The Amazon Prime streaming series, Expats, is winding its way towards a conclusion after weeks of the platform drip feeding episodes to global audiences, except in Hong Kong, where it was filmed but hasn’t been released.
The series, which is set during the 2014 umbrella movement protests in the city but also shifts around its timeline, courted controversy from the moment the cast and crew arrived in Hong Kong in 2021 to begin filming. The production was given exemptions from the strict Covid-19 quarantine rules that were in place in the territory at the time and became a lightning rod for commentary about the rights and wrongs of that eventuality.
The finished product does not bear the tell-tale hallmarks of some other Covid-19 era produced dramas, such as socially distanced principal players or small casts. The reverse is true, in fact, with a densely populated family function, an upscale weekend trip on a party boat and a visit to a crowded night market all being key narrative scenes in a drama that has also provoked a strong critical response since it began streaming.
Bloomberg’s Janet Paskin called it “bleak and boring”, The Guardian’s Lucy Mangan said Nicole Kidman was “running on fumes” in her starring role as Margaret, a privileged American expat who describes herself as “not a housewife” when asked by a young, enthusiastic party planner at the beginning of the series about what she does. The Daily Beast’s Fletcher Peters, meanwhile, rated Kidman’s performance as “pitch-perfect”. Others have been equally effusive in their praise.
So is this slow-burn drama based on the 2016 book The Expatriates by Janice Y K Lee flawed or flawless? It’s probably both.
Some of the criticism of Kidman has suggested she is reprising a role audiences have become familiar with in several recent big-budget series, including The Undoing and Big Little Lies. While there is an element of that, her portrayal of Margaret in Expats also holds a very nice line in gilded-cage tragedy.
The series is also very astute in the more subtle and multiple observations on how some expats intersect with the cities they build lives in – as well as the "high days and holidays" calendar planning of the wealthy.
The adverb there is important, however, as Expats is largely a tale of privilege rather than an every person fable. Only Mercy, played by Ji-young Yoo, shuttles properly between the world of cloistered wealth and a more regular version of Hong Kong not often seen by those well-off temporary implants.
It is a moment of distraction from Mercy – no massive spoilers here – that is at the heart of the storyline and which all the characters are ultimately defined by. That moment occurs during an almost anthropological visit by Margaret, her three kids and Mercy to a busy neon lights and puppy dogs night market. It is also deliciously on point as a route to illustrate the limited ways those who live in gated enclaves appear to intersect with the city.
The hired help they employ are used to illustrate the bubble the central characters exist in and their lack of curiosity about the world
In the opening episode, we also see Hilary, played by Sarayu Blue, and the third of the principal women at the centre of the tragedy, on a morning run around the leafy residential development where both she and Margaret live. It’s high up in the rarefied environs of Hong Kong’s peaks, which as some critics have already noted, is a not-so-subtle way of establishing the world of wealth that both women live in.
What quickly becomes clear is that Hilary and Margaret were once inseparable fast friends, bonded by the experience of arrival and rebirth in a city they have now lost their way in. By the time we meet them there is an awkwardness about their relationship caused by the fallout from the tragi-mystery at the centre of the piece.
The visual shorthand for that distance – again a clever touch – is Hilary pressing the button to close the doors of their apartment building lift so she doesn’t have to share the elevator as Margaret and family race towards it through the building’s lobby. Margaret’s kids refer to Hilary as "aunty" as they bustle across the foyer, another nice throw to friends being family in unfamiliar environs.
Both Hilary and Margaret are bound by living in relationships and families where the cracks are ever more exposed as the series progresses.
We see Hilary’s husband David, nursing his on-off alcoholism in an Irish bar and Hilary addressed as Harpreet by her visiting mother. The former vignette suggests an alien transplant retreating to familiar but poisonous solace and the latter speaks to the reinvention process of moving to a new city and shedding the conventions of the past.
Margaret’s daughter, Daisy, meanwhile obsessively watches rolling news coverage of the MH370 tragedy, which slipped from radars in March 2014, another pointer towards the missing person storyline at the heart of the series and, perhaps, as a cipher for the lost lives of the family’s own frayed existence.
The hired help that both Margaret and Hilary employ – domestic workers and drivers – are used as ways to illustrate the bubble the central characters exist in and their almost total lack of curiosity about the world beyond their high-end apartments and the back seats of their limousines.
As an observational piece, the series scores points consistently. As a drama series, we will have to wait and see, but these sideways glances at expats are so well realised – with all their attendant discomfort – that it is hard to keep your eyes off this Lulu Wang-directed tale of wealth, glamour and boorish party guests who are completely lost in their own opinions and biases.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
MEYDAN CARD
6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group One (PA) US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,200m
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) $100,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm Singspiel Stakes Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m
8.50pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
9.25pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group Two (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,600m
10pm Dubai Trophy Conditions (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,200m
10.35pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
The National selections:
6.30pm AF Alwajel
7.05pm Ekhtiyaar
7.40pm First View
8.15pm Benbatl
8.50pm Zakouski
9.25pm: Kimbear
10pm: Chasing Dreams
10.35pm: Good Fortune
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
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MATCH INFO
Manchester United 2
(Martial 30', McTominay 90 6')
Manchester City 0
ENGLAND SQUAD
Joe Root (c), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Ollie Pope, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes
The biog
Title: General Practitioner with a speciality in cardiology
Previous jobs: Worked in well-known hospitals Jaslok and Breach Candy in Mumbai, India
Education: Medical degree from the Government Medical College in Nagpur
How it all began: opened his first clinic in Ajman in 1993
Family: a 90-year-old mother, wife and two daughters
Remembers a time when medicines from India were purchased per kilo
more from Janine di Giovanni
Fixtures
Wednesday
4.15pm: Japan v Spain (Group A)
5.30pm: UAE v Italy (Group A)
6.45pm: Russia v Mexico (Group B)
8pm: Iran v Egypt (Group B)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
HWJN
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre flat-six twin-turbocharged
Transmission: eight-speed PDK automatic
Power: 445bhp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh474,600
On Sale: Now
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
FIXTURES
Fixtures for Round 15 (all times UAE)
Friday
Inter Milan v AS Roma (11.45pm)
Saturday
Atalanta v Verona (6pm)
Udinese v Napoli (9pm)
Lazio v Juventus (11.45pm)
Sunday
Lecce v Genoa (3.30pm)
Sassuolo v Cagliari (6pm)
SPAL v Brescia (6pm)
Torino v Fiorentina (6pm)
Sampdoria v Parma (9pm)
Bologna v AC Milan (11.45pm)
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
