Kung Fu: Spoilers and Speculation

[Trini]

3.02 synopsis:
 

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"Risk" - (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET) (TV-PG, V) (HDTV)

KIM RHODES GUEST STARS - When someone from Nicky's (Olivia Liang) past shows up unexpectedly, she reaches out to Ryan (Jon Prasida) for help uncovering why. Jin (Tzi Ma) takes on the Chinatown Council, while Evan (Gavin Stenhouse) and Althea (Shannon Dang) investigate what may be behind the city's recent rise in crime. Finally, Mei-Li (Kheng Hua Tan) meets with Carrie (guest star Kim Rhodes), the representative of a restaurant investment group, and Henry's (Eddie Liu) globetrotting search brings him to one of his father's former allies. Tony Chung, Vanessa Kai and Yvonne Chapman also star.

Geoff Shotz directed the episode written by Dan Hamamura (#302). Original airdate 10/12/2022.

[Trini]

3.03 synopsis:

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"The Compass" - (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET) (TV-PG, V) (HDTV)

NICKY TRAVELS TO THAILAND - After learning that Henry (Eddie Liu) is a person of interest in a heist gone wrong, Nicky (Olivia Liang) travels to Thailand to help him - a move that forces them to confront their unresolved issues. When Mei-Li (Kheng Hua Tan) needs help reorganizing at Harmony Dumplings, Jin (Tzi Ma) and Althea (Shannon Dang) team up to help. Elsewhere, Ryan (Jon Prasida) gets some relationship advice from an unlikely source. Gavin Stenhouse, Vanessa Kai, Yvonne Chapman and JB Tadena also star.

Joe Menendez directed the episode written by Ryan Johnson & Peter Lalayanis (#303). Original airdate 10/19/2022.

[Trini]

3.04 synopsis:

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"Harmony" - (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET) (Content Rating TBD) (HDTV)

HARMONY DUMPLINGS' GRAND REOPENING - With the grand reopening of Harmony Dumplings just around the corner, it's all hands on deck to make sure it goes off without a hitch. However, things take an unexpected turn when the Shen's receive a mysterious threat on the eve of the restaurant's reopening. Elsewhere, Jin (Tzi Ma) faces a new challenge and Ryan (Jon Prasida) scrambles to find Sebastian (JB Tadena) the perfect gift. Olivia Liang, Kheng Hua Tan, Shannon Dang, Eddie Liu, Gavin Stenhouse, Tony Chung and Vanessa Kai also star.

Richard Speight, Jr. directed the episode written by Richard Lowe (#304). Original airdate 10/26/2022.

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Still no mention of Zhilan in the descriptions, but I assume she's showing up soon since Yvonne Chapman is still a regular. How are they going to resurrect her??

Edited October 7, 2022 by Trini

[Trini]

3.05 synopsis; too tired to speculate, but sounds interesting!

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"Harvest" - (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET) (TV-PG, DSV) (HDTV)

THE RACE TO SAVE PEI-LING - Nicky (Olivia Liang) is forced to put things with Bo (guest star Ben Levin) on the back burner while she figures out how to help Pei-Ling (Vanessa Kai.) Sebastian (JB Tadena) voices his concern to Mei-Li (Kheng Hua Tan) about corporate's growing oversight on the restaurant. Althea (Shannon Dang) and Evan (Gavin Stenhouse) help Jin (Tzi Ma) after a local politician is robbed of some valuable research. Finally, Zhilan (Yvonne Chapman) makes her move. Jon Prasida and Eddie Liu also star.

Marielle Woods directed the episode written by Melissa Rundle (#305). Original airdate 11/2/2022.

