Florence Pugh and Hoon Lee Anchor Netflix’s East of Eden Adaptation

Netflix’s limited-series adaptation of John Steinbeck’s East of Eden places Florence Pugh’s Cathy Ames and Hoon Lee’s Lee at the center of the multigenerational story.

Created by Zoe Kazan with co-showrunner Jeb Stuart, the series adapts the novel’s full arc rather than focusing only on its final phase, as the best-known 1955 film did. Pugh plays Cathy, whose journey spans vulnerable girl, reluctant wife, prostitute and madam. She also serves as an executive producer.

Lee’s Chinese American cook receives expanded dimensions that emerge gradually, while the adaptation reframes the story through Cathy’s perspective from its opening. The production is described as lush and strongly cast, though its dual character portraits are not equally successful.

Published October 1, 2026, the review highlights Pugh’s calculating performance and the series’ renewed focus on Steinbeck’s themes of free will, original sin and cyclical tragedy.