Kim's Convenience - General Discussion

[ElectricBoogaloo]

On 2/17/2021 at 1:35 PM, roseha said:

Does anyone know when the show will start on US Netflix?  I thought I saw next month?  Thanks

I doubt it's coming back next month. Netflix usually gets the entire new season after all the episodes have finished airing (and not just for Kim's Convenience). This week is only episode 6 so S5 won't finish airing until April. If the rest of the season runs uninterrupted, the earliest that S5 will finish airing and then be available on Netflix is mid-April.

[TigerLily20]

On 2/17/2021 at 4:35 PM, roseha said:

Does anyone know when the show will start on US Netflix?  I thought I saw next month?  Thanks

That's what I want to know....I am missing this show....

[roseha]

5 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I doubt it's coming back next month. Netflix usually gets the entire new season after all the episodes have finished airing (and not just for Kim's Convenience). This week is only episode 6 so S5 won't finish airing until April. If the rest of the season runs uninterrupted, the earliest that S5 will finish airing and then be available on Netflix is mid-April.

Thanks for the info @ElectricBoogaloo.  I was hoping sooner but it looks like April it is.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I'll be the first to admit that Shannon can be a bit much but I felt sorry for her this time around. She clearly went through a lot of time and effort to make all that food to thank the employees and none of them even saw all that delicious food! I mean, she should have taken into account what they would actually enjoy and not expected Jung to know what to do with all the food, but I still felt bad because that was a lot of food that went to waste.

Ha, OF COURSE Appa ended up eating Umma's pot cookie! I'm glad that after Janet outed her, Umma realized that it was her decision to make regardless of Appa's judgment. When you have a long term medical condition, there's nothing wrong with researching your options. Appa and has dad jokes will never get old though. Liv and Let Die!

[statsgirl]

I was very glad to see Umma directly taking charge of the medical marijuana situation. Too often she is pushed around by the stronger members of the family or has to be sneaky to get around them.

Shannon for me is secondhand embarrassment but I felt very  bad for her that she made such a gorgeous spread and no one came. So rude. I liked her revenge wirh the task list, and that Jung was in on it. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

On 2/24/2021 at 3:35 PM, statsgirl said:

I was very glad to see Umma directly taking charge of the medical marijuana situation. Too often she is pushed around by the stronger members of the family or has to be sneaky to get around them.

Shannon for me is secondhand embarrassment but I felt very  bad for her that she made such a gorgeous spread and no one came. So rude. I liked her revenge wirh the task list, and that Jung was in on it. 

I agree on both counts. It took a little bit for her to get there, but I was glad when she finally realized that it doesn't matter what Appa thinks of her using pot cookies.

I loved that Jung knew he was part of the fuck up from that night and that he didn't try to get out of the extra work either (although he did jokingly offer up some sexy times).

[ElectricBoogaloo]

  S5.E7: Chance Encounter

Quote

Appa and Kimchee enjoy an impromptu hangout together; Janet and Umma find an envelope of money in the store; Jung and Shannon struggle to watch TV together.

Original air date: 3/2/21

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Awwww, I thought it was so sweet that Kimchee and Appa both clearly wanted to spend more time together but also understood why that might upset Jung. Appa stalking Kimchee on Facebook so that he could "accidentally" run into him while wearing his new outfit was really cute. I love that Umma was totally unphased by it and kept teasing him about it.

I find it odd that Jung and Shannon have been dating for this long and are just now having issues watching tv shows. Thank goodness Mr. EB is not one of those annoying people who talks, asks questions, or does a running commentary while watching tv shows or movies. At least these days you can hit pause when someone feels the need to ask a question. Back in ye olden days before DVRs and watching tv online, sometimes you would just miss what the characters were saying because someone was being too chatty.

But I loved that Jung and Shannon's roommate ended up totally getting into the Kilkenny Girls show and watching it together. The other thing I liked is that Jung ended up expressing something important: just because you're dating doesn't mean that you have to do everything together or like all the same things. It's totally okay if you watch different tv shows/movies and have different hobbies. Yes, it's great if there are some things that you both like, but it's probably REALLY good to have some different interests when you work together.

