S01.E01: Pilot

[photo fox]

It's 1995 and 11-year-old hip-hop loving Eddie Huang has just moved with his family from Chinatown in Washington D.C. to suburban Orlando. They quickly discover things are very different there. Orlando doesn't even have a Chinatown -- unless you count the Huang house.

[Primetimer]

One thing's for sure: that taxidermied bear needs a spinoff.

Read the story

[Silly Angel]

Been looking forward to this, and I liked it, but for the record, people in D.C. refer to their "Chinatown" as "Chinablock." There is hardly any there there.

[Dagny]

I'll check it out. Small kids on shows don't bother me nearly as much as teenagers. Get off my dying lawn!

[stopeslite]

I thought the first episode was fine. I liked Jessica and Louis, and although some of the jokes were pretty obvious (rollerblading moms), I had to admit that the Lunchables bit was good - I spent years arguing with my kids that they woul dnever get a Lunchable because that crosses a line that SHALL NOT BE CROSSED. I can't watch the second episode because TOP CHEF, but I'll check it out again next week.

[photo fox]

I had a surprising number of feelz. The young man playing Eddie is quite good - loved his expression when he realized his parents were sticking up for him with the principal.

But the mom is the real highlight. She's hilarious.

[Babalooie]

Floridian here - the school bus should have said ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT, not Orlando Area School District. 

Lunchables?  I can relate.  I still won't let my son forget the day that I found the pieces of his Lunchable floating in the toilet.

[Malbec]

"Nice white face like Bill Pullman" is still making me giggle, as is Randall Park's "smile and nod" move.  I'm in.

[Valny]

But the mom is the real highlight. She's hilarious.

 

Agreed. I laughed the most at her lines. And the way she delivered them so deadpan made it funnier.

[Souris]

"What's this store so excited about?" Yeah, the mom's deadpan delivery is hysterical.

 

I had to check it out since it's produced by the creator of my beloved "Don't Trust the B" and I enjoyed it a lot. Clearly I like Nahnatchka Khan's humor vibe. 

[VCRTracking]

The grandma saying "You were too slow" to the stuffed rabbit LOL!

[Ms Lark]

This had its moments, but I felt much of it was too predictable. I'll still keep watching, just to be supportive. I found the 2nd episode an improvement.

 

Been looking forward to this, and I liked it, but for the record, people in D.C. refer to their "Chinatown" as "Chinablock." There is hardly any there there.

Except this show takes place 20 years ago in 1995. Back then, we still called it "Chinatown," so the usage here is correct. The exodus to the 'burbs started in the late 90s with gentrification, but "Chinablock" was not a term used in '95.

[Silly Angel]

Except this show takes place 20 years ago in 1995. Back then, we still called it "Chinatown," so the usage here is correct. The exodus to the 'burbs started in the late 90s with gentrification, but "Chinablock" was not a term used in '95.

Ah, good point. I was there from 97-2010. But like Jessica, I miss those markets, too. We called the one near our house in Arlington, Asian Grocery Warehouse, the Asian Grocery Madhouse.

[Kromm]

Been looking forward to this, and I liked it, but for the record, people in D.C. refer to their "Chinatown" as "Chinablock." There is hardly any there there.

Yeah, I didn't get that at all.  

 

Actually the joke about hardly seeing any white people in DC isn't that untrue... it's just not Chinese that are going to be the faces you're seeing instead.

[Kromm]

But the mom is the real highlight. She's hilarious.

Really attractive actress too.  They're playing her as a Tiger Mom, but in a way she's entirely too fresh faced for that.  But she's got good timing, so it makes up for that somewhat.

[Skittl1321]

I thought this show was quite good. I was pretty surprised to enjoy it. Sadly, I already have a show in the 7:00 Tuesday timeslot :(

 

Was Orlando really that white in the mid-90s? I expected quite a few black people, so only one kid at school seemed strange.

