At first glance, The Season appears to be another glossy drama about society's rich and powerful.
Beneath the glamour, however, lies a story about ambition, family, status, and the personal cost of chasing power.
Created by Yalun Tu and produced by PCCW and SK Global Entertainment, the six-episode English-language drama-thriller premieres June 17, 2026.
It will air on Hulu in the United States, NowTV in Hong Kong, and Viu across multiple territories in Asia, the Middle East, and South Africa.
During an exclusive interview with PEP.ph, stars Jessie Mei Li, Chris Pang, Karena Lam, and Toby Stephens discussed the show's unique setting and the complicated lives of its wealthy characters.
Read: 11 Filipino celebrities who were born into wealthy families
A story that could happen anywhere, yet only works in Hong Kong
Questions about identity naturally follow a project like The Season.
Hong Kong television has traditionally been dominated by Cantonese-language productions.
An English-language drama designed for a global audience inevitably raises questions about whether the series is telling a distinctly Hong Kong story or a universal one.
Chris sees the series as something broader: "I see it as the second one.
"I feel like this is just a story about the wealthy, and it's a story about people. It just happens to be set in Hong Kong."
Karena agrees that Hong Kong's international nature makes it an ideal setting for a story with global appeal.
"Hong Kong has a lot of expats," she notes.
Jessie echoes the sentiment, describing the city as "an international city in so many ways."
Yet Toby believes the location is essential to what makes the series stand out.
"I think it only works because it's in Hong Kong," he says.
"I think if it had been anywhere else, you would have gone, 'You know, I've seen that before.' Whereas because it's here, it's just unique."
Part of that authenticity comes from creator Yalun Tu's own experiences.
"Our showrunner, Yalun Tu, used to live and work in Hong Kong in this world," Jessie relates.
"He talked about his real-life experience of the season and the boating season."
Unlike many fictional depictions of wealth, The Season draws inspiration from an actual social culture that exists within Hong Kong's elite circles.
Read: Netizens in awe of casual chat between billionaires Jaime Zobel de Ayala and Lance Gokongwei
Trading crime and action for glamour and relationships
Avid TV viewers associate Hong Kong with action cinema, martial arts films, and crime dramas. The Season offers a completely different lens.
"There's lots of different sides to Hong Kong that we get to see, but I would say predominantly it's kind of the glitz and the glamour," Jessie says.
Karena quickly agrees: "Glamour of riches."
The actress describes the series' world as "very glamorous" and "glossy."
"High society," Jessie adds. "Summertime. Luxury."
Chris perhaps sums it up best: "It's exclusive Hong Kong."
That exclusivity shapes the lives of nearly every major character.
Expensive parties, private gatherings, and carefully cultivated social connections become the backdrop for this drama driven by human relationships.
"There isn't so much action and crime," Jessie explains. "It's more people and drama and relationships."
Chris jokingly describes the setting as a glimpse into what Hong Kong might look like "if you were really rich."
Read: 11 famous ninangs at grand weddings in Philippine showbiz
Money talks, but it doesn't solve everything
Essentially, power sits at the heart of The Season.
Money clearly influences the world these characters inhabit, but the cast believes the series raises deeper questions about what power actually means.
Jessie's character, Cola Pierce, enters this environment from the outside.
"She's a girl who doesn't come from money," Jessie says.
While Cola pursues a secret mission connected to her father, she is also motivated by something more universal.
"She wants to have the power of having financial freedom."
Jessie understands why money can become such a powerful motivator.
"Her dad wanted her to succeed so she could have the freedom to make choices that he didn't have. So in some ways, I think money does equal power."
Chris argues that wealth is only one part of the equation: "I think we deal with power versus what's important to you, family and loved ones."
The actor notes that many characters possess enormous influence, yet their biggest decisions are often shaped by the people closest to them.
"We have a lot of wealthy people, and they're powerful, and they can use that to a certain extent," he says.
"But at the same time, it's what happens to those around you that you love as well that determines what you do."
Karena's character Fiona Hext provides a completely different perspective.
Unlike Cola, Fiona is born into privilege.
"I feel like since the day that she was born, everything was so calculative," Karena says.
Every relationship, every social interaction, and every public appearance serves a purpose.
"Everything was to upkeep the expectations of your family and really cultivating that relationship with so many people."
