Anonymous wrote:Just watched the most recent episode, centered on the "helpers." Really powerful writing and cinematography. This is turning out to be one of the best series I've watched in a long time.

+1
I found this episode and its focus on the "helpers'" day off to be fascinating! I actually paused it to google this phenomenon and it's completely accurate. Very interesting take.

Anonymous wrote:David is a lawyer. Well paid.

I can't imagine he's a star at his firm, though.

Anonymous wrote:I thought the whole exchange between Hilary and Pori (sp?) was so interesting. Especially after Hilary lectured Margaret about maintaining boundaries. One minute Hilary wants her for a drinking buddy/makeover candidate, the next she is back to being her servant and has totally forgotten about the day off.

Do you think if Pori hadn't told her about David and Mercy, she would have remembered the contest?

Lots of thoughts here. My closed captioning says d it's Puri.

But on that subject, Hilary pronounces it with an almost exaggerated Indian accent (Porrree), though Hilary grew up in the US and generally has an American accent. Growing up the child of immigrants can give you a hint if an accent, but I actually think Hilary emphasizes her Indian-ness with Puri to try and relate to her more, which is cringe.

The rapidity with which Hilary went from using Puri as an object in her fight with David (talking about how expat men like David must like to be taken care of by women like Puri, I think she might even have used the word "fantasy" it was like a slap in the face to Puri, who visibly recoiled) to coming in with the wine and expecting Puri to play BFF/daughter for the evening was revolting to me. I have been somewhat ambivalent about Hilary so far but that was so gross.

So when she then forgot about Puri's contest the next day, it was completely unsurprising. I do think she actually forgot, because I think she's completely wrapped up in her own drama and never REALLY registered that this contest mattered to Puri, or that Puri is a human being to whom things can matter.

The whole episode made me angry because of moments like this. I was a maid and a nanny for many years and this behavior is so common, people just look right through you, you aren't a real person to them.

I thought the whole exchange between Hilary and Pori (sp?) was so interesting. Especially after Hilary lectured Margaret about maintaining boundaries. One minute Hilary wants her for a drinking buddy/makeover candidate, the next she is back to being her servant and has totally forgotten about the day off.

Do you think if Pori hadn't told her about David and Mercy, she would have remembered the contest?

David is a lawyer. Well paid.

Two hours long! It was a great episode though.
I still don’t see what’s going to happen with Mercy. She’s having this baby? Is David going to start paying? What’s his plan, and realize I don’t know what his job is either. I assume he works. Mercy is the character I dislike most.
Good for Hilary for ditching her husband.

Anonymous wrote:Just watched the most recent episode, centered on the "helpers." Really powerful writing and cinematography. This is turning out to be one of the best series I've watched in a long time.

+1, I have not loved the season prior to this but knew this episode was coming based on reviews and am glad I hung on. It was beautifully shot and I loved the performances. Even though I could anticipate what was going to happen with both Puri and Essie at the end of the episode, I still felt such anger on their behalf. Especially Puri, as Hilary is such a manipulative user.

Margaret's total obliviousness to Essie's actual situation is also enraging but it's harder to get angry with her because she's understandably not thinking clearly because of Gus. Still, it was hard to think Essie might actually take her up on this plan to immigrate to the US out of concern for the family and especially the kids she's helped raise. It really highlights the difficulty of a job like this where you are an employee but everyone acts like you are "part of the family" (a very low status part of the family who must always be working, but an essential part of the family nonetheless).

I've heard so many people describe their nannies as "like family," I'm curious how people are responding to the Essie storyline. Do you ever wonder if you are creating unhealthy boundaries in the same way? I would wonder about this.

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Anonymous wrote:I personally love it and can totally identify w Kidman. How do you think expats live?

By the way, check how live ins are treated around DMV. Horror

I think expats live with a lot of help and yes, probably treat people like crap. I've never had help of any kind personally, so cannot relate.

I would say that is the stereotype of an expat, but plenty of expats have very modest careers, or live in countries where live-in help is not really standard.

That is besides the point, I think. The more pertinent thing about Margaret is being the trailing spouse: giving up a career and struggling with the isolation. I can't imagine losing a child, but I imagine it's significantly worse when you're away from home.