 

Eddie's character bothers me just a bit, because he is so dismissive towards his parents, but the actor plays him pretty well. All the other character/actors seem pretty good too. I love the younger boys. 

[galax-arena]

I just find it amazing that Constance Wu was born in 1986, and she's playing the mother of a pre-teen. And I don't think her character's supposed to have been a teen mom, either. 

 

Interestingly, it looks like her birth year has been scrubbed from sites like Wiki and IMDB. I know that there was a bit of consternation when she was first cast due to her age, so it looks like they might be trying to keep that more on the down-low now. Might be the first time an actress has tried to appear older in Hollywood, lmao. (Or maybe she was lying before about being born in 1986 to appear younger...)

[stanleyk]

Agree that the mom was the highlight, and I also enjoyed Park. They're almost enough for me to keep it on the DVR. But the humor was too broad for me, I hated the fact that it is kid-centric, and the mid-90s references don't really hit for me (I'm ten years too old for those to be personally nostalgic). In short: didn't find it that funny.

And while it's great to see an Asian-American family be the focus of a show, I didn't feel that any of its commentary was particularly incisive. Black-ish has its issues (in part due to precocious child-acting), but it's smart enough to have the kids in small doses and it's not afraid to jump into some touchy areas. I thought the best thing FOB did was have the family more subtly have conscious awareness of race and their outsider status (constant references to white people, white people food, white faces, etc.), but the rest of it kind of devolved into caricature. The "love you" bit in the second episode was particularly weak.

So, eh. I might leave it on for another episode in support of the idea, but the humor's got to get smarter if I'm going to stick around for the long-haul.

[solotrek]

I just find it amazing that Constance Wu was born in 1986, and she's playing the mother of a pre-teen. And I don't think her character's supposed to have been a teen mom, either.

 

I thought she was born in 1988. Regardless of which year, I figured they were playing with the joke that Asian women seem younger than their age. Regardless, she's my favorite part of the show.

 

Eddie's character bothers me just a bit, because he is so dismissive towards his parents, but the actor plays him pretty well. All the other character/actors seem pretty good too. I love the younger boys.

 

From all I've seen and read by Eddie, the kid seems to be doing a great Eddie Huang impression.

 

The 2 younger brothers are cute, but I don't feel like there's much there yet. I hope we get to know them.

[PRgal]

The show rings true a bit for me.  I don't remember my parents saying "I love you" to me at all.  I'm sure they did when I was a baby, but no one remembers anything before age two or three!  What I did find a bit exaggerated were the school lunches.  I don't think any of the Asian or first generation any ethnicity kids at my school taking ethnic food to school - at least not entirely ethnic food.  I often took sandwiches with (left over) Chinese filling, like soya sauce roast chicken or something like that.  Anyway, more details in my blog post.

[lilacgirl]

I will give it one more chance. Out of the two shows I did watch last night, the part about them singing in the van was the best. For me.

The lines they have given Constance Wu were the best. Her delivery of them is what made them so funny.

[solotrek]

I don't think any of the Asian or first generation any ethnicity kids at my school taking ethnic food to school - at least not entirely ethnic food.  I often took sandwiches with (left over) Chinese filling, like soya sauce roast chicken or something like that.

 

I definitely did. Grew up in a major college town where there was a lot more Chinese people (though not by much), so it was pretty accepted and normal. Maybe ~1/5th of just my classroom was either a Chinese immigrant or a child of immigrants. Not including immigrants of other nationalities. Moved to a place where I was 1 of 4 Asians in my entire grade and stopped immediately when I got the same reactions that Eddie did. Except we had to sit with our classes so no one could kick me out. I guess the smell of jui cai dumplings with garlic chili oil sauce was not something those kids could handle.

Edited February 5, 2015 by maculae

[FineWashables]

There were some really good lines, mostly from the mom and the grandmother.  The acting was good too, especially the mom.  I found myself really entertained by the family's vision of what all-American means, from the dead animals to the supermarket to the lunchables, then the twist: we're American, we'll sue you.  Well plotted.  The kid suffering through the parents' choice of music in the car was pretty funny too.

