In the “Expats” show, the complex lives of 3 women converge under tragic circumstances. These expatriate women are American (USA) citizens living in Hong Kong, Asia.
This heartbreaking human drama is based on “The Expatriates” a novel by Janice Y.K. Lee. Margaret, Hilary and Mercy are the three main characters in this contemporary story. Please note the book ends with an emotional conclusion, where the three women form a strong bond after Mercy’s childbirth. But this is not the ending that the show depicts. This limited series has a different ending than that of the book.
Synopsis of the Expats (2024) Series
Set against the vibrant and tumultuous tapestry of 2014 Hong Kong, Expats centres on three American women–Margaret (Nicole Kidman), Hilary (Sarayu Blue), and Mercy (Ji-young Yoo)–whose lives intersect after a sudden family tragedy. The series interrogates privilege and explores what happens when the line between victimhood and culpability becomes blurred.
Thus, it looks at the personal and professional lives of a tight-knit group of expatriates living in Hong Kong.
Trailer of the Expats (2024) Series
Spoiler Free Review of the Expats (2024) Series
Introduction
Circa 2014-2015, this heartbreaking drama is set within the intricate fabric of Hong Kong society. Three American women (Margaret, Hillary, and Mercy) residing in Hong Kong, each with distinct backgrounds and perspectives, are the central focus of this narrative. Their lives intertwine due to a tragic event that has had a profound impact on each of them.
Interestingly, Hong Kong boasts the highest number of skyscrapers in the world, surpassing even New York City, with over 7,000 buildings that have more than 14 floors. So, we get to see both the high skyscrapers with luxurious apartments and dilapidated buildings with tiny apartments. So, we get to see two sections of society, one, the well-off people and two, the people with limited economic resources.
Nicole Kidman plays Margaret, a well-off American
After experiencing a tragic and devastating loss, Margaret (her image is the featured image above), a previously contented wife and mother of three, finds herself questioning her role as a mother and her maternal instincts. As a result, she carries a heavy burden. She mainly blames herself for the sad incident, so her grief and guilt are overwhelming in this slow-burning drama.
Sarayu Blue plays Hilary Starr, a successful professional
Hilary, a prosperous Indian American woman, is tormented by her battle to conceive a child, a situation she feels could potentially salvage her failing marriage. She has changed her original Indian name and adopted a more Western name, perhaps to fit in with the Western expat crowds. Her glamorous professional demeanour hides her family’s wounds involving her parents and her husband, too.
Ji-Young Yoo plays Mercy, a struggling youngster from NYC, USA
Mercy is a recent Columbia graduate and a young Korean American. She finds herself lost and overwhelmed by a tragic event that occurred in her recent history. And, highly repentant, she fails to count her blessings. Therefore, in her own words, she strongly believes that she is born unlucky. Consequently, she blames herself for all kinds of grim and terrible events happening with and around her.
What did we like and dislike in this series?
Created and directed by Lulu Wang, this series empathetically portrays an emotional tale. We liked her insightful take and use of different Asian languages in the show to make it a realistic tale. A diverse collection of women whose lives are forever changed by a chance meeting, forcing them to grapple with the delicate equilibrium of responsibility and culpability. However, it primarily focuses on the lives of the three women (named above) are intertwined by a tragic event that initiated a chain reaction of consequences.
The lives of these women intersect in ways that result in permanent consequences for each of them as they battle their inner demons. How they all deal with their problems is the crux of this emotional human drama.
“It’s ultimately a series that challenges the audience’s empathy. And asks the question of who deserves our empathy.”
Lulu Wang
The acting by Nicole Kidman, Sarayu Blue, Ji-Young Yoo, Brian Tee, Ruby Ruiz, Amelyn Pardenilla and others is top-class. We loved their nuanced performances.
We liked the way, Hong Kong society was depicted in the show. So, not only do we get to see the rich expat people and their houses help; but also the not-so-well-off young citizens of Hong Kong. It explored the ideas of economic disparity and the contrasting fortune have been explored too. Not to forget, the fairly large constituents of foreign domestic helpers (Filipino) from the Philippines working in Hong Kong.
We also get a glimpse of the 2014 Umbrella Revolution. All of these make this an engaging drama. But, we disliked its slow-paced story that did not reach its logical conclusions.
Like its characters, we did not get the closure, too. And that is the reality of life for you.
The conclusion
In the series finale, we see the three women engaging in what appears to be a conversation about their lives following the tragic incident, as well as the guilt and heartache they each endured. Later on, we read in one of her interviews, that creator Lulu Wang desired an ambiguous ending. Thereby, leaving us (the viewers) with a lingering uncertainty about whether forgiveness has truly been granted.
