East of Eden (2026 miniseries)
American period drama miniseries by Zoe Kazan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
East of Eden is a 2026 American historical drama television limited series created by Zoe Kazan, starring Florence Pugh. It is adapted from the 1952 novel by John Steinbeck and premiered on Netflix on October 1, 2026. It received generally positive reviews from critics.
| East of Eden | |
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Release poster | |
| Genre | Historical drama Psychological drama[1] Thriller[2] |
| Created by | Zoe Kazan |
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| Directed by | |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Laura Karpman |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 7 |
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| Producer | Jack Sainte-Rose |
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| Running time | 51–68 minutes |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | October 1, 2026 |
Premise
The series takes place from the late 19th century to World War I and focuses on the life of Cathy Ames, along with half-brothers Adam and Charles Trask in Connecticut, as well as her sons, fraternal twin brothers Caleb and Aron, in Salinas Valley, California.[3]
Cast
Main
- Florence Pugh as Cathy Ames
- Vaughan Reilly as Adolescent Cathy
- Christopher Abbott as Adam Trask, Cathy's husband
- Asher Whitehead as young Adam Trask
- Costa D'Angelo as adolescent Adam Trask
- Mike Faist as Charles Trask, Adam's half-brother
- Gus Turner as young Charles Trask
- Tom Sweet as adolescent Charles Trask
- Hoon Lee as Lee, Adam's servant
- Ciarán Hinds as Samuel Hamilton, Adam's neighbor
Recurring and guest
- Joseph Zada as Caleb "Cal" Trask, Cathy and Adam's son and Aron's fraternal twin brother
- Bodhi Aisher as Young Cal
- Joe Anders as Aron Trask, Cathy and Adam's son and Caleb's fraternal twin brother
- Jonah Wren Phillips as Young Aron
- Martha Plimpton as Faye, the madam of a prestigious brothel
- Tracy Letts as Cyrus Trask, Adam and Charles' strict father
- Robert Morgan as Sherrif Quinn, investigating Cathy's disappearance
- Josh McConville as Mr. Edwards, Cathy's pimp
- Simon Maiden as Bill Ames, Cathy's father
- Leeanna Walsman as Elizabeth Ames, Cathy's mother
- Christopher Sommers as Mr. Bacon, an abusive brothel customer
- Zoe Phillips as Abra Bacon, Mr. Bacon's daughter
- Gigi Morabito as Young Abra
- Nicholas Burton as James Grew, Cathy's naive Latin teacher
- Anita Hegh as Liza Hamilton, Samuel's wife
- Richard Hartley as Cotton Eye Joe, a musician at the brothel
- Peter Hayden as Dr. Wilde, a doctor who attends the harlots
- Amelia Reynolds as Ethel, a harlot employed at Faye's
- Rose Flanagan as Georgia, a harlot employed at Faye's
- Courtney Cavallaro as Alice, a harlot employed at Faye's
- Perry Yung as Older Lau, the cook who raised Lee
- Jack Barry as Will Hamilton, Samuel's son
- Brad McMurray as Joe Valery, an enforcer for Kate's brothel
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
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| 1 | "Brothers" | Garth Davis | Zoe Kazan | October 1, 2026 | |
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In 1899, a barely-alive Cathy Ames crawls to a farmhouse. Half-brothers Adam and Charles Trask find her. While Adam is compassionate, Charles is wary. The brothers' backstory reveals their abusive military father, Cyrus, rigorously raised them as soldiers. Despite the brothers' mutual reliance, resentment grew as Cyrus favored Adam. In 1884, Cyrus ordered Adam to join the army and Charles manage their farm while Cyrus worked in D.C. It is the opposite of the brothers' wishes. (Cyrus later tells Adam that the army would have unleashed Charles's suppressed brutal nature.) Charles had beat up Adam, believing he intentionally thwarted him. In 1889, Adam re-enlisted for another six years to defy Cyrus, who wanted him to pursue a government career. In 1899, following Cyrus's death, Adam returns home and reconnects with Charles. Among Cyrus's papers, a military document shows he was medically discharged only several months after enlisting; his civil war stories were lies. Cyrus leaves a small fortune, far more than he could legitimately have earned. Adam is indifferent but Charles is conflicted. Their argument is interrupted by the beaten and bloodied Cathy outside. | |||||
| 2 | "Cathy" | Garth Davis | Zoe Kazan | October 1, 2026 | |