 

I agree that I'm not all that engaged when the kids are the focus of a show (except Sue Sue Heck, of course) but there are enough new ideas going through this that I'll stick with it for a little while at least.  Unlike those horrid Goldbergs and that other new annoying family that didn't get cancelled, this family has charm to go along with the schtick.

[PRgal]

I definitely did. Grew up in a major college town where there was a lot more Chinese people (though not by much), so it was pretty accepted and normal. Maybe ~1/5th of just my classroom was either a Chinese immigrant or a child of immigrants. Not including immigrants of other nationalities. Moved to a place where I was 1 of 4 Asians in my entire grade and stopped immediately when I got the same reactions that Eddie did. Except we had to sit with our classes so no one could kick me out. I guess the smell of jui cai dumplings with garlic chili oil sauce was not something those kids could handle.

 

Maybe it's just my area, then.  Most of us had parents who were accountants, doctors, etc... Even the kids whose parents had primarily Asian clients/patients took sandwiches most of the time.  I saw rice or noodles once in a while, but it was definitely not everyone.  Not even the kids who were FROM Asia.  We DID use tin pencil boxes and mechanical pencils before the white kids though.  However, unlike the other Asian kids, my pencil case was Beatrix Potter while theirs were Hello Kitty.

 

ETA: I hope you kept the dumplings somewhat warm.  Most East Asian foods aren't that great at room temp (save for some noodles - though better cold (as in refrigerator cold, in a noodle salad) -, rice paper rolls and Chinese barbecue stuff).

Edited February 5, 2015 by PRgal

[Zalyn]

I grew up in the 80s in Seattle, and I was routinely mocked for bringing Korean food to school, so that bit really resonated with me.  My mom told me I even went through an "I hate spinach!" phase for about two weeks in kindergarten because all the other kids claimed to hate it.  I got better when I remembered how delicious it was, but the peer pressure and harassment of anyone with non-standard PB&J was very present. 

 

The dynamics between Jessica and Louis are great too - from Jessica sucking it up to try to make things work with the Stepford Rollerbladers to making magic behind the scenes to protect Louis' (apparent) naivete and Louis hiding from Jessica being a bit overbearing and insistent about little things* - it's very real to me.

 

I really like the perspective this show brings, and there are a lot of little things that definitely speak to my childhood (even though it was a decade separated), so I'm looking forward to seeing more.  Also, I haven't laughed this hard at a sitcom in a long time.

 

(* I watched 01 and 02 together, so I hope it's okay that I reference 02 generally here since it helps flesh out their dynamic)

Edited February 5, 2015 by Zalyn

[90PercentGravity]

The Koreean guy talking about his Chinese face took me out of it a little bit, but I'm just going to let it go. I thought it was really charming. It's not laugh-a-minute hilarious, but I appreciate the mix of humor and heart. It sort of reminds me of The Neighbors in that way.

[solotrek]

Maybe it's just my area, then.  Most of us had parents who were accountants, doctors, etc... Even the kids whose parents had primarily Asian clients/patients took sandwiches most of the time.  I saw rice or noodles once in a while, but it was definitely not everyone.  Not even the kids who were FROM Asia.  We DID use tin pencil boxes and mechanical pencils before the white kids though.  However, unlike the other Asian kids, my pencil case was Beatrix Potter while theirs were Hello Kitty.

 

ETA: I hope you kept the dumplings somewhat warm.  Most East Asian foods aren't that great at room temp (save for some noodles - though better cold (as in refrigerator cold, in a noodle salad) -, rice paper rolls and Chinese barbecue stuff).

Definitely a weirdo who just likes eating room temp/cold food. :-)

 

We grew up in the same type of area. Though it was more PhD/engineering/doctors because, college town. We also bought a lot of school lunches, but it was never odd or rare to see food from home. I do remember being really envious of the snacks the white kids brought during snack time though. That was before grocery stores really started importing the good chinese snacks. And no way were we allowed to bring Pocky every day.