Edited March 3, 2021 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Wildcard]

https://ew.com/tv/kims-convenience-canceled-season-5/

 

Well, damn,

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I'm doubly sad, first because the show is ending but secondly because this was announced after the season was done filming so the cast and crew didn't get to say goodbye properly knowing that it was their last day of shooting. Hopefully there aren't any major cliffhangers at the end of S5 that will go unanswered.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S5.E8: Slippery Slope

Quote

Appa worries about Umma after a minor household accident; Janet uses Jung's past to boost her reputation with students; a high school reunion has Kimchee thinking about an old flame.

Original air date: 3/9/21

[roseha]

This is sad news.  Considering that they surprised everyone, including the cast, with this decision, I wonder if they would consider doing a final special show to wrap things up properly.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I wasn't a fan of Janet passing of Jung's stories as her own so I had to laugh when Jung showed up thinking he was going to give these kids a good mentoring talk. I was glad that it ended up making both of them realize what the other had gone through during that period in time.

Poor Gerald. He saw a lot of naked Kims in two days.

I liked that Appa and Umma know each other so well. It was clear that Umma was trying so hard to respect his boundaries by staying outside of the bathroom door and saying that she knew he would ask for help if he needed it. And I liked their sweet conversation later about how they both agreed they should install a bar in the shower (but because of Janet's coconut body wash, of course).

Often on tv shows, married couples (especially older couples) seem to hate each other and they live only to antagonize each other. I really like that Appa and Umma clearly love each other and have a good relationship but that they still have realistic disagreements.

Kimchee's ex was pretty hot but what a mess. I totally cracked up when Stacie had to intervene in his cyberstalking to interpret it all for him. And DAMN, Stacie looked amazing at the high school reunion! I loved that she just showed up even though she didn't even go to school there. Gwen gets an A+ for immediately realizing that Kimchee wanted to check up on his ex and totally didn't care at all. From the little that we've seen of Gwen lately, I like her a lot.

Edited March 10, 2021 by ElectricBoogaloo

[LilWharveyGal]

Stacy is usually so deadpan. I loved her in this ep, and that she had a time to shine (literally, in that gold dress).

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S05.E09: Field of Schemes

Quote

Appa makes a controversial call when umpiring pastor Nina's baseball game; Janet gives Umma a sweater that turns out to be a bad fit; Jung and Kimchee babysit Gwen's niece.

Original air date: 3/16/21

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Gerald and Appa playing paper, rock, scissors with the head flicks cracked me up!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S5.E10: Who's Pranking Who?

Quote

Kimchee tries to impress the Handy district manager; Shannon inadvertently insults Umma's soup; Appa starts a prank war with Janet.

Original air date: 3/23/21

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I knew it was only a matter of time before the prank war went horribly wrong. When Appa said he was going to hide under Janet's bed, I thought she was going to end up kicking him in the face.

Tamsen seemed nice but I'm glad that she and Janet are not getting involved, mostly because Janet has just finally stopped being so obsessed with Tanzania. I was sure that Tamsen popping up was going to cause Janet to fall back into constantly talking about Tanzania in every conversation. The same thing happened when I was in college. Every person I knew who did a semester or a year abroad came back totally obsessed with wherever they'd been, talked about it constantly, and would obsessively check website with cheap airfares in the hopes of going back. So in that sense, Janet's obsession with Tanzania has been very realistic but I'm over it and ready for her to stop talking about it constantly.

Even though Shannon's eye surgery was played for laughs, FLOATERS ARE NO JOKE! Take it from someone who has had them. It's normal to have a random floater here or there but if you notice a lot of them or a persistent one, go to a ophthalmologist or a retinal specialist IMMEDIATELY.

I totally cracked up at Kimchee, Jung, and Shannon debating whether she needed an optician, an optometrist, or some other kind of eye doctor. These are clearly people with healthy eyes who have never had to deal with eye specialists before (which is a good thing!).

I loved that Umma knew Jung would be totally inept at trying to make her special dish (and she clearly knew even before he was confused by which parts of the chicken to cut off) and that she gave him the special task of chopping green onions. This is why it's important to start teaching your kids how to cook when they're very young!

As soon as the district manager started talking about kiosks, I was waiting for her to say they would have to reduce the staff. I loved the montage at the end of Kimchee and Jung trying to destroy the kiosk and Shannon concluding with, "Or we could just delete the footage."

[LilWharveyGal]

I did NOT need to know a) that Terrence's mom massages him, and b) that he's clammy.