[tv echo]

Kung Fu's Olivia Liang Teases Seeing Darker Sides Of Nicky In Season 3 - Exclusive
BY CYNTHIA VINNEY     OCT. 19, 2022 
https://www.looper.com/1060753/kung-fus-olivia-liang-teases-seeing-darker-sides-of-nicky-in-season-3-exclusive/ 

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Olivia Liang revealed that even though Nicky is trying to be a force for good through both her work as a vigilante and her new job as a martial arts instructor, Nicky is also only human. "She's trying to be the best version of herself, but circumstances that we'll see happen throughout the season are going to challenge that," Liang shared. "We're going to see new sides of Nicky, darker sides of Nicky, and it'll be interesting to watch all of that play out. She doesn't take her role as a teacher lightly, and that's part of what the internal struggle is that we'll see this season."

Liang also noted that she's particularly looking forward to the fan reaction to an upcoming episode that will take Nicky to especially emotional places. "I read an outline for an episode we haven't shot yet, Episode 8, and I'm super excited for the audience to see it because I was screaming reading it and weeping because the audience knows something that Nicky doesn't," Liang teased. "We see Nicky go to a really dark place, and that's very exciting for me to start to explore that side of her because we've gotten so comfortable with these characters, and the writers have explored many layers already, so we're going to see new colors from every character this season. This season gets very dark, but still has so much heart and so much humor. We keep getting better, and this season is a testament to that."

[Trini]

9 hours ago, tv echo said:

"We see Nicky go to a really dark place, .... 

This season gets very dark,

Nooooooo...

[tv echo]

Eddie Liu Says to Expect a Different Henry on ‘Kung Fu'
Laura Sirikul    October 20, 2022
https://thenerdsofcolor.org/2022/10/20/kung-fus-eddie-liu-says-to-expect-a-different-henry-this-season/ 

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“I’m really grateful to see that people haven’t just forgotten about Henry and have not forgotten about Hicky (the ship name for Henry and Nicky),” Liu tells The Nerds of Color. “I feel the love and appreciate it.”
*  *  *
Not wanting the fans to worry, Liu revealed Henry is completely fine, but they will see a different Henry emerging from his Genesis, “It’s a new Henry that no one [will] see coming,” said Liu. “I think what was so exciting about telling the story was that, in order for Henry to understand what was ahead of him, he had to go back into his past little by little to uncover the truth. And we see how much his past defines where he’s going to go, which we are going to find out in the next few episodes to come — in a lot of big ways.”
*  *  *
The Nerds of Color: Alright, Eddie. I need to know what’s going on?! What is his mindset going into this season? We left him lost and wanting to find himself and it seems like he’s still a bit lost. 
Liu: Henry is literally all over the place, trying to complete his father’s mission. He’s still very much finding himself – beyond just the existential way, but in a very visceral, very real way. There’s no way he can sit back and let this [situation] pass. He has to dig in and find out who he is.

It’s only been four months — how much has Henry changed within the four months and how has that made him stronger mentally, emotionally and physically?
In a lot of ways, [it] has made Henry stronger, tougher, and harder. He’s definitely matured and grown into his own and become more of his own person. And, at the same time, as we’ve seen in this episode, a huge part of that reason for him to come back home [and back] to Nicky and, in a way, where it all began. But he needed to go through that change first.
*  *  *
We spoke last season about Henry’s relationship with his dad and we got a bit on his mom in this episode – when she’s arguing with his dad. Are we going to touch on his relationship with his mother and find out who she is? Is it still Zhilan?
I don’t want to burst that bubble [for fans who think Zhilan is my mother]. But no, I think where the story is focused on this year is really about what the compass means. I honestly don’t know how far or how fast we can get into the rest of Henry’s family. We’re going to find out a lot more about what the compass and what that means to Henry and to the greater Kung Fu universe.