 

One thing that struck me as odd in the show was that they were using paper bags for lunches. We always had lunch boxes that we'd bring home and keep reusing.  Also, if Eddie threw out the bag, didn't he also throw out the tupperware the noodles were in? I can't see his mom being the type that'd react well to that.

[Zalyn]

One thing that struck me as odd in the show was that they were using paper bags for lunches. We always had lunch boxes that we'd bring home and keep reusing.  Also, if Eddie threw out the bag, didn't he also throw out the tupperware the noodles were in? I can't see his mom being the type that'd react well to that.

I'm so glad I wasn't the only one fixated on this! 

[barbedwire]

I too thought the same thing when he threw out the lunch - his mom is going to be looking for that Tupperware!

 

I thought the kids freaking out over the smell of food was real.  I remember smelling kimchee for the first time - ugh.  Asked my friend if we could go to my house.  The whole house stunk.

 

Pretty good show.  I will watch again.

[Nidratime]

One thing that struck me as odd in the show was that they were using paper bags for lunches. We always had lunch boxes that we'd bring home and keep reusing.  Also, if Eddie threw out the bag, didn't he also throw out the tupperware the noodles were in? I can't see his mom being the type that'd react well to that.

 

 

Maybe the food was in those plastic containers you get at supermarkets. After all, the mom is nothing if not economical.

[peeayebee]

I was a little disappointed in the pilot as I expected to be really bowled over because of the great reviews. However, I'm sticking with it. 

 

The actress playing the mom is fantastic. I have absolutely no problem with her age because she is one of the highlights of the show. The whole cast is good, and I'm quite taken with the two little brothers.

[Auroraborealus]

I've really enjoyed the first 2 episodes of this show! I grew up in the 80's-90's in Orlando and my FOB parents were way less Americanized than Eddie's. So many of the cross culture themes rang true, especially the school lunch issue. I remember so well in elementary desperately wishing my mother would pack me sandwiches and chips instead of things like bulgogi and rice or kimbap which totally grossed out my friends. Of course now, ethnic food is generally a lot more mainstream and my grown up sensibilities would much rather have bulgogi than a bologna sandwich anyday.

[Kromm]

I just find it amazing that Constance Wu was born in 1986, and she's playing the mother of a pre-teen. And I don't think her character's supposed to have been a teen mom, either. 

 

Interestingly, it looks like her birth year has been scrubbed from sites like Wiki and IMDB. I know that there was a bit of consternation when she was first cast due to her age, so it looks like they might be trying to keep that more on the down-low now. Might be the first time an actress has tried to appear older in Hollywood, lmao. (Or maybe she was lying before about being born in 1986 to appear younger...)

It's hardly the first time, but if they're trying to make her look older, they're failing.  She is wearing the Dragon Lady/Tiger Momish makeup a bit more by Episode 2, and even with her face that can't help but age someone's appearance, but its still a stretch.

 

Interesting they let her sing.  In a way it undermined the character even more--she was WAY too good.

 

And speaking of her singing... this is interesting.  She has a Youtube channel with basically nothing on it but this:

 

 

 

Well that, and her molesting a bunny.  Seriously.

 

[PRgal]

I've really enjoyed the first 2 episodes of this show! I grew up in the 80's-90's in Orlando and my FOB parents were way less Americanized than Eddie's. So many of the cross culture themes rang true, especially the school lunch issue. I remember so well in elementary desperately wishing my mother would pack me sandwiches and chips instead of things like bulgogi and rice or kimbap which totally grossed out my friends. Of course now, ethnic food is generally a lot more mainstream and my grown up sensibilities would much rather have bulgogi than a bologna sandwich anyday.

