48/27
Early in the series, Willis (Jimmy O
Line of Events
Willis Wu, a background actor in a procedural police series called Black and White. Pushed into the background, Willis goes through the motions of his on-screen work, waiting tables and dreaming of a world beyond Chinatown. When he accidentally witnesses a crime, Willis begins to unravel a web of crime in Chinatown and in the process discovers what… Read all. Yang), Fatty (Ronnie Chieng), and Carl (Chow Long) see Detective Lana Lee (Chloe Bennett) on TV and discuss her possible ethnicity: Carl says, “She looks Thai,” while Fatty argues, “Dude, she’s obviously Korean. Know your Asians.” In fact, Bennett is the child of a white mother and a Chinese father.
“Interior Chinatown” is different
Early in her acting career, she changed her last name from Wang to Bennett (her father’s first name) after facing casting agents who said they couldn’t cast her as an Asian or Asian-American character, but her name precluded her from considering white characters as well… Within one episode, I usually know if I’m going to stick with the series. After watching two episodes, the jury is still out. So what is this show about? The themes (so far) seem to be: what happens when we are personally defeated, how we can offer support to others, and how we discover the meaning and potential of our lives. This highly stylized show is a mix of fantasy, satirical comics, and sleek Hollywood sets.
The combination will work for some viewers
For others, it will be sensory overload. Does this show overdo it in trying to impress and seduce the viewer? You decide. First, some positives: excellent set design and lighting. The quirky, effective music sets the tone. Overall, the cast is decent, but some characterization falls flat, which is largely down to the direction.
it takes too long
My favorite characters are Jimmy O. Yang as Willis (the central role), his friend Fatty (Ronnie Chieng), and Jimmy’s father (Qi Ma). One big downside for me: the writing is uneven. There are some really funny moments, but some scenes go overboard with the physical banter. One example is when Willis tries to break into a building… A few small elements are off-putting: The amount of stuff crammed into some Chinese characters’ dark homes is absurd.
Give me a break!
So they look like treasure hunters just because they live in an old, cramped building in a run-down part of town? Next: The lead detective’s (played by Lisa Gilroy) lavish makeup is too perfectly applied, playing into the stereotype of normally attractive women in detective series. Hulu’s streaming offerings this month have a lot to offer – look forward to brand new series premieres and favorite movies to watch at home.