The crazy thing that kinda drove a wedge between Nicky and Henry is that she never asked for help and was always doing things on her own… Do you get a sense of irony that Henry is doing the same thing?
Absolutely. On the one hand, if there’s anyone who could understand why Henry had to run away across the world to find himself, it would be Nicky. Of course, that doesn’t make it hurt any less for them, especially Nicky when he breaks up with her unexpectedly. At the end of season two, [Henry] just saw his father die trying to save him and the world and drops his truth bomb about Henry’s true identity. So I don’t think Henry’s state of mind was quite at its fullest and clearest, given what he had just gone through that whole day. So I can kind of empathize with the fact that these people, even though they’re our heroes and we love to see them do the right thing all the time, they’re still human and they still have to go through these very raw emotions. It just takes time to process that out. Sometimes people just find their way on their own time and we see that with Henry, in this episode, when he reveals to Nicky, while it was necessary, he needed to see this through in order to see what was right in front of him. 

So, there have been some theories floating around. The pendant that Pei-Ling wore when she crossed over may have something to do with the compass you’re looking for. Will we see any interaction between the resurrected powerful Xiao/Pei-Ling and the Genesis Henry?
I can’t give too much away. Let’s just say that the compass is going to come into play in the Xiao storyline and the pendant as we’ve seen so far.

I’m going to be honest. Four months is NOT a long time. For people to be the love of your life, four months is really sad. Also, grief over the loss of a loved one — Henry’s dad — is ongoing and four months also seems like a short period for adventure. Obviously, Henry has not forgotten about Nicky, but Nicky has moved on. What’s your thoughts on Henry’s grief and loss of the love of his life?
Henry doesn’t even know about Nicky moving on. When he does find out, it’s gonna hurt a lot. On the one hand, Henry is in this world [where] FaceTime does exist. [He] could have dropped the line somewhere to be like, ‘Hey, I’m okay.’ But what Henry says in the episode is that he didn’t want to jeopardize her. For the first time in his life, he wanted to really make his own decision about something and follow through with it on his own. And because he loves Nicky so much and truly respects her. She operates out of a place of knowing who she is and having a clear sense of what is right. And when you’re with someone you love that much and you work together in such a close and dangerous way with the missions, he can’t help but feel like he needs to achieve that for himself in order to feel like he deserves her because he’s never had that feeling.

Obviously, we know the fans — especially the Hicky fans —  have been anticipating this reunion for sometime. So many fans are still feeling the heartbreak. How was it for you to see the couple people rooted for moving on? How have you been feeling from the fans’ reaction?
Personally, as a viewer, I actually don’t really have much judgment for Nicky moving on within four months. We’re human. We can’t 100% solely operate out of what is right and what is wrong all the time. Sometimes we’re just doing things because it hurts less or helps us feel less devastated. I can’t judge you for that. I can tell you I have some family and some friends who were severely disappointed in Nicky and I had to remind them she’s human. Yes, she’s a superhero, but she’s human too.

How is Henry going to deal with Bo now that he knows Nicky has moved on?
Henry is going to react the way we know Henry [is going to react]. He’s going to be cool about it but, under the surface, he’s going to be hurting. I think this is going to be the first time where Henry might not want to show up and put on a nice guy act. In fact, he might not want to stick around and be too close to Nicky after this. He is going to have to take some time to be in his feelings about it. It’s just not gonna feel good. Yeah, he did it to himself. He could have done more to protect the relationship but you’ll see the reasons why. 

Well, Bob said that Hicky evolves into something deeper beyond a relationship. What can you tell me about what he said?
Yeah. When we were discussing how we were going to approach this, the new dynamic of this ex relationship going into season 3. As we laid down the brick work for where both Nicky and Henry were going to go in their story arcs, [we realized that] in order to deepen their relationship together, we had to break them apart. We had to see them grow. We had to see them fall and get knocked down physically and emotionally, so that when they rise. Whether they come back together or not, you can see that this dynamic transcends friendship. It transcends romantic partners. It transcends action team partners who are actually superhero teammates. And it’s going to supersede all those things and you can only do that by tearing something down a little bit in order to [become] stronger.

