S01.E04: Mainland

[AnimeMania]

Our characters find themselves trapped in confined spaces where both physical and emotional tensions escalate. A potential revelation in Gus’s case sends Margaret and Clarke to the Mainland. Hilary’s mother visits from Los Angeles. Mercy makes a shocking discovery.

Premiere Date: February 9, 2024   Prime Video     

 

[Snazzy Daisy]

What a claustrophobic episode! The walls are closing-in, literally and emotionally. The characters are forced to face their fears and hard truths.

Hilary/Harpreet relationship with her mom, Brinder is based on white lies, disguises and coping mechanisms because of an abusive husband/dad.

David and Mercy’s role play (mocking each other’s flaws and insecurities) is unsettling. The story about twin brothers that Mercy has narrated in the prologue is actually David’s story. The lifelong guilt that he carries has led him to alcohol.

Being locked in the morgue’s waiting room by a janitor, Margaret and Clarke are forced to have a difficult conversation about their pain and what’s next. Margaret doesn’t want to leave HK, hoping the body isn’t Gus, wanting to stay hopeful. Clarke wants the opposite - to have a closure so they can move forward and to go back to US.

It takes forever for Hilary & Brinder to be rescued and to know the result of Mercy’s pregnancy test. The show deliberately takes 50+ minutes to finally reveal that it isn’t Gus in the morgue. Am tired of this “withholding” technique of storytelling and the frequent long pauses too. 😣

These 2 facial expressions scare the hell out of me! 😳🫣
 

[aghst]

Yeah they padded out the series with an episode where a few things happened but didn't need a whole episode to move the story.

Just want to get this over with and start on Mr. and Mrs. Smith, which is has apparently got a much bigger viewership as well as better reviews.

They have two ends of the expat experience.  I know the story (and the book) isn't trying to represent what like if like in HK for expats living there but this story could have been set elsewhere.

Why did NK choose this project?  It's not even being shown in HK or I would imagine mainland China.  So it's not tapping into some vast Asian audience.

Not sure Americans can relate as they may not be familiar enough with HK either.

[sadie]

I’m hanging on until the end but it’s getting hard. It’s just misery everywhere we look. NK’s face continues to distract. I know this is a study in grief but I just don’t like any of the characters so feeling for their grief isn’t happening. It’s dark, both in theme, and how it’s shot, it’s just not working. 

[TV Glotzer]

Those elevator scenes were next-level absurd.  What mother and daughter would have such intimate conversations like that--about spousal abuse, fertility, childhood trauma--so cavalierly in front of a stranger?  They were temporarily trapped in an elevator, not stranded on an island for the rest of their lives.

I want to like this show so much but the many ridiculous conversations and situations keep making me hate it.  It is beautifully filmed but the script is ludicrous.

Also, Margaret and her husband have zero chemistry. 

[sadie]

1 hour ago, TV Glotzer said:

They were temporarily trapped in an elevator, not stranded on an island for the rest of their lives.

You have no idea how badly I needed a laugh today. Coffee came out of my nose. Lol

[Snazzy Daisy]

Margaret and Clarke Talk About Losing Gus | Expats | Prime Video

 

[Baltimore Betty]

On 2/11/2024 at 7:03 AM, sadie said:

NK’s face continues to distract.

I came here to say that but was afraid I'd be the only one, when she cries her face is really hard to look at...she is my cautionary tale for entertaining any ideas of plastic surgery. 

On 2/13/2024 at 1:28 PM, TV Glotzer said:

Margaret and her husband have zero chemistry. 

100% true.  I wonder what drove the casting director or director or producer to cast her, she comes off so unlikeable.