Expats Episode 1, titled "The Peak" opens with a sequence sets the tone and centers on a sumptuous 50th birthday celebration thrown for Margaret's husband, Clarke, following a horrible family accident that resulted in one of Margaret and Clarke's children going missing. The celebration has been planned, and the three women at the center of the story, expats, begin to reveal to us at the party that they have a strange previous relationship.
The story opens with Mercy's voice telling us about a string of tragic incidents that don't seem to be connected to the story at all. These include the story of a doctor who fell asleep at the wheel and used her car to hide several pedestrians, the story of a group of pilots whose plane crashed into a ski lift, and the story of a young boy who one day paralyzed his twin brother while they were play fighting. Mercy expresses her desire to learn more about people like her, the people who caused the tragedies. Do they ever receive forgiveness? Do they ever find new love? She is obviously very sorry about anything that happened in the past.
The scene then cuts to Margaret in a restaurant having a conversation with Priscilla about the specifics of Clarke's birthday celebration while her two kids, Daisy and Philip, wait for her to finish. Her son, Philip, has sketched a picture of his entire family, including a small boy standing away from the others and a taller figure. When Priscilla asks who the boy is, he replies that it's Gus. Margaret then quickly notifies the party planner that they must go immediately. Hilary, Margaret's friend who has been estranged from her, comes back from a run and gets into the elevator at the Peak apartment complex. When she notices Margaret is back, she tries to send the elevator up to get away from them, but Daisy and Philip rush down the hallway and stop the doors.
Margaret enters and inquires about Hilary and her husband David's attendance at the celebration, noting how much it would mean to Clarke if they did. Hilary first replies that they are unable to attend, but she will check to see if they can still drop by. The atmosphere in Margaret's flat is tense. Margaret wants the party to go ahead to bring things a bit more normal, but Clarke's mother, Ji-Young, is adamant that it was a horrible idea and should have been postponed. Philip is also told not to draw us again after she confronts him about the figure next to him in his drawing, to which he responds that it is Jesus.
Then we are reintroduced to Mercy, who is having an affair with David, who turns out to be Hilary's husband. Following his departure, she goes out for drinks with some friends who question her about David, even though she insists they're not serious at all. While out, she receives a text from him, so she heads off to work at one of her catering jobs, serving appetizers at Margaret's party to be exact. When Hilary and David argue in the car on the way to the party, David says he can't do this anymore and asks the driver to pull over, leaving Hilary alone for the evening. Margaret, Clarke, and David also get prepared for the celebration.
As the celebration goes on, tensions between Margaret and Clarke's parents get worse. As Mercy is serving, she spots Margaret's children, looks at the parents, gets alarmed, and gets ready to leave the building. Margaret seeks to find Mercy after spotting her in turn. Before Margaret can grab Priscilla for the speeches, Margaret scolds her for inviting her to the celebration. Clark thanks their friends and family for attending and for their support over the past year after Gus's disappearance in front of all the guests, standing next to some other visitors. Hilary realizes she can't face Margaret as she is right now and walks out. Margaret informs Clarke that she saw Mercy, and he tries in vain to comfort her, insisting that Mercy couldn't have been among the masses. Margaret doesn't waver and charges the floor to confront a different waitress that she mistakenly believes to be Mercy.
Margaret is once again approached by Clarke's family after Mercy departs the event, throwing up behind it as they go, and they inquire as to why Mercy would have been anywhere close. After receiving a text regarding the altercation, Hilary goes back to see how her friend is doing. In the end, the two jump into a cab together and decide to stop for lunch on the way home. There, they not only share some exciting news but also look back on their past exploits. Margaret seems to be harboring a growing desire to leave her family since she detests being perceived as the mother of a missing kid, and Hilary confides in her that she believes her marriage has ended.
Following a light-hearted moment spent dancing to music, Margaret asks Hilary to drive her to the market where Gus vanished. The cops are outside the Peak when they return later. Hilary leaves to see what's wrong as Margaret becomes immediately alarmed that something has happened to another of her children. It appears that one of the neighbors has also died. After a heated discussion about Hilary's failing marriage on the elevator, Margaret and Hilary part ways. When Hilary gets back to her empty house, her assistant tells her that David hasn't been there. Then the episode returns to Margaret's apartment. Philip looks for the family drawing while she and Clarke are talking about their neighbor's passing. He retrieves it from a container and uses magnets to place it back on the refrigerator. And here Expats Episode 1, ends.
- Series Title : Expats
- Season : 1
- Total Episodes : 6
- Release Date : January 26, E1
- Language : English
- Genre : Drama
- OTT Platform : Prime Video
- Origin of Country : US
- Runtime : 53 Minutes
- Rating : 6.5 IMDb
- Cast : Nicole Kidman, Ji-young Yoo, Jack Huston, Sarayu RaoSarayu Blue, Brian Tee, Flora Chan
Read Also: Expats Episode 2 Recap
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