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Cathy's backstory is revealed in flashback, detailing her learning to manipulate men, including a love-struck schoolteacher driven to suicide. Her harsh father, suspecting Cathy's true nature and had encouraged the teacher's affections, punished her. To escape her restrictive parents, teenaged Cathy murdered them in a house fire staged to fake her own death. She then worked as a prostitute in Boston. Whoremaster Mr. Edwards made Cathy his mistress. Suspecting she was stealing his money, he forced Cathy to accompany him to Connecticut. He savagely beat Cathy, leaving her for dead in the countryside. When Cathy arrives severely battered and bloodied at the Trask house, Adam immediately takes her in against Charles's reluctance. Adam falls deeply in love with Cathy during her convalescence, building tension with Charles, who recognizes that Cathy's inner dark nature is similar to his own. Despite Charles's protests, Adam marries Cathy and intends to move to California. After drugging Adam on their wedding night, Cathy seduces Charles. | |||||
| 3 | "In the Valley" | Garth Davis | Zoe Kazan | October 1, 2026 | |
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Adam and Cathy settle on an isolated farm in California's Salinas Valley. Wealthy Adam spends much money improving the house but never farms the land. Adam is content there, but Cathy despises it. When she becomes pregnant, she attempts a self-induced abortion but fails. Meanwhile, Adam befriends Samuel Hamilton, an Irish emigrant who lives on a nearby farm, and he hires Lee, a Chinese American domestic worker who code-switches around white people. Cathy gives birth to fraternal twin boys but shuns them and withdraws from family life. Lee becomes the children's sole caretaker. When Cathy tries leaving the farm, Adam attempts to stop her. Cathy shoots and wounds Adam, who is left bleeding on the floor. After Cathy's departure, a heartbroken Adam sinks into depression and neglects his sons. A few months later, Samuel prods Adam to be an attentive father and name the infants. Adam relents and, using the bible for inspiration, calls them Caleb and Aron. | |||||
| 4 | "Kate" | Garth Davis | Zoe Kazan | October 1, 2026 | |
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In 1901, Cathy, now calling herself "Kate Albey," lives in Salinas and works as a prostitute for Faye, a kindly brothel madam. Cathy becomes a favorite with customers, the other girls, and also Faye. She persuades Faye to allow her to help manage the house's business activities, improving its efficiency, saving money, and increasing clients. Cathy eventually becomes Faye's most trusted worker and companion. Faye had first asked Sheriff Quinn to vet Cathy's background. Quinn told Cathy he knew her true identity and that she shot Adam. He promised not to arrest her or tell Faye who she is on condition that Cathy avoids her sons, believing she would cause them harm. Cathy manipulates Faye into naming her as her sole beneficiary, then gradually poisons her to death. Cathy now controls the brothel and soon has it enlarged and painted black, making it risque. | |||||
| 5 | "Departure" | Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre | Zoe Kazan & Alexander Chee | October 1, 2026 | |
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Ten years on, Caleb ("Cal") and Aron, now teenagers, have primarily been raised by Lee while Adam remained emotionally distant. The boys believe their mother died. Shortly before his death, Samuel Hamilton, hoping the truth will emotionally free Adam, confirms rumors that Cathy runs a brothel. Adam later confronts Cathy there. She taunts him and casts doubt on their sons' paternity, implying Charles fathered them. Adam finally understands Cathy's true nature and achieves closure. He becomes a more attentive father and moves the family to Salinas for a fuller social life. Lee wants to realize his long-time dream to open a bookstore in San Francisco's Chinatown. Before leaving, Lee wants Adam to tell his sons about Cathy, though Adam remains reluctant. Cal overhears them arguing but says nothing to Aron. Adam, who wrote Charles hoping to mend their differences, receives notification that his brother died and has left $100,000 to him and Cathy. Adam, mourning Charles' death, sends Cathy the wedding day photograph of himself, Cathy, and Charles. As Cathy stares at it, she imagines talking with Charles' specter. | |||||
| 6 | "The Great Try" | Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre | Zoe Kazan | October 1, 2026 | |