So, I’ve always had this weird feeling of the friendship between Evan and Henry — how bros they became. What’s the trio energy between Henry, Nicky, and Bo?
I think once Henry gets past all of his feelings about Nicky moving on and all the feelings you could have about your ex’s new person, they would come to a mutual respect. But there’s gonna be some obstacles in the way of that, for sure. You’ll see that happen. You’ll see that come to fruition.
*  *  *
Will we see Eddie kind of move on as well?
Yeah, I think so. You’re gonna see Henry be in his feels — mourn the loss of that relationship and see how he copes with that. There’s a lot of story to explore in Kung Fu. Henry’s love life, in and of itself, is something that he can’t spend too much time worrying about. Henry’s gonna have to toss that aside for what’s to come.

So, you’re telling me Henry gets a “ho” phase?
I don’t know. I can’t speak to it. Well, that’s definitely far beyond my pay grade and my job description.

So what can we see next for Henry for the rest of the season?
You’re gonna see a lot of compass. We’re gonna find out what the compass means to me and to the Shoobys. It’s gonna bring a lot of people together in a cool way.

Henry with superpowers?
Something like that.

Edited October 21, 2022 by tv echo

[Trini]

This sounds like a mid-season 'finale'; 3.06 synopsis:

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"Rescue" - (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET) (TV-PG, DV) (HDTV)

A HEARTBREAKING DECISION AND AN UNEXPECTED REVEAL - Nicky (Olivia Liang), Henry (Eddie Liu), Ryan (Jon Prasida) and Pei-Ling (Vanessa Kai) try to make sense of some disturbing information they've learned about Xiao (Vanessa Kai). Althea (Shannon Dang) and Dennis (Tony Chung) help his sister after she learns that money has gone missing from their family's charitable trust. Elsewhere, Mei-Li (Kheng Hua Tan) is forced to make an impossible decision. Tzi Ma, Gavin Stenhouse, Yvonne Chapman and JB Tadena also star. Kristin Windell directed the episode written by Matt Young (#306). Original airdate 11/9/2022.

[Trini]

3.07 synopsis:

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"Villains" - (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET) (TV-14, DV) (HDTV)

TAKING DOWN XIAO - After her latest mission unearths some startling information about Xiao, Nicky (Olivia Liang) and the team devise a plan to deal with her once and for all. Althea (Shannon Dang) gives Evan (Gavin Stenhouse) some advice on his relationship with Nadia (guest star Marissa Cuevas), and Jin (Tzi Ma) prepares for his first interview. Kheng Hua Tan, Jon Prasida, Eddie Liu, Vanessa Kai, Yvonne Chapman and JB Tadena also star.

Joe Menendez directed the episode written by John Bring (#307). Original airdate 11/16/2022.

[Trini]

No new episode Thanksgiving week.

3.08 synopsis:

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"Betrayal" - (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET) (TV-14, V) (HDTV)

BO'S PAST - Following an incident involving her parents, Nicky (Olivia Liang) stumbles upon a devastating secret. Elsewhere, Mei-Li (Kheng Hua Tan) gets creative at the restaurant, and Bo (guest star Ben Levin) faces demons from his past. Dean Lim directed the episode written by Michael Deigh (#308). Original airdate 11/30/2022.

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So here's where Nicky learns about Bo's secret.

[paigow]

19 hours ago, Trini said:

No new episode Thanksgiving week.

3.08 synopsis:

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So here's where Nicky learns about Bo's secret.

Seb will be re-hired as a woman??? 

[Trini]

The title for 3.09 is "The Architect".

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ETA:

Edited December 4, 2022 by Trini

[Trini]

New slightly longer trailer with new clips:

[Trini]

3.09 synopsis:

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The Architect

Airdate: 02/8/2023

LOU DIAMOND PHILLIPS DIRECTS — After a campaign ad targets the Shen family, Mei-Li (Kheng Hua Tan) takes matters into her own hands.  Elsewhere, Delta Security’s influence over the city becomes apparent after Ryan (Jon Prasida) makes a shocking discovery at the hospital.  Olivia Liang, Tzi Ma, Shannon Dang, Eddie Liu, Gavin Stenhouse, Tony Chung and JB Tadena also star. 

