Whether you\u2019re tuning in to the episodes<\/a> weekly on Prime Video<\/a> or have plans to binge-watch them all once they\u2019re out, let me save you the trouble. Because actually, if you want to tune into any part of Expats<\/a>, make it episode 5.<\/p>\n The fifth episode, entitled Central, is released on Prime Video today (Friday 16th February) and is a self-contained cinematic marvel in a series that could\u2019ve been so many things and, well, isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n While the rest of the drama pulls you along on a slow-winding journey of grief and unashamed elitism in which our three protagonists<\/a> Margaret (Nicole Kidman<\/a>), Hilary (Sarayu Blue) and Mercy (Ji-young Yoo) learn absolutely nothing, the penultimate episode of the series shines a deserved light on the background characters of this series \u2013 the domestic workers who are at the beck and call of expatriates like Margaret and Hilary in their high-rise apartment complex.<\/p>\n The 96-minute episode is longer than the rest in the series \u2013 a feature-length movie in and of itself at that run time \u2013 and warrants it as we dig into the lives of those who, too, are navigating the feeling of being an outsider in a city like Hong Kong.<\/p>\n Central was debuted by director Lulu Wang at both the 2023 London Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival well ahead of its release this year, proving it can stand alone on its own merit without the convoluted episodes that sit either side of it in the release schedule.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a clear divide in the Hong Kong expatriate community we see displayed in this series, between the lavish lifestyles of those who have moved to take on high-earning jobs and those who have come to work as housekeepers, nannies, cleaners and the like for the former.<\/p>\n The insufferable nature of especially Hilary and Margaret in the series is highlighted by the fact that, while they\u2019ve been struck by the tragedy of Margaret\u2019s son\u2019s disappearance and the fallout on both of their lives, they still remain completely entitled in the way they manoeuvre in their day-to-day.<\/p> But the reason why episode 5 is so special is because it moves the focus away from the entitled inner world of those women and places us in the richer, more expansive universe of women like Margaret\u2019s live-in housekeeper Essie (Ruby Ruiz) and Hilary\u2019s \u201chelper\u201d Puri (Amelyn Pardenilla).<\/p>\n Central gives them a voice and goes beyond the homes of their employers to where they spend their days off \u2013 shopping or congregated with other female domestic workers in ad-hoc hang out spots in parks to catch up, singing and gossiping about their bosses because they have nowhere else to go. Instead of getting the version of the city (and ultimately, the events of the series) solely through the lens of the protagonists, Expats delivers a more authentic view of navigating life in Hong Kong as we follow Puri and Essie.<\/p>\n We see how the grief of Gus\u2019s disappearance has rocked Essie\u2019s world but don\u2019t get to hear anything about it until Puri \u2013 seemingly the only person to have asked her \u2013 enquires how she\u2019s holding up. We see that Essie is not only a mother but a new grandmother who has moved to Hong Kong to provide for her growing family back in the Philippines, regularly asked by her son when she\u2019s coming home at long last.<\/p>\n Contrary to what Margaret and her family may think, Essie is a character that is valued, missed and loved. But we also see how grief \u2013 the grief for Gus, her family and her home country \u2013 is something she\u2019s having to deal with everyday too, minus the dramatic solitary bathtub scenes of Kidman\u2019s or the self-destructive behaviour of Mercy. Essie\u2019s is a quiet sadness that tugs on the heartstrings, even more so because despite the unequal power balance, Essie really does love working for the Woo family.<\/p>\n Similarly, we get to find out more about Puri outside of just seeing Hilary boss her around. Puri has big dreams of singing, and the episode is delicately framed around a major audition of hers. It\u2019s one that she\u2019s practising for whenever she gets a moment and is even one that Hilary drunkenly tries to help make her over for, thereby towing the line between friend and employer.<\/p>\n The 5th & penultimate episode of Expats, \u201cCentral,\u201d is special for me. Being able to create this feature-length piece is a big part of why I made the series. Crafted as a standalone experience, \u201cCentral\u201d will be presented without any commercial breaks when it premieres tomorrow.<\/p>\u2014 Lulu Wang (@thumbelulu) February 14, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote>![\"Sarayu](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2024\/02\/Expats-PrimeVideo-Hilary-Puri-7052ef7.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413\" "\\"Expats\\"\/")
\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>![\"Ruby](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2024\/02\/Expats-Essie-Ruby-660bca8.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"Expats\\"\/")
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