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In San Francisco, racism and Chinatown's crime syndicates quash Lee's business dream. His once-principled adoptive father, Lau, now runs a gambling den. Lee returns to the struggling Trask family who welcome him back, though Lee demands full autonomy in running the household. Cal, believing he was born bad, aimlessly wanders around town. He meets Cathy, who is ageing and growing increasingly paranoid. She wants Aron to continue believing she is dead. Meanwhile, former prostitute Ethel returns to blackmail Cathy about Faye's death. Cathy gives Ethel $100, then frames it as a theft before sending her assistant, Joe, after her. Adam heavily invests in a risky venture to ship chilled produce to eastern markets by railroad. When it fails, nearly bankrupting Adam, Aron worries that girlfriend Abra will not marry him. Hoping to recoup Adam's loss, Cal borrows $5000 from Lee and partners with Will Hamilton to buy up bean contracts, speculating prices will skyrocket if the US enters the war. Cal urges Aron to apply for early entrance to Stanford University, offering to pay. | |||||
| 7 | "Timshel" | Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre | Zoe Kazan | October 1, 2026 | |
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Cathy continues "talking" with Charles. Joe learns Ethel has died but pretends to search for her to grift Cathy. Aron attends Stanford but is soon disillusioned and resents bearing his family's expectations. Abra similarly struggles with Aron projecting unrealistic virtues on her and feels more akin to Cal. Meanwhile, Cal gives Adam $15,000 he made selling beans. Adam declines, calling it war profiteering and cheated farmers. Aron also chastises Cal, who retaliates by taking Aron to Cathy's brothel, revealing the truth about her. Repulsed and distraught, Aron runs off. Soon after, Cathy, realizing Joe's scam, sends incriminating evidence to Sheriff Quinn, then fatally overdoses on morphine. Joe finds Cathy's body and steals her money. As Joe flees, Quinn fatally shoots him. Cathy had bequeathed everything to Aron, who secretly enlists in the army. Cal and Abra, guilty over their growing feelings, avoid each other but eventually reunite. When Aron is killed in France, Adam suffers a stroke. Lee asks Adam to show Cal forgiveness. Before dying, Adam whispers, "Timshel," meaning "thou mayest" in Hebrew, to tell Cal that he was not born bad but has free will. | |||||
Production
Development
The series is adapted by Zoe Kazan, whose grandfather Elia Kazan directed the 1955 film adaptation of the novel. Anonymous Content and Fifth Season co-produced the seven-episode limited series for Netflix. In 2022, it was reported that the series was in development for Netflix, with Florence Pugh attached to star.[4] Garth Davis was the director of the first four episodes, while Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre served as director of the last three episodes. Jeb Stuart served as co-showrunner alongside Kazan.[5] Executive producers include Pugh, Kazan, Stuart, Davis, Clermont-Tonnerre, Antoine Douaihy, Steve Golin, David Levine, Zack Hayden and Jill Arthur.[6]
Casting
In September 2024, it was reported that Christopher Abbott, Mike Faist, and Hoon Lee had joined the series alongside Pugh.[7][8] The following month, new additions to the cast included Joseph Zada, Tracy Letts, Martha Plimpton, Joe Anders and Ciarán Hinds.[9]
Filming
Principal photography began in New Zealand in October 2024.[10] Filming locations are reported to include Auckland,[11] Dunedin and Oamaru[12] in the South Island. The production wrapped in March 2025.[13] Initially Mike Faist was only signed on to appear in the first three episodes, but when Netflix saw early footage of his performance they commissioned one additional episode to feature Faist more.[14]
Music
Laura Karpman composed the series' score.[15]
Release
Reception
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 86% approval rating with an average rating of 7.5/10, based on 65 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Zoe Kazan imbues her legacy adaptation with delicious moral quandaries and sumptuous landscapes, but it's the expanded character work from Pugh and Lee that brings justice and dignity to this new canon of East of Eden."[18] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 80 out of 100 based on 27 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[19]