Lou Diamond Phillips directed the episode written by Hayley K. Goldstein (#309).  Original airdate 2/8/2023. 

 

[Trini]

3.10 synopsis:

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"Alias" - (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET) (TV-PG, LV) (HDTV)

FORGIVENESS - With her world crashing down around her, Nicky (Olivia Liang) is forced to reevaluate her recent actions in order to move forward. Althea (Shannon Dang) goes undercover to gain more information about Delta Securities, and Henry (Eddie Liu) and Zhilan (Yvonne Chapman) follow a lead regarding Xiao's whereabouts.

Tiffany Frances directed the episode written by Brian Anthony (#310). Tzi Ma, Kheng Hua Tan, Jon Prasida, Gavin Stenhouse, Vanessa Kai and Tony Chung also star.

Original airdate 2/15/2023.

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Hmmm -- no mention of Bo in these last two synopses.

[Trini]

3.11 synopsis:

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"The Scepter" - (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET) (TV-PG, LV) (HDTV)

ELECTION NIGHT - With time running out, Nicky (Olivia Liang) is forced to confront Bo (guest star Ben Levin) to get information on Xiao's whereabouts before it's too late. Mei-Li (Kheng Hua Tan) clashes with Carrie (guest star Kim Rhodes) at Harmony Dumplings, and Jin (Tzi Ma) makes a surprising decision that could affect the outcome of the election. Shannon Dang, Jon Prasida, Gavin Stenhouse, Yvonne Chapman, Vanessa Kai, Tony Chung and JB Tadena also star.

David Grossman directed the episode written by Angela Trevino (#311). Original airdate 2/22/2023.

 

[Trini]

(ETA: nevermind, not the penultimate episode) ETAA: Sorry, this is the penultimate:

3.12 synopsis:

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"Loss" - (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET) (TV-PG, V) (HDTV)

THE BLOODLINES - Henry (Eddie Liu) finds himself on a collision course with Xiao, whose latest plan results in devastating consequences for Nicky (Olivia Liang) and her family. Tzi Ma, Kheng Hua Tan, Shannon Dang, Jon Prasida, Gavin Stenhouse, Yvonne Chapman, Tony Chung and JB Tadena also star.

Richard Speight, Jr directed the episode written by Ryan Johnson & Peter Lalayanis (#312). Original airdate 3/1/2023.

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Very vague.

Edited February 16, 2023 by Trini

[Trini]

Well, we're back to magic and a new McGuffin next week:

 

[Trini]

Well, I like the title even though this is likely the end....

3.13, season (series??) finale synopsis:

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"Beginning" - (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET) (TV-14, DV) (HDTV)

THE SEARCH FOR XIAO - After uncovering Xiao's master plan, Nicky (Olivia Liang) and the team find themselves in a race against the clock to stop her before it's too late. Tzi Ma, Kheng Hua Tan, Shannon Dang, Jon Prasida, Eddie Liu, Gavin Stenhouse, Yvonne Chapman, Vanessa Kai, Tony Chung and J.B. Tadena also star.

Joe Menendez directed the episode written by Christina M. Kim & Robert Berens (#313). Original airdate 3/8/2023.

 

Edited February 23, 2023 by Trini
oops, wrong number

[Trini]

Uh oh?

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They killed off Mia and Bo, who I'd consider relatively minor characters. (But with all the magic on this show, they could be resurrected.) Oh, yeah - and the Delta Security guy.

I've already speculated that Pei Ling will have to die for good to defeat Xiao; but I could also see Zhilan dying as well. I think everyone else is safe. ...But Henry is only safe if they actually want him and Nicky together, and I'm not 100% sure they do.

And of course Xiao has to die.

Edited March 3, 2023 by Trini