is older now, ready to return to a White Lotus without her family’s baggage or ex-best friend Paula (Brittany O’Grady) (there is no way they’re still friends after that Maui trip). She could be devouring books on a soul-searching solo trip or back with a refurbished friend group in search of answers to life’s great mysteries. No matter what, they’re sure to have a memorable time.

“The White Lotus” Season 2 is now streaming on HBO Max.
 
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