 

Did you eat any American food at all?  My mother was the one who introduced me to grilled cheese.  Her grilled cheese sandwiches are what I now call croque etudiant - Wonderbread with Kraft Singles and ham, cooked in a toaster oven.  In other words, it's a poor man's croque monsieur.  I could be rude and call it croque ghetto, too.  Anyway, I wasn't really able to relate to the food situation, but definitely homework (my grandmother was crazier than my mom.  She was really pro STEM subjects (even though she knew nothing about them) and was really against me liking history)

Edited February 5, 2015 by PRgal

[Kromm]

There were some really good lines, mostly from the mom and the grandmother.  The acting was good too, especially the mom.  I found myself really entertained by the family's vision of what all-American means, from the dead animals to the supermarket to the lunchables, then the twist: we're American, we'll sue you.  Well plotted.  The kid suffering through the parents' choice of music in the car was pretty funny too.

 

I agree that I'm not all that engaged when the kids are the focus of a show (except Sue Sue Heck, of course) but there are enough new ideas going through this that I'll stick with it for a little while at least.  Unlike those horrid Goldbergs and that other new annoying family that didn't get cancelled, this family has charm to go along with the schtick.

Argh.  You had me until the anti-Goldbergs thing.  I think there are some real similarities, it's true, but IMO there isn't a sitcom on the air now with more warmth to it than The Goldbergs.

[scartact]

I really enjoyed the first two episodes.

 

Randall Park's accent is a little bit inauthentic to me, and I"m not sure if that's cos I also still see him as Danny Chung with a family. That being said, I really enjoy the family dynamic and I'll definitely chime in to agree that Constance Wu is great and I like the shading she's giving Jessica. Like the part where she tells Eddie, "Eggs are life. You came from my eggs." It was strangely a very tender moment for somewhat of an abrasive character. I'm amused and interested in the family's various levels of assimilation to their new surroundings, like with one of Eddie's younger brothers already finding a girlfriend.

 

I also found it interesting how they addressed a little bit of how social hierarchy is related to race between Eddie and the black kid (I didn't catch his name. Was he given a name?). I would love to see more interactions between the characters and other people of color. I actually watched the pilot at a screening in my university, and I would definitely like to see more consideration for Eddie's preference to hip-hop culture because some folks had qualms over whether or not Eddie was appropriating hip-hop culture. I know that Huang criticized the show for how it depicts Eddie's engagement with hip-hop, so hopefully it improves from the first few episodes as more than just a sight-gag.

[solotrek]

Randall Park's accent is a little bit inauthentic to me, and I"m not sure if that's cos I also still see him as Danny Chung with a family.

 

You mean the few times he actually kept the accent up? He seemed to really struggle with it.

 

For people who care, just did some internet sleuthing. Constance Wu had her BFA from SUNY Purchase in 2005 according to a program I found of a production she was in. However, things written on wikipedia (born in 1988) and imdb (got her BFA in 2009) definitely make her younger. But her real age (low 30's) seems to be more age appropriate for someone playing the mother of an 11 year old. The rest is the Asian gene of looking young.

Edited February 5, 2015 by maculae

[Auroraborealus]

Did you eat any American food at all? My mother was the one who introduced me to grilled cheese. Her grilled cheese sandwiches are what I now call croque etudiant - Wonderbread with Kraft Singles and ham, cooked in a toaster oven. In other words, it's a poor man's croque monsieur. I could be rude and call it croque ghetto, too. Anyway, I wasn't really able to relate to the food situation, but definitely homework (my grandmother was crazier than my mom. She was really pro STEM subjects (even though she knew nothing about them) and was really against me liking history)

We mostly ate Korean food, rice everyday with various side dishes. Once in a blue moon as a "treat" we'd get hamburgers or chicken but for the most part when I was very young my mom cooked every single meal of Korean food. Later on she started making Koreanized versions of "American" food, such as spicy spaghetti or BBQ chicken with Korean spices in the sauce. The ironic thing, is after much whining, from me she finally relented and let me buy hot lunch in the cafeteria and I ended up hating it! The boil mush spinach, congealed lasagna that smelled like (to me) barf. I ended up throwing my food away untouched everyday until the teacher finally noticed and called my mom. Then it was back to packed lunches. Lol.

