Expats – Season 1 Episode 1 “The Peak” Recap & Review

The Peak

Episode 1 of Expats begins with a brief monologue that sets the tone for the rest of the episode. Lulu Wong narrates several tragic incidents to showcase an obsession with the victims. More often than not, the perpetrators are lost in the haze. But not for Wong; not for Expats, which focuses on one such defining tragedy. Or perhaps its aftermath, which is difficult to endure and impossibly hard to move on from.

The series is set in Hong Kong. There are multiple avenues of attention here. The great thing for us is their interconnectedness, which surfaces later in the episode.

Margaret (Kidman) is the wife of an expat, Clarke, posted in the region. His 50th birthday is coming up and it is going to be a bash. Margaret struggles through the planning phase, even though she has taken the help of an agency. She meets with a representative, Priscilla, to hash out all the details like the guest list and the catering. She is a mother of two – formerly three – Philippe and Daisy, both of whom are fairly young in their preteens. When Margaret sees a drawing from Philippe where he draws Gus, her child who went missing a year ago, she feels a moment of estrangement from her current life.

Philippe also draws another man in the picture, whom he later explains to Margaret as being Jesus. She is dumbstruck by the revelation since the parents haven’t brought their children up religiously. She doesn’t make much of it but it is pinned in her mind as a cause of concern. Clarke’s parents, Jing and Andrew Woo, show up at the house for the party. Peter, his brother, has also made the trip from Philadephia. 

They want the couple to relocate, although Margaret doesn’t want it to happen. We don’t learn a lot about Gus in the episode, except that he went missing, and somehow Margaret was at fault along with a few others. This is a great segue into introducing the other main characters of the show. Hilary Starr (Saraya Blue) is a neighbour and former friend of Margaret’s. Their closeness grew into distance after the tragedy, in which her husband, David Starr (Jack Huston), was also involved.

Interestingly, David is having an affair with Mercy (Ji-young Yoo) under the alias “Dirk.” Mercy was also involved in the tragedy but seems to have no inkling about David’s part. Margaret’s disenchantment with her life is established by showing us that she has taken a secret apartment in the Kowloon area in HK. No one knows about its existence. We only see Margaret scrubbing the floor and spending hours on end submerged in a bathtub. She leaves when it is time for the party.

Hilary, who had earlier decided not to go, is convinced to for old time’s sake. She is also concerned about their neighbour, Christopher, whose dog has been barking all day in the apartment. David doesn’t want to go either and abandons his wife in the middle of the ride. Hilary goes to the party alone. As fate would have it, Mercy is part of the catering servers at the party. Margaret has a tough time dealing with Clarke’s overbearing mother and Philippe’s drawing. 

Clarke tries to calm her down and encourages Margaret to drop these issues for the party. The mood is mellow until Mercy sees Philippe and then Margaret. She quickly realizes “it is them” and hurries to leave. Margaret is also shocked to see her and chases Mercy but isn’t able to catch up in time. She is so thrown off by the incident that Margaret accosts another waitress, who looks like Mercy from behind. The party’s mood is dampened as her family tries to convince Margaret that Mercy couldn’t have been at the party. 

Although Hilary had earlier left the party, she comes back when someone texts her about the incident. Margaret looks liberated when she sees her, choosing to ditch the family and go out to a joint. They leave their bitterness behind and look comfortable in each other’s company. The duo even starts singing to a familiar song playing in the joint when all of a sudden Margaret grows pale. She collapses in Hilary’s arms and begs her to take Margaret to the market. Mercy vomits after leaving the party and cries herself to sleep, alone in her apartment. 

When they come back to the building, Margaret panics when she sees the sirens. For a moment, her mind goes to the terrible tragedy with Gus. But Hilary allays those fears by explaining that the police have found Christopher’s body. Hilary, who had earlier confessed to Margaret that she thinks her marriage is over, isn’t surprised to not find David at home. Both women carry a lot of emotional burdens and want an out from their current lives. The episode ends with Philippe quietly sneaking into Clarke’s office and pinning the drawing he made to the soft board. 

The Episode Review

Episode 1 hits all the right notes. Perfectly paced, acted, and framed. All of this is tied up by compelling writing and characters that have depth. The textures of the writing are an enviable blend of melancholy, tragedy, and a brooding sense of disenchantment, flowing through the three female protagonists. I hope there is more to the male characters as well because this trend is becoming nauseating. 

The galloping urbanization of Hong Kong makes for an even more isolated setting. It is not on many occasions while covering television that one is compelled to check out the cinematographer’s credit. But I did. Anna Franquesa-Solano lights up Episode 1 with a distinguished poignancy that is rare for the format. Hope to see more of this going forward.

I honestly think Nicole Kidman has stopped ageing in the 2000s. I was reminded of her in The Others many times in the episode. Overall, the cast looks dedicated and Ji-young Yoo is all set to play a pivotal role. Don’t forget, this is a doubleheader. On to Episode 2!