Light spoilers ahead for season three, episode six of The White Lotus.
Characters in The White Lotus rarely return, and when they do, we should always be worried about their fate. Just look at what happened to Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya! As soon as it was announced that Natasha Rothwell’s character, Belinda, the spa manager from season one, would be heading to Thailand, my anxiety meter went all the way up. And while she has mostly been sidelined in season three, as we approach the final few episodes, I’ve started to think there could be some murder-mystery clues embedded somewhere in her character’s outfits.
After season one, Belinda had lost nearly everything. In Hawaii, she was not only struck with grief over the death of Armond, her manager and friend, but left in the dust after Tanya had promised to start a business with her, only to fall in love with Greg (or Gary, as we know him now) and ditch any possibility of ever working together. Years later, Belinda has ventured to Thailand for a wellness study-abroad program, and for the first time, we get to see what she is really like when she’s not stuck in the orbit of needy guests like Tanya. (It should also be noted that in this episode, Belinda is reading a book titled Surrounded by Narcissists.)
For the past few episodes, Belinda has been enjoying the resort like a guest. She has mostly not been wearing her uniform, instead putting on some colorful linen caftans and resortwear and sitting among other guests at the pool and at dinner. On her first night, she sees another Black couple being seated for dinner, dressed similarly, and waves. They wave back, and the relief that washes over Belinda’s face is clear: She finally feels at ease. On top of that, she’s enjoying a little romance with the White Lotus wellness-center staffer Pornchai, who mentors her as she settles into her new digs. But even the social-media manager at Lilly Pulitzer, the label behind some of Belinda’s vacation outfits, appears to be worried for her safety, going so far as to comment “Hoping she stays safe this season” on the White Lotus Fashion’s Instagram account.
We may have a reason to be worried, too. While Belinda has been showing off her vacation style throughout the season so far, this particular caftan reminded me of the floral dress worn by Tanya in the season-two finale, which also appeared, in a moment of foreshadowing, on the Apollonia mannequin from the Godfather car-explosion scene referenced earlier in the season. Some fans looked back and felt that this particular outfit Tanya wore was actually a clue to the death that occurred in season two, and while I don’t think the exact same thing would happen again this season, I’m not not convinced that we might find some clues in what Belinda wears in season three. She’s back in her uniform now that she and Pornchai have started getting into the “study abroad” portion of her trip, and I’m keeping my eye on whether or not that means she ends this season alive or if she’s on the hit list.
In this episode, Belinda recognizes Greg/Gary and confronts him at dinner before a Google search reveals that Tanya is dead and Greg is wanted in Italy regarding the death. That is all Belinda needs to see for her vacation vibes to sour, and while I am grateful that we get to view Rothwell’s acting chops, Belinda’s safety (or possible lack thereof) has been doing a number on my sanity. The seemingly dull resort manager, Fabian, won’t take her seriously, and Gary is very clearly about to go after her. When he invites Belinda to a dinner at his house, she pauses and, thankfully, politely declines. (I need Saxon to take some notes here on what to do when you’re invited to a party with a bunch of wealthy strangers in a foreign country.) What remains to be seen is if she ends up being manipulated into going next episode.
If episode six has proven anything, it’s that when we think things can’t get worse, they do (case in point: the Ratliff brothers!). I keep thinking about the opening scene of the season, in which there is a shooting and Belinda’s son is the one who finds the body; he pleads to the gods to not let anything happen to his mom. So here I am, pleading to creator Mike White: Please, for the love of God, don’t let anything bad happen to Belinda.