[TigerLily20]

On 3/24/2021 at 3:49 PM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Tamsen seemed nice but I'm glad that she and Janet are not getting involved, mostly because Janet has just finally stopped being so obsessed with Tanzania. I was sure that Tamsen popping up was going to cause Janet to fall back into constantly talking about Tanzania in every conversation. The same thing happened when I was in college. Every person I knew who did a semester or a year abroad came back totally obsessed with wherever they'd been, talked about it constantly, and would obsessively check website with cheap airfares in the hopes of going back. So in that sense, Janet's obsession with Tanzania has been very realistic but I'm over it and ready for her to stop talking about it constantly

woah wait....there is a character named Tamsen....never in my entire life have I ever heard my name in anything on TV......when is this coming to Netflix!!  Also super sad it's ending

[ElectricBoogaloo]

16 minutes ago, TigerLily20 said:

woah wait....there is a character named Tamsen....never in my entire life have I ever heard my name in anything on TV......when is this coming to Netflix!!  Also super sad it's ending

Awww, Tamsen is one of my favorite names! I first saw it in a book I read in middle school and it really stuck with me.

[TigerLily20]

25 minutes ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Awww, Tamsen is one of my favorite names! I first saw it in a book I read in middle school and it really stuck with me.

Growing up with it I remember I wanted to change my name so bad in middle school (kids suck some days) but as I have gotten older I have come to appreciate it lol.  I was surrounded by Heather's, Sarah's and Kelly's and all I wanted was a "normal" name so I could buy a stupid key chain.

[SomeTameGazelle]

Andrew Phung will star in a new show he co-created,  Run the Burbs.

The character of Shannon will be part of a new series called Strays. 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/kims-convenience-stars-new-cbc-shows-1.5965739

[ElectricBoogaloo]

15 hours ago, TigerLily20 said:

Growing up with it I remember I wanted to change my name so bad in middle school (kids suck some days) but as I have gotten older I have come to appreciate it lol.  I was surrounded by Heather's, Sarah's and Kelly's and all I wanted was a "normal" name so I could buy a stupid key chain.

I totally understand because I didn't have a keychain name either. Despite this, every time I was at a store or somewhere touristy like Disneyland that had keychains or those mini license plates, I ALWAYS looked for my name and was disappointed 100% of the time. I never wanted to be the equivalent of a Jennifer but I wanted a name that was at least on the keychain rack. The last time I was in Las Vegas, I saw a display of keychains with names and I couldn't believe the range of names on there now!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S05.E11: Matchy Matchy

Quote

Umma tries to set Janet up with their new mason; Jung and Appa struggle to cope with a simple, kind gesture; Kimchee and Shannon can't get on the same page for employee evaluations.

Original air date: 3/30/21

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I'm with Shannon on the persimmon pronunciation. I thought it was sweet of her to buy some for Appa after Jung told her his story about eating persimmons with his dad as a kid.

Normally I hate when significant others meddle in parent/child relationships but I somehow like Shannon continuing to nudge Jung toward reconciling with Appa. It's obvious that both of them have softened toward each other and that they're making an effort to be nice to each other, so Shannon sees that there's hope for them to reconcile and improve their relationship. They're both just too proud and stubborn to be honest with each other and just say, "I'm sorry that we had a shitty relationship for years due to my behavior. Let's try to put it behind us and move forward."

I felt for Janet when her mom decided to try to set her up with Vince. As far as Umma is concerned, what's not to like about a nice Korean boy who goes to church and owns his own business?

I like that we're seeing Kimchee continue to learn about what it takes to be a manager as opposed to just another employee. Yes, you get more money and a better title, but you also have to do tough things like tell employees when they're not following the rules, even if you like them. I loved that Shannon made him do a self evaluation in the form of talking with Stacey. I loved that Stacey wanted to stay to hear the rest of it.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Kim's Convenience received 11 Canadian Screen Award nominations!

Best Comedy Series
Best Lead Actor, Comedy - Paul Sun-Hyung Lee
Best Lead Actress, Comedy - Jean Yoon
Best Supporting Actor, Comedy - Andrew Phung
Best Guest Performance, Comedy - Amanda Brugel (Thinkin' About Inkin')
Best Direction, Comedy - Siobhan Devine (Beacon Of Truth)
Best Writing, Comedy - Kurt Smeaton (Knife Strife)
Best Writing, Comedy - Anita Kapila (Which Witch is Which)
Best Photography, Comedy - James Klopko (Couch Surfing)
Best Picture Editing, Comedy - Aren Hansen (Couch Surfing)
Best Achievement in Casting - Deirdre Bowen

[ElectricBoogaloo]

PENULTIMATE EPISODE!

