You Won’t See The Expats Book Ending Coming

It might be some time before fans get that much-anticipated third installment of Big Little Lies. But in the meantime, Nicole Kidman has a new drama about motherhood, trauma, and women’s relationships that you’ll be just as obsessed with.

Prime Video’s new drama Expats is based on Janice Y. K. Lee’s 2016 novel, The Expatriates. Kidman, Ji-young Yoo, and Sarayu Blue star as Margaret, Mercy, and Hilary, three American women living in Hong Kong, when a tragic event crashes them into each other’s orbit in surprising ways.

The series, which premiered on Jan. 26, is a weekly drop — so you’ll have to wait until the Feb. 23 finale to see the full-circle conclusion to the women’s stories. But you can skim ahead for an idea of what’s to come. To that end, here’s a spoiler-filled recap of the Expats book.

Meet The Expats

Margaret and her husband, Clarke, live in Hong Kong with their three children, Daisy, Philip, and their son, G. (The show changes G’s name to Gus.)

Hilary and her husband, David, have been trying for a child, but are growing apart. So, Hilary, who’s also friends with Margaret, considers adopting a son, Julian, as a single parent.

Mercy is a single woman in her 20s who moved to Hong Kong after college, and finds a job babysitting for Margaret’s family.

During a fateful trip to Seoul, Mercy is watching the kids on a busy street when G disappears. The 4-year-old boy can’t be found anywhere, and Margaret grieves his loss — while still holding out hope that she’ll find him.

A Domino Effect

Mercy spends the next year experiencing guilt and depression from the tragedy. She ultimately begins having an affair with David, who suddenly disappears from Hilary’s life. Mercy also begins dating Charlie, an acquaintance from college. But when she learns she’s pregnant with David’s child, she ends things with Charlie and decides to have the baby.

Meanwhile, Hilary decides to adopt Julian on her own. When she tells David this, he informs her of his affair and Mercy’s pregnancy.

Hilary and Margaret are catching up one day when they realize that the person who’s changed their lives so thoroughly is the same woman, Mercy.

Surprising Support

Margaret also emails Mercy (their first communication since G’s disappearance), and the women decide to meet for a meal. Both women are honest about their pain and seem to gain some closure from the experience.

Mercy soon gives birth to a daughter in the fall, nearly two years after the incident. Both Margaret and Hilary come to the hospital to show their support. It’s proof of the trio’s unusual bond, with each woman forging a very different path of motherhood.