(Of course it helps a lot to speak the local language -- that's where the characters fall short I believe -- but even when you do speak the language, in many countries, integration is still difficult.)

Just watched the most recent episode, centered on the "helpers." Really powerful writing and cinematography. This is turning out to be one of the best series I've watched in a long time.

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Anonymous wrote:Anyone watch the latest episode? Excruciating. The actor who plays her husband is incredible.

He is fantastic. Nicole Kidman is always great. I do not care about Hilary and her horrid mom or her dh and Mercy.

PP here. Agree. Hilary's mom is a piece of work. I don't know how she didn't tell her to just go back to India when they got out of the elevator. As for David and Mercy - ugh. What a toxic relationship. And her disgusting little apartment makes me feel sick everytie they show it.

Are you being literal? Because I can't stop thinking how huge and nice it must be by Hong Kong standards or really most standards for 2 people inc rich people

Mercy's tiny $hithole apartment??

Oh, sorry- I thought you meant Hiliary's apartment

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Anonymous wrote:Anyone watch the latest episode? Excruciating. The actor who plays her husband is incredible.

He is fantastic. Nicole Kidman is always great. I do not care about Hilary and her horrid mom or her dh and Mercy.

PP here. Agree. Hilary's mom is a piece of work. I don't know how she didn't tell her to just go back to India when they got out of the elevator. As for David and Mercy - ugh. What a toxic relationship. And her disgusting little apartment makes me feel sick everytie they show it.

Are you being literal? Because I can't stop thinking how huge and nice it must be by Hong Kong standards or really most standards for 2 people inc rich people

DP but her apartment is really disgusting. Not everyone in HK has tiles falling off the walls or such a dirty bathroom.

Most of HK IS like that. Seoul too. Chinese cities as well. Not everything is $600/night 5 star hotels for westerners.
Plus it's old and broken down, not necessarily filthy with grime or dust.

Are you responding to the right post? The pp said this place was "huge" and "nice". I'm guessing they mistook the previous pp for talking about Margaret or hillarys apartment.

Mercys apartment is disgusting.

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Anonymous wrote:Anyone watch the latest episode? Excruciating. The actor who plays her husband is incredible.

He is fantastic. Nicole Kidman is always great. I do not care about Hilary and her horrid mom or her dh and Mercy.

PP here. Agree. Hilary's mom is a piece of work. I don't know how she didn't tell her to just go back to India when they got out of the elevator. As for David and Mercy - ugh. What a toxic relationship. And her disgusting little apartment makes me feel sick everytie they show it.

Are you being literal? Because I can't stop thinking how huge and nice it must be by Hong Kong standards or really most standards for 2 people inc rich people

Mercy's tiny $hithole apartment??

Anonymous wrote:white lotus

flawed people affecting flawed people.

White lotus does a better job at satirizing the class differences and the irony of extremely privileged people being waited on hand and foot in the lap of luxury, and being miserable anyway.

Expats doesn't really know if it wants to examine the rich expat lifestyle (and contrast it with the locals and immigrants who serve them), or focus on the unimaginable grief of this family in losing this child, or focus on the interpersonal relationships between the various expats. It's trying to do all three at once and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

White Lotus has a much more distinct point of view.

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Anonymous wrote:Anyone watch the latest episode? Excruciating. The actor who plays her husband is incredible.

He is fantastic. Nicole Kidman is always great. I do not care about Hilary and her horrid mom or her dh and Mercy.

PP here. Agree. Hilary's mom is a piece of work. I don't know how she didn't tell her to just go back to India when they got out of the elevator. As for David and Mercy - ugh. What a toxic relationship. And her disgusting little apartment makes me feel sick everytie they show it.

Are you being literal? Because I can't stop thinking how huge and nice it must be by Hong Kong standards or really most standards for 2 people inc rich people

DP but her apartment is really disgusting. Not everyone in HK has tiles falling off the walls or such a dirty bathroom.

Most of HK IS like that. Seoul too. Chinese cities as well. Not everything is $600/night 5 star hotels for westerners.
Plus it's old and broken down, not necessarily filthy with grime or dust.

I don’t understand why the Korean American scholarship kid went to HK in the first place.
Did she have a finance job and get fired? Then just roamed around?