Jon Gries’ Greg Hunt in The White Lotus is the charming sociopath you can’t forget, here’s why

The White Lotus has some really messy, flawed, and self-absorbed characters. But very few leave the kind of impression that Greg Hunt does. He meets Tanya McQuoid in Hawaii during Season 1. He flirts with her and even gives her a little slice of happiness in the middle of her grief. He manages to look vulnerable with his story about having a terminal illness. But viewers get to know by the end of Season 2 that Greg is one of the most cold blooded manipulators in the series.

Greg is unsettling because he looks normal compared to the larger-than-life characters around him. Tanya is dramatic, needy, and desperate for love. Whereas Greg is grounded and even seems a little boring. That "regular guy" image allows him to slip under the radar for so long. His charm works like camouflage. He hides something much darker. When you think back on his behavior from Season 1, the signs were all there. But at the time we were too distracted by Tanya’s mess to notice.

The White Lotus makes Greg unforgettable because he acts as a silent villain. He does not show anger and is always calm. However, he always lies to Tanya and she trusts him completely. That’s what makes him a sociopath.

Disclaimer: This article contains the writer's opinions. Readers' discretion is advised.

The White Lotus: How Greg’s charm slowly turned into Tanya’s downfall

The White Lotus gives Greg one of the most deceptive introductions of the entire series. Tanya first meets him in Season 1. He coughs, talks about dying, and says he works for the Bureau of Land Management. He calls it “BLM.” Tanya is craving connection and sympathy after losing her mother. So she falls for his act instantly. She even pays for his treatment as she believes she’s helping a man she cares about. But when you revisit those episodes knowing what happens later, Greg’s coughing fits feel like an act. He knows how to play with Tanya’s emotions.

By Season 2 of The White Lotus, things become more apparent. Greg is married to Tanya now. But he grows cold and distant. He picks fights with her and even disappears on trips. He can't even come up with an explanation for it. He is caught by Tanya making shady phone calls. She even overhears him talking in a way that suggests he’s involved with something dangerous. His pattern of behavior is similar to how sociopaths operate. There are no straight answers with him. But somehow he keeps her emotionally dependent on him in such a manner that she doubts her own instincts.

The turning point comes with the Sicily trip. Tanya gets swept into the world of Quentin and his wealthy friends. But the adventure that seems glamorous on the surface actually hides a sinister truth. First she finds a photo that makes her doubt everything. Then she finds a bag with rope, duct tape, and a gun. And suddenly everything makes sense. Greg is in on a murder plot. If Tanya dies, Greg gets her fortune. If she divorces him, he gets nothing because of the prenup.

The White Lotus ends Tanya’s story with one of the darkest twists in the series. She manages to outwit Quentin and kill her attackers in a messy shootout. But when she tries to escape, she falls and drowns. It’s technically an accident. But it only happened because Greg set her up in the first place.

The tragedy is that Tanya dies fighting for her life. Yet Greg still got exactly what he wanted. He didn't have to get blood on his hands. He simply let his plan play out. And that makes him one of the scariest characters of The White Lotus.

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