S5.E12: Hugs & Prayers

Quote

Appa and Janet take a first aid course; Umma worries that her prayers may be backfiring; Shannon and Jung are finalists for a reality TV show.

Original air date: 4/6/21

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I was a bit sad watching this episode, only because I knew that the show is over forever after next week.

Poor Kimchee. He clearly wanted to go on the Not Amazing Race with Jung and got shoved aside for Shannon. It can be hard when you are someone's BFF and you start getting replaced by their significant other in the stuff you used to do or planned to do.

As usual, Stacie made the most of her limited screen time. I'd definitely watch a Stacie spin off, even if it were just a web series of Stacie coming home from Handy and telling us what idiotic things her coworkers had done that day.

[statsgirl]

4 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I was a bit sad watching this episode, only because I knew that the show is over forever after next week.

Same here. It was intensified because it seems like they're wrapping things up, call backs to the reality show that Jung and Kim Chee applied to because Shannon was with her boyfriend.

Nice to see Appa called out for the bully that he is, but the scene in bed at the end talking to 'the Jesus' was very sweet.

This show has been an old friend for years. I'm going to miss it when it's gone.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

2 hours ago, statsgirl said:

the scene in bed at the end talking to 'the Jesus' was very sweet.

I agree, and it shows how good Appa and Umma are together. They really get each other and know how to be there for each other, which just made Pastor Nina's efforts to get Appa to try different love languages at the beginning of the episode even funnier because for five seasons we've seen that they already know.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

SERIES FINALE!

S5.E13: Friends and Family

Quote

Jung gives Appa and Umma a business presentation for the store; Shannon and Kimchee's office teasing leads to a meaningful discovery for Kimchee.

Original air date: 4/13/21

[MusubiMyHomie]

On 4/7/2021 at 11:18 PM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Pastor Nina's efforts to get Appa to try different love languages at the beginning of the episode

One of the things I like about that cold open is that it re-establishes that Appa and Umma (or Mrs. Lee and Umma) are clearly speaking to each other all the time in Korean when they're alone together. One thing that I think the show didn't do a good enough job of was making that more clear to the audience.

We see Appa and Umma speak to each other all the time in English to cover up the fact that Paul Sun-Hyung Lee and Jean Yoon aren't fluent in Korean, but it was previously established on the show that they're not speaking in English when they're alone together. I rewatched the Wi-Fi-stealing episode the other day, and during the really funny ending where Pastor Nina watches K-dramas for the first time, Mrs. Lee, Umma, and Appa are all speaking to each other in Korean, which was the show's method of pointing out that Pastor Nina and everyone else hears Korean when Appa and Umma speak to each other alone. I just wish the show had done that more often or had come up with some sort of The Hunt for Red October-style narrative device to say to the audience, "Hey, Kimbits, we switched on the universal translator from Star Trek for this dinner scene between Appa and Umma."

I've been catching up on the final season in the last couple of weeks. Though I'm heartbroken about the premature end of the show, the last few episodes have been enjoyable (especially the one where Stacie crashes Kimchee's high school reunion), and catching up on the final season made me go write a really long blog post about the show's greatness.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I love that the final episode ended with everyone having dinner together. I'm really glad that it didn't end on any kind of cliff hanger. I am going to miss this sweet show.

I'm still annoyed that of all the characters on this show, Shannon is the one who ended up with her own spin off (and I hated how they handled Shannon and Jung breaking up in this episode). No offense to Nicole Power, but Shannon was one of the least interesting characters on the entire show. Of all the non-Kim characters, I'd rather learn about pretty much anyone else (Kimchee, Stacie, Mr. Chin, even Gwen).

[greekmom]

Just finished the finale.  So upset that Jung and Shannon didn't end up together.

Loved how far the Kim family has come from episode 1 season 1 where Jung and Appa couldn't even stand to be in the same room together.

It's like my family is gone. Damn you show. 😢

[LilWharveyGal]

I was hoping for one last scene with Mr. Mehta, but otherwise for being an unplanned series finale that was pretty darn good.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S5 is now available on Netflix!

[mrsbagnet]

I'm halfway through S5. Jung is kind of a crappy boyfriend. He made the lunch with Umma unnecessarily awkward, and that thing with the dinner party was incredibly thoughtless of him.

