Amazon Prime Video's Expats is set to end differently from its source material in Janice Y.K. Lee's book, The Expatriates.
Expats had a similar premise as The Expatriates where a case of a missing boy drastically affected the lives of three women.
Despite the core similarity, considerable changes to the show's narrative could drastically alter its ending.
Expats: How the Series Differs from the Book
One of the biggest differences between Expats and Janice Y.K. Lee's book is the setting where Gus (Connor James) went missing.
In the series, the boy got lost in the busy streets of Mong Kok in Hong Kong while he disappeared in a crowded area in Seoul, Korea in the book.
Margaret even stayed behind for weeks in Seoul in the book while her family went back to Hong Kong.
In Expats, Nicole Kidman's Margaret first met Mercy (Ji-young Yoo) on a private yacht while The Expatriates revealed that the pair were introduced through a mutual friend.
The book also noted that Mercy had been looking over Margaret's kids several times before Gus went missing (In the series, the kid disappeared during Mercy's first stint as a nanny).
Expats Episode 1 established Mercy and David's (Jack Huston) affair right off the bat and the next installments further dove into their relationship by taking a deep look at it. However, in the book, the pair only hooked up and there was no deeper connection.
[ Expats: Do They Find Gus? Here's What Happened In the Book ]
Here’s How Expats Could End
Janice Y.K. Lee's book The Expatriates ended with a lot of twists and turns and could hint at where the Prime Video streaming series based upon it is going.
Gus (who is named G in the book) was never found in the book, and his disappearance served as the anchor of Margaret, Mercy, and Hilary's story.
Margaret continued to grieve her missing son and Hilary's plan of adopting a boy named Julian was disrupted after David confessed that he impregnated Mercy.
The book's biggest focal point centered around Mercy, with the ending hammering down how crucial she is to the overarching story.
The pregnancy led to her reconciliation with Margaret while it also helped Hilary move on by showing support to Mercy and the newborn child at the end.
Some argued that Margaret and Hilary's support was shocking, but others pointed out that it was the book's way of showing that motherhood can change everything, acting as a fresh start for the main trio involved.
Expats Episode 4's cliffhanger ending hinted at the expected trajectory of the show's ending.
At the end of the installment, it was revealed that Mercy was pregnant and the body that the Shenzen Police Department found was not Gus.
The fact that Clarke broke down even though the body was not Gus suggested that seeing a young boy dead was too much for him and it could hint that he had already given up to search for him.
As for Margaret, though, her smile in the end teased that she would not stop clinging to the hope of seeing Gus again.
Episode 5 could focus on Margaret's final quest to search for her son before ultimately giving up similar to how the book left the boy's fate unresolved.
Mercy's pregnancy would then slowly take over the final two installments.
The character could grapple with the idea of abortion or she could come to terms with having a child that could lead to her coming clean with Hilary over her affair with David.
Mercy could also finally overcome the guilt and pain from Gus' disappearance which would lead to her seeking amends with Margaret.
The pair could reconcile, with Margaret realizing that nobody (not even Mercy) wanted Gus to disappear and it was an accident.
Sometimes, the only way to move forward is to accept the things that we can't control.
The first four episodes of Expats are streaming on Prime Video.
Check out Expat's remaining release schedule here!
Read more about Expats below:
Full Cast of Expats - Every Main Actor & Character In the Series (Photos)
Expats: Who Is Jenny? Margaret Connection Explained
Who Is Bodhi del Rosario? 5 Things to Know About Expats Star
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