And yep, my mom was fanatical about schoolwork. B? You think you're going to get into a good college with a B in second grade math? Ha!

Edited February 6, 2015 by Auroraborealus

[Maharincess]

I too thought the same thing when he threw out the lunch - his mom is going to be looking for that Tupperware!

I thought the kids freaking out over the smell of food was real. I remember smelling kimchee for the first time - ugh. Asked my friend if we could go to my house. The whole house stunk.

Pretty good show. I will watch again.

Yeah, I picked my daughter up from a friend's house when she was young. The mom was cooking chitlins, the whole house smelled like she was baking shit. I politely declined when she invited me to stay for dinner.

I liked this show. Things like the mom being young in real life don't bother me. I'll definitely watch again.

I am so happy that those stupid laugh tracks seem to be a thing of the past in shows like this.

[Stella MD]

Would the whole family (especially the adults) really speak nothing but English all the time, even when alone by themselves? That seemed unrealistic, not to mention disrepectful in the presence of the grandmother who doesn't appear to speak any English.

 

Or maybe I'm just looking for a brief reprieve from the awkward accents. I'd take a subtitled exchange over those tin-ear accents any day. 

Edited February 6, 2015 by Stella MD

[maplebrew]

At the beginning of the show, Eddie the narrator spoke of his parents in past tense. Since the show is set in 1995, that weirded me out since it is only 20 years later assuming he is speaking from 2015. Was he telling us his parents are deceased now or was he simply saying that this is how his parents were back in 1995?

 

What do you want to bet that the failing steakhouse will morph into a successful Chinese restaurant?

 

As a pilot, the show was okay. The parents are interesting and mostly endearing. Eddie imitating, taking inspiration from what he perceives to be African American culture (regardless of whether he simply sees it as being 'mainstream' American culture) rang true. For part of the 90's I lived in the Arctic and I'd frequently see Aboriginal youth, in the middle of eye ball freezing winters, decked out in running shoes, baggy pants, reversed ball caps, in thin basketball jackets, looking frost bit and ridiculous. 

 

It was sad to see him reject his mother's lunches for the cardboard garbage lunchables. I want his mom to make me delicious homemade lunches. 

[Hava]

It's so interesting to me that people are finding the mom to be the highlight because, for me, she was actually the character I probably liked the least and I think that has a lot to do with the fake accent. While her lines were probably funny as written, I just did not like the delivery with the accent. Felt forced and stilted to me.

 

My favorite is the little kid. He is so good!

[solotrek]

What do you want to bet that the failing steakhouse will morph into a successful Chinese restaurant?

 

Considering his parents sold their highly successful steakhouse and also their seafood grill in 2013, I wouldn't take that bet.

[PRgal]

We mostly ate Korean food, rice everyday with various side dishes. Once in a blue moon as a "treat" we'd get hamburgers or chicken but for the most part when I was very young my mom cooked every single meal of Korean food. Later on she started making Koreanized versions of "American" food, such as spicy spaghetti or BBQ chicken with Korean spices in the sauce. The ironic thing, is after much whining, from me she finally relented and let me buy hot lunch in the cafeteria and I ended up hating it! The boil mush spinach, congealed lasagna that smelled like (to me) barf. I ended up throwing my food away untouched everyday until the teacher finally noticed and called my mom. Then it was back to packed lunches. Lol.

And yep, my mom was fanatical about schoolwork. B? You think you're going to get into a good college with a B in second grade math? Ha!