Edited June 6, 2021 by mrsbagnet

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Last week, Simu Liu finally shared what he'd been hinting at in this Facebook post:

Quote

Season 5 of Kim's Convenience comes out on Netflix today, and I'm feeling a host of emotions right now. It is, of course, our last season, thanks to a decision by our producers not to continue the show after the departure of two showrunners. There's been a lot of talk and speculation about what happened, and I want to do my best to give accurate information, so I'll itemize my thoughts below:

1. The show can't be "saved". It was not "cancelled" in a traditional manner, i.e. by a network after poor ratings. Our producers (who also own the Kim's Convenience IP) are the ones who chose not to continue. Neither CBC nor Netflix own the rights to Kim's Convenience, they merely license it. However, the producers of the show are indeed spinning off a new show from the Shannon character. It's been difficult for me. I love and am proud of Nicole, and I want the show to succeed for her... but I remain resentful of all of the circumstances that led to the one non-Asian character getting her own show. And not that they would ever ask, but I will adamantly refuse to reprise my role in any capacity.

2. I wanted to be a part of the sixth season. I've heard a lot of speculation surrounding myself - specifically, about how getting a Marvel role meant I was suddenly too "Hollywood" for Canadian TV. This could not be further from the truth. I love this show and everything it stood for. I saw firsthand how profoundly it impacted families and brought people together. It's truly SO RARE for a show today to have such an impact on people, and I wanted very badly to make the schedules work.

3. I WAS, however, growing increasingly frustrated with the way my character was being portrayed and, somewhat related, was also increasingly frustrated with the way I was being treated. I think this is a natural part of a collaborative undertaking like making a TV show; everyone is going to have different ideas on where each character ought to go, what stories ought to be told. But it was always my understanding that the lead actors were the stewards of character, and would grow to have more creative insight as the show went on. This was not the case on our show, which was doubly confusing because our producers were overwhelmingly white and we were a cast of Asian Canadians who had a plethora of lived experiences to draw from and offer to writers. But we were often told of the next seasons' plans mere days before we were set to start shooting... there was deliberately not a lot of leeway given to us. Imagine my disappointment year after year knowing that Jung was just stuck at Handy and in absolutely no hurry to improve himself in any way. More importantly, the characters never seemed to grow. I can appreciate that the show is still a hit and is enjoyed by many people... but I remain fixated on the missed opportunities to show Asian characters with real depth and the ability to grow and evolve.

4. We didn't always get along with each other. This part really breaks me because I think we all individually were SO committed to the success of the show and SO aware of how fortunate we all were. We just all had different ideas on how to get there. Speaking for myself personally, I often felt like the odd man out or a problem child. This one is hard because I recognize that a lot of it reflected my own insecurities at the time, but it was buoyed by things that happened in real life; nomination snubs, decreasing screen time, and losing out on opportunities that were given to other cast members. This is a reality of show business, there is only so much to go around. LA became the new territory for me, and I pursued it with so much drive and vigor partially because I knew that I could not rely on Kim's to take my career where it needed to go, nor could the cast be the type of family that I had imagined. I had no mentor during this whole process and nobody from the producing team of the show ever even remotely reached out. So... I probably said and did things that were stupid and not helpful. That being said... I was always so careful in presenting a united front to the press. I think we've all individually done a lot of work over the years and there will always be be a mutual love and respect, as well as a recognition of the bond forged from this totally unique experience of being on a hit show that changed the world.

5) For how successful the show actually became, we were paid an absolute horsepoop rate. The whole process has really opened my eyes to the relationship between those with power and those without. In the beginning, we were no-name actors who had ZERO leverage. So of course we were going to take anything we could. After one season, after the show debuted to sky-high ratings, we received a little bump-up that also extended the duration of our contracts by two years. Compared to shows like Schitt's Creek, who had 'brand-name talent' with American agents, but whose ratings were not as high as ours, we were making NOTHING. Basically we were locked in for the foreseeable future at a super-low rate... an absolute DREAM if you are a producer. But we also never banded together and demanded more - probably because we were told to be grateful to even be there, and because we were so scared to rock the boat. Maybe also because we were too busy infighting to understand that we were deliberately being pitted against each other. Meanwhile, we had to become the de facto mouthpieces for the show (our showrunners were EPICALLY reclusive), working tirelessly to promote it while never truly feeling like we had a seat at its table.

