Expats is a Prime Video drama exploring the lives of three female expatriates living in Hong Kong in 2014 — Mercy (Ji-young Yoo), Margaret (Nicole Kidman, and Hilary (Sarayu Blue) — and sees how they intertwine after a family tragedy (spoilers ahead).
The first episode lingers in the present. It's a mood-establishing opening that revolves around a lavish 50th birthday party organized for Margaret's (Nicole Kidman) husband, Clarke (Brian Tee). The party has been arranged in the wake of a horrific family accident that led to the disappearance of one of Margaret and Clarke's children.
At the party, we start to see that the three women at the heart of Expats' story share a mysterious connection from their past. Here's a full recap of how Expats episode 1 played out.
A tragic start
We pick up with the voice of Mercy, telling us about a series of tragic accidents that don't currently appear related to the story; that of a doctor who fell asleep at the wheel and hid several pedestrians with her car, and about a group of pilots whose plane collided with a ski lift, and another of a young boy who paralyzed his twin brother whilst they were playfighting one day.
Mercy tells us she wants to know about 'the people who caused the tragedies... people like me. Are they ever forgiven? Do they ever move on?' Clearly, she feels extremely guilty about an event from her past.
We then cut to Margaret in a restaurant, chatting over the particulars of Clarke's birthday party with Priscilla, whilst her two children (Philip and Daisy) are waiting for her to finish up. Philip, her son, has drawn a picture of his whole family, including a young boy standing apart from the group with a taller figure. Priscilla asks who the boy is; he says it's Gus, and at that, Margaret promptly tells the party planner they have to leave urgently.
At "The Peak" apartment complex, Hilary (Margaret's estranged friend) returns from a run and enters the elevator. She spots Margaret returning and tries to send the elevator up to avoid them, but Philip and Daisy charge down the corridor and block the doors. Inside, Margaret asks if Hilary and her husband David will be coming to the party, as it will mean so much to Clarke if they come along. Hilary initially says they can't come, but will double-check if they can pop along anyway.
Tensions run high in Margaret's apartment. Clarke's mother, Jing, insists the party is a bad idea and should have been delayed; Margaret wants to go ahead to make things a little more normal. And when she challenges Philip about the man next to Gus in his drawing (he says it's Jesus), she tells him never to draw him again.
We're then reintroduced to Mercy, who's having an affair with "Dirk", aka David (later revealed to be Hilary's husband). After he leaves, she heads out to drinks with some friends, who end up grilling her about "Dirk", though she says they're not serious whatsoever. She gets a text from him whilst out and leaves to go work at one of her catering gigs... which happens to be serving hor d'oeuvres Margaret's party.
David and Hilary and Margaret and Clarke get dressed for the party; en route, Hilary and David have an argument in the car which leads to him asking the driver to pull out, admitting he "can't do this anymore" and getting out, leaving Hilary on her own for the evening.
Recognition
Tensions between Margaret and Clarke's parents continue to build as the party continues. While serving, Mercy recognizes Margaret's kids and then lays eyes on the parents, panics, and prepares to leave the building. Margaret spots Mercy in turn and tries to chase her down. Priscilla intercepts Margaret for the speeches before she can catch her, and Margaret blasts her for inviting her to the party.
In front of all the guests, Clarke thanks their friends and family for coming and for their support in the past year (since Gus' disappearance). Hilary, standing beside some other guests, decides she can't see Margaret in her current state, and leaves. After Margaret tells him she's seen Mercy, Clarke unsuccessfully tries to calm Margaret down and reassure her that Mercy couldn't have been in the crowds.
Margaret is unwavering and rushes out to the floor, confronting another waitress who she thinks is Mercy, but isn't. After Mercy leaves the venue (throwing up behind it on the way out), Clarke's family once again come to Margaret and ask her why Mercy would have been anywhere nearby.
Hilary, having received a text about the confrontation, returns to check on her estranged friend. The pair end up leaving in a cab together and decide to pull over for some food on the way home. There, they reminisce about their former adventures, but also share some big news. Hilary tells Margaret she thinks her marriage is fully over, and Margaret apparently harbors a growing desire to leave her family because she hates being seen as the mother of a missing child.
After a moment of levity, dancing to some music, Margaret asks Hilary to take her to the market where Gus disappeared. When they later return to The Peak, the police are outside. Margaret instantly worries something has happened to another of her children, so Hilary gets out to check what's wrong.
It turns out that another of their neighbors has passed away. Margaret and Hilary part ways after a harsh exchange about Hilary's failing marriage in the elevator. Hilary returns to her empty home, to be informed by her "helper", Puri, that David hasn't been home.
The episode then ends back in Margaret's apartment. Whilst she and Clarke are discussing the death of their neighbor, Philip searches for the drawing of the whole family. Rescuing it from a bin, he pins it back on the fridge with some magnets.
Expats is now streaming exclusively on Prime Video.