 

Koreanized versions of American food sounds like my grandmother's cooking.  Lots of roast chicken marinaded in soy sauce with a bit of ginger.  Same with pork chops.  Lots of rice, too.  But that was at dinner.  The only non-Chinese dish my grandmother did well was her homemade bolognese sauce...she even ground meat at home!  I can't replicate that because I always end up adding bottled tomato purée (along with fresh tomatoes).  We ate it with rice.  At least I didn't have to live through soya sauce spaghetti.  YUCK.

 

We went to our fair share of McDonald's, Harvey's (a Canadian burger chain that does customized burgers (i.e. you can choose your own toppings), Pizza Hut, etc..., though. 

 

I have a feeling that my family and our circle was just more integrated than others.  Maybe it's just a Toronto thing?  I have to admit that I relate to the Johnsons on Blackish more than the Huangs.  But there have only been two episodes of FOB. 

 

Question: Do we know whether the grandmother is Jessica's mom or Louis'?  I am assuming Louis, since it's more typical for the mother to stay with the son than the mother to stay with the daughter. 

[MaryMitch]

The grandma saying "You were too slow" to the stuffed rabbit LOL!

 

Did you notice it was a "jackalope"? It had antlers!

[Auroraborealus]

Unless they say otherwise,I'd also assume Grandma is Louis's mother since, like you said, it is a filial duty to care for aging parents.

One last comment on eating American food growing up, my mother in particular was disdainful of 'typical' American food like burgers, pizza, etc which she saw as greasy, bland and non-nutritious. She has actually relaxed her stance on non-korean food quite a bit, especially with the ethnic food explosion. She's now quite fond of things like Indian cuisine or authentic Mexican food.

[Grammaeryn]

I enjoyed the pilot and I bet setting it in the 90's is going to be a HUGE hook for me. Just today, I was reminiscing about how much better life seemed to be in the 90's. Booming economy, gas under $1 - good times. I am also a first generation American with the weird ethnic lunches. I think I had Lunchables once and didn't like it. Heh, my after school activities were also more school. I think the weakest link in the show is Eddie. I love the rest of the family but groan every time I hear Snoop or Notorious B.I.G.

[ridethemaverick]

I thought it was pretty funny, particularly for a pilot. I really like the mom. The kid playing Eddie...he's going to have to grow on me. A few of his lines were a little too on the nose (I have the same problem with one of the kids on Blackish) and the hip hop stuff is a bit much.

I'm in for the season.

[blackwing]

I agree that two young parents who are "fresh off the boat" and grew up speaking Mandarin in Taiwan would communicate with each other mostly in Mandarin. But then I guess it'd be hard to follow for an American audience.

The actress who plays the mom is perfection. I disagree that her accent sounded fake. The actor who plays the dad is terrible. His idea of a Chinese immigrant accent seems to be somewhat sort of a lisp.

[Kromm]

You mean the few times he actually kept the accent up? He seemed to really struggle with it.

 

For people who care, just did some internet sleuthing. Constance Wu had her BFA from SUNY Purchase in 2005 according to a program I found of a production she was in. However, things written on wikipedia (born in 1988) and imdb (got her BFA in 2009) definitely make her younger. But her real age (low 30's) seems to be more age appropriate for someone playing the mother of an 11 year old. The rest is the Asian gene of looking young.

That's probably true then.

 

I guess rather than it being her looking too young, it's that (at least in the pilot) maybe they made her look a bit too... soft.  The makeup I mean.  Maybe the Tiger Mom/Dragon Lady thing is a cliche, but it's one of those things I think where there's some reality behind the cliche.  I know I saw this in the wake of seeing an episode of Child Genius, and that probably didn't help either--the kid named Ryan on that show has probably the Tiger Mom to beat all Tiger Moms. and no doubt that was fresh in my mind.

 

 

Not the best clip, actually.  She's FAR more aggressive most of the time (whereas this clip mainly has the kid talking back). I wish there was a good clip of the stuff where Ryan is doing this stupid contest, gets 9 out of 10 answers right, and then they show her haranguing him for "being lazy" and "not doing your best".

Edited February 6, 2015 by Kromm