Beneath Fiona's polished exterior lies a constant fear.
"I feel for Fiona, it's really the fear of losing wealth, losing status, losing reputation."
That anxiety, according to the cast, becomes one of the defining characteristics of the world portrayed in the series.
As Chris bluntly puts it: "Money can't buy happiness."
Read: Crazy Rich Asians actor Chris Pang on Kris Aquino: "The film benefited from having her in it."
The Season shows the trap of having everything
No cast member speaks more candidly about wealth than Toby.
While audiences may initially envy the lives depicted in The Season, he believes the show ultimately exposes the darker side of privilege.
"The thing is, it seems very enticing from the outside."
Toby explains, "You wanna get there. You wanna get to that point where you feel secure and you've got loads of money and you've made it."
Although the fantasy of it is easy to understand, the reality is considerably more complicated.
"Actually, I think one of the lessons of this is that place is quite empty if you don't have love."
According to Toby, wealth alone cannot provide fulfillment.
"All these stories or great literature is about sort of sex, power, and money. But without love, it's kinda like, what's the point?"
That observation lies at the center of how he views the series.
"This series isn't just about how wonderful being rich is. It's actually about the fact that it's quite awful as well."
He pauses before delivering perhaps the most revealing assessment of all.
"It's a curse as well as a blessing."
Even success creates new problems.
"Once you've made it, you're trapped because then you might lose it," Toby says.
"How do you stop yourself from losing it? How do you stop all these other people coming up and taking it away from you?"
The pursuit of status is never-ending.
Read: Heart Evangelista named "real Crazy Rich Asian" by Harper's Bazaar US
More than an 'Eat the Rich' drama
Recent television has produced no shortage of stories that satirize the wealthy.
Jessie believes The Season takes a more balanced approach.
"Each of the characters is nuanced," she says.
Even the most intimidating figures possess recognizable human qualities.
According to her, "The big bad rich boss is also a father who loves his family."
Likewise, characters who initially appear arrogant or entitled often reveal deeper vulnerabilities.
"The playboy kind of new-money guy also just wants to be loved and wants to be accepted."
Rather than turning its wealthy characters into caricatures, the series focuses on their humanity.
Karena appreciates that the story gradually strips away the illusion of perfection.
She says, "Once they see that their world is actually crumbling and it's a mess, you feel like they're not so far from us actually."
Jessie agrees.
"I don't think it's hugely 'Eat the Rich' nor is it hugely aspirational."
Viewers may admire the luxury, but they will also witness the emotional costs attached to maintaining it.
"It's not black and white," she says.
Toby feels that complexity is essential: "They've all got faults, but they're all human beings and they're all redeemable at some level."
Read: Meet the country's richest sisters
WHAT viewers CAN LOOK FORWARD TO
Asked which character is most likely to inspire memes once the show premieres, the cast reaches a near-instant consensus.
"Jon Kim," Chris says.
"Without a doubt, it's Jon Kim."
Jessie agrees immediately.
"He's just the most meme-able character."
The cast then begins imagining internet reactions.
"Unimpressed Jon Kim," Jessie jokes.
"Stone-faced," Chris adds.
"Chiseled Jon Kim."
Jon Kim is the Hext family's head of security, and is played Korean actor Lee Jae-yoon, who unfortunately couldn't join the interview.
When the conversation shifts to fan favorites, attention turns toward Chris' character Andrew Fung.
"He's such a scoundrel," Jessie says. "But you can't help but like Andrew."
Chris admits the character immediately stood out to him when reading the scripts.
"He was my favorite on the page."
Despite Andrew's flaws, Chris wanted audiences to root for him: "He does a lot of despicable things, but there's this lovable side to him too."
One relationship, however, receives the strongest recommendation from the cast.
Asked which dynamic viewers should pay closest attention to, Chris immediately answers: "Cola and Jon Kim."
Jessie grins before adding her own tease.
"The spice."
Then she doubles down.
"The loaded level of spice."
Judging by the cast's enthusiasm, viewers may find themselves staying for the wealth and glamor but returning for the relationships simmering underneath.
Behind every yacht party and charity gala lies a question that drives The Season: How much are people willing to sacrifice to get what they want, and what happens when they finally get it?
Read: How billionaire Ramon Ang teaches his kids to live simply