Expats is an American drama television miniseries directed by Lulu Wang, based on the 2016 novel The Expatriates by Janice Y. K. Lee.
Set in Hong Kong, the plot orbits the abrupt disappearance of Margaret’s youngest son during a nighttime market escapade. The convergence of three American women, their clandestine affairs, amorous entanglements, and deceit unfurls against the backdrop of the 2014 Umbrella Movement protests in Hong Kong.
Margaret grapples with an overwhelming sense of culpability and desolation, while her companion, Hilary, maneuvers through the intricacies of a disintegrating marriage. At the same time, chance acquaintance and young Columbia graduate, Mercy, descends into a series of self-destructive choices.