6) Our writer's room lacked both East Asian and female representation, and also lacked a pipeline to introduce diverse talents. Aside from Ins, there were no other Korean voices in the room. And personally I do not think he did enough to be a champion for those voices (including ours). When he left (without so much as a goodbye note to the cast), he left no protege, no padawan learner, no Korean talent that could have replaced him. I tried so hard to be that person; I sent him spec scripts I was working on, early cuts of short films I had produced... I voiced my interest in shadowing a director or writer's room... my prior experience had taught me that if I just put myself out there enough, people would be naturally inclined to help. And boy was I wrong here. I wasn't the only one who tried. Many of us in the cast were trained screenwriters with thoughts and ideas that only grew more seasoned with time. But those doors were never opened to us in any meaningful way.

7) I’m adding this in late BUT I reallly need to mention that our actual day-to-day crew... were PHENOMENAL. You couldn’t ask for a better group of people or a better working environment. From our props to our grips and gaffers to sound and set dec, everyone contributed to a positive work environment.

In the end... I'm so incredibly saddened that we will never get to watch these characters grow. That we will never see Jung and Appa reuniting. That we will never watch the Kim's deal with Umma's MS, or Janet's journey of her own self-discovery. But I am still touched by the volume and the voracity of our fans (Kimbits...still hands-down the best fandom name EVER), and I still believe in what the show once stood for; a shining example of what can happen when the gates come down and minorities are given a chance to shine.

I'll answer some questions if you have them... otherwise, check us out on Netflix!

The Globe and Mail did a story about Simu's post and basically said it was sour grapes. Today Jean Yoon replied to the author of the article on twitter:

 

 

 

[MusubiMyHomie]

I started writing on the first day of AAPI Heritage Month the manuscript for a Kim's Convenience episode guide I plan to self-publish either later this year or next year. When I was a kid, I used to check out and renew at the library the episode guides for Taxi and Leave It to Beaver. Millennials and zoomers have no fucking clue how enjoyable those episode guides were as physical books, and I want to bring that shit back via this book about Kim's.

Simu Liu and Jean Yoon's candor on social media last week and yesterday has been making the writing process for this book very interesting.

[BingeyKohan]

In some ways I am retroactively surprised that they didn’t know this was a series finale - it felt pretty satisfying to me. But from the sound of the BTS discord maybe the writers knew they just didn’t bother telling anyone else. 

[Straycat80]

So sad this was the series finale. I did not know about the issues with the actors. I didn’t like the ending, I wanted a happy one. Jung and Shannon to be together. Jung making up with his Dad. They left us hanging with Janet and her sexuality. 
I’ll miss this show. 

[statsgirl]

It makes me sad that the cast was not really a family but wow dod the show seem like a real mess. Having a good showrunner matters A LOT.

Good for the cast for fighting to keep the show try to Korean values, and doing a good job of promoting it.

I'm with Simu Liu, that from show that was based on the immigrant experience the one character to get a spin-off is the only white character is a real kick in the teeth.

[MusubiMyHomie]

My aforementioned book already has a title I'll reveal here when I'm close to publishing it. But after Jean Yoon's revelation that Kevin White was low-key in complete control of the show in seasons 3 and 4—and was often the source of her (and Simu Liu's) misery—I'm thinking of changing the title to Kevin White Can F**k Himself: A Complete Episode Guide to Kim's Convenience.

[Darian]

I'd really been looking forward to watching the final season when it came out on Netflix, but before I could get to it, I read the words of Simu Liu and Jean Yoon and knew I wouldn't enjoy it as much. Wow, I admire them for speaking out. I love the cast and the characters, so I started. And damn if, right, off something that makes my life harder every single day wasn't played for laughs: abuse of a parking placard. I love being scrutinized and even followed (down the street, through stores) to make sure I am not one of the people who abuse mine (and my paratransportation, etc), sometimes getting yelled at and mocked, and jumping through harder and more hoops to qualify for the already-inadequate accommodations I need because of people who do what Mr. Kim did. 

Blech. I guess I'll finish the season, but I hope the cast and marginalized writers go on to bigger and better things.  

[slowpoked]

I just finished watching S5 on Netflix and it feels bittersweet knowing it was the series finale but without all of the closures you usually get when a series ends. The episode is great for a season finale, but there are a lot of loose ends still - Jung and Appa didn’t get to fully resolve their issues, Umma’s MS, Janet’s sexuality, Shannon’s potential new job, Shannon and Jung breaking up. It seems only Kimchee got his happy ending in the series.