According to Lulu Wang, the essence of the show lies in the characters’ journey to move forward, even in the absence of closure. She believes that this mirrors the complexities of real life, where goodbyes and closure are not always attainable. And, being emphatic persons, we agree with her take on the series ending. Go, watch it and then decide.
Rating of the Expats (2024) Series
| FM Rating | 3.50/5 |
| FM Short Comments | We loved the performances by all three primary actors: Nicole Kidman (Margaret), Sarayu Blue (Hilary), and Ji-young Yoo (Mercy). This realistic human drama is about loss, pain, grief, forgiveness, compromises, reconciliation, surviving, moving on, etc. It makes one think long and hard about the complexities of human lives. |
Key Details of the Expats (2024) Series
| Genre | Drama |
| Original language | English (and a bunch of Asian languages) |
| Released | January 26, 2024 to February 23, 2024 |
| Season | One (1) Season |
| Episodes | Six (6) Episodes / Limited Mini-Series |
| Creator | Lulu Wang |
| Cast | Nicole Kidman (Margaret), Sarayu Blue (Hilary Starr), Ji-Young Yoo (Mercy), Brian Tee (Clarke), Tiana Gowen (Daisy Woo), Bodhi del Rosario (Philip Woo), Ruby Ruiz (Essie), Amelyn Pardenilla (Puri), Jack Huston (David Starr), Bonde Sham (Charly), Flora Chan (Olivia Chu), Connor James (Gus), etc. |
| Taglines | We are what we survive. |
| Network | Prime Video |
Posters of the Expats (2024) Series
Spoilers Alert – Episodes Summary & Ending Explained
What is the Episodes Summary [Official] of the Six Episodes of Season One?
The Peak (S1, E1) | January 26, 2024 (53 minutes)
Three expat women living in Hong Kong cross paths at a birthday party where it becomes evident they share a mysterious connection from their past.
Mongkok (S1, E2) | January 26, 2024 (53 minutes)
One year earlier, Margaret and Mercy meet at an extravagant yacht party forging an unlikely connection, as Hilary wrestles with whether she wants to start a family. An incident occurs that will forever change the course of all our characters’ lives.
Mongkok is one of the major shopping areas in Hong Kong. It stands as the epitome of a bustling and vibrant district within an already bustling and vibrant city.
Mid-Levels (S1, E3) | February 2, 2024 (59 minutes)
Margaret becomes obsessed with discovering the truth behind her son’s disappearance, leading her to a person of interest. Hilary tries to keep up appearances while her marriage is falling apart. Mercy is caught up in an intense affair with a man whose trauma mirrors hers.
Mainland (S1, E4) | February 9, 2024 (1 hour 1 minute)
Our characters find themselves trapped in confined spaces where both physical and emotional tensions escalate. A potential revelation in Gus’s case sends Margaret and Clarke to the Mainland. Hilary’s mother visits Hog Kong from Los Angeles. Mercy makes a shocking discovery.
Central (S1, E5) | February 16, 2024 (1 hour 40 minutes)
CENTRAL, the feature-length penultimate episode of the limited series EXPATS, shifts the narrative away from the entangled lives of expats to spend one fateful Sunday with two Filipina domestic workers and a disparate ensemble of Hong Kong locals as a massive typhoon descends upon the city and the 2014 political movement reaches a point of no return.
Home (S1, E6) | February 23, 2024 (1 hour)
Margaret and her family prepare to return to the United States. Hilary travels home to Los Angeles to visit her ailing father. Mercy’s mother visits her in Hong Kong for the first time.
What happened with “Gus”, the kid and what was his fate? Ending Explained.
Clarke’s explanation
The lost kid “Gus” remained elusive, never to be discovered. In one of the episodes, Margaret and Clarke were compelled to journey to the coroner’s office in Shenzhen on the mainland to ascertain the identity of a young boy they stumbled upon. During their time there, confined within a waiting room, Clarke confides to Margaret that she didn’t lose the child, but rather, the child was taken because of the resemblance to him. He explains that a “White” child would attract too much attention on the black market, but “Gus”, who looked like him, was taken instead. Additionally, he mentions that a child with Asian features would have an easier time crossing the border unnoticed compared to a child with White features.
At the end of the episode, the coroner grants permission for the couple to examine the deceased individual, confirming that he is not their son.
Clarke, overwhelmed with grief, crumbles into tears as he had desperately hoped for closure.
However, Margaret remains resolute, clinging to the belief that she will eventually reunite with Gus.
Gus’ fate
The police and authorities fail to find Gus. His fate remains unknown.
Clarke and the kids move back to the United States. Meanwhile, Margaret stays back in Hong Kong, as she hopes to find her missing son Gus, sooner rather than later.
Posters, Featured and Other Images of the Expats (2024) Show courtesy of Prime Video.