But oh my, reading those posts by Simu and Jean - it’s sad to see all the ugly stuff happening for a relatively wholesome family sitcom. Especially when Simu name-dropped Schitt’s Creek - another favorite of mine - when all the stars of Schitt’s Creek seem to genuinely like and enjoy each other’s company. 
 

But of course, I’m sure that there are some biased slants favoring himself in Simu’s post. As he repeatedly alluded to the cast not really being friendly, a lot of infighting, and them being pitted against each other - I wonder who among the cast has a different perception from him of how the show went and who may be those cast members.
 

As someone mentioned above, maybe to the creators they meant this as the last season but just didn’t inform the cast. Especially if it’s true that the spinoff show for Shannon’s character was already being developed while S5 was still in production. It would explain why there was already an out for Shannon in the last episode, even if theoretically there would have still been a season six, since that was already greenlit. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

13 hours ago, slowpoked said:

Especially if it’s true that the spinoff show for Shannon’s character was already being developed while S5 was still in production.

Per production, Shannon's spinoff has been in the works for over two years. I don't know about the actual timing of the logistics, but I'm guessing that Nicole's contract for Kim's Convenience was for 5 years and they wanted to have her finish that before moving her onto her spinoff.

Simu and other cast members have said that they like Nicole and support her new show. The fact that the only main character who is white/not Asian got a spinoff is what's problematic, not the actress.

[Guest]

10 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Per production, Shannon's spinoff has been in the works for over two years. I don't know about the actual timing of the logistics, but I'm guessing that Nicole's contract for Kim's Convenience was for 5 years and they wanted to have her finish that before moving her onto her spinoff.

On Instagram Andrew Phung has said that Strays was already filming when the decision to cancel Kim’s Convenience was made. That it was planned to air alongside season 6. Putting that together with the cancellation announcement it’s clear CBC intended both shows to air and only canceled Kim’s Convenience when the showrunner decided to leave after season 5 had wrapped. 

My takeaway from the whole thing is that Kevin White didn’t give a shit about the Kim family. He set up Shannon for his new show and bailed without giving the Kim family closure. 

[mrsbagnet]

I love that Stacie got more screentime and story this season. I was stunned when she showed up at Kimchee's reunion. That was gold.

[Eri]

I finished Kim's Convenience last week and I guess that's as satisfying an ending as it could get - was Mr. Kim planning on retiring because of Mrs. Kim's diagnosis or were they just resigned to accept that their kids didn't want to continue the legacy of the store?

Overall I'm glad they were able to keep most of the characters and I'm happy they brought Nayoung back at least one more time because I wanted to know what happened to her. I don't think they knew what to do with some of the characters this season and it shows from some of the wacky storylines (Mrs. Kim, Mr. Kim, Pastor Nina, etc.)

I was a little disappointed to see that the Janet/Gerald cliff hanger remained off the cliff and nothing else came of it.  I was hoping that Gerald would've at least had the courage to break up with Chelsea after their trip. I'm also glad they didn't drag out anymore storyline with Raj, that ship has sailed and Mr. and Mrs. Mehta weren't that interesting anymore - I actually thought they might announce they were divorcing this season lol. Janet is....Janet (annoying and sometimes entitled) but I'm glad she had more direction for what she wanted in life and gained some confidence.

I suspect I'm in the minority when I say I'm glad to see the Jung/Shannon train finally detach and ride off into the sunset. Workplace romances can be cringeworthy and I never liked them as a couple - the power dynamic in their relationship was never going to end well. Plus, I didn't see anything that they had in common except that they were both extroverts who liked to be the center of attention, especially with how much they showed it at the car rental.

While Jung was able to improve himself professionally, he still came off as emotionally immature and unattractive bf material at times. I was hoping that he and Mr. Kim would've resolved some of their issues but they left it in the same place as they did in Season 4. Shannon is the type of boss I could only handle in small doses - I can't stand the type of manager who wants to get into my personal business and who likes to overshare. Kimchee made the work scenes a lot more bearable since he's shown the most growth out of the Handy staff and Stacey was also a bright spot.

I'm also disheartened to see the show end under such bittersweet circumstances because it's the first show I've seen in a long time that proves that a diverse (non-white) cast *can* work with good writing.  

I've no interest in their spin-off as Shannon was one of my least favorite characters.