This weekly column will review the pilot episodes of television shows, both successful and cancelled. In this inaugural column of “I’ll Be Your Pilot Today,” I will review the pilot for “Fresh Off the Boat,” the ABC comedy about the ups and downs of an Asian- American family in Orlando, FL in 1995.
“Fresh Off the Boat” is a valiant effort, given ABC’s agenda to set a new norm with minority representation on television. The show piggybacks off the success of “Black-ish,” ABC’s take on the modern African-American experience. ABC’s trend of redefining society on television all began nine years ago with “Modern Family,” a show featuring both a gay couple and an age-difference couple.
In the pilot, Eddie Huang and his family move from Washington, D.C. to Orlando due to his father’s recent business venture. Eddie, the sole Asian-American in his all- white class, finds it difficult at first to integrate with his classmates while his family begins to assimilate at various degrees. The episode is spiked with quips about Chinese cooking, academic focus, and the mispronunciation of names.
Newcomer Hudson Yang leads the cast as the protagonist and show creator, Eddie Huang. Huang is a 12-year-old product of rap and Lunchables. His idols are Notorious B.I.G. and Nas. Yet, his fading tiger mom’s brown paper bag Lo Mein tethers him back to the traditionalism of family. Constance Wu plays matriarch Jessica with frigid realism, ordering her children to do extra homework when she believes they are not being challenged enough in school.
But it is Randall Park who ties the cast together as the father. Park, who gained notoriety as Governor Danny Chung in Veep, plays Louis Huang with jovial abandon. He is a child and America is his candy store. As the new owner of a Texas- style steakhouse hoping to woo all his white customers, Park brings enthusiasm and a new meaning to achieving the American Dream. Expect most of the show’s humor to stem from Park’s camera time.
“Fresh Off the Boat” is a brave concept. It isn’t afraid to play into the stereotype. Both Park and Wu speak with accents on the show that they do not normally use in real life. This is a show that I believe has immense potential to normalize a non-white family in a leading role. As the pilot develops, however, the Huang’s journey begins to resemble every other American’s experience. The belief is no longer immigrant family versus the world, but rather entrepreneurial spirit in the modern age. Our empathy is not with the Huang’s racial background, but with the success of Louis’ steakhouse. This show serves as a forewarning for the type of comedy we can expect in the coming years–the new normal is on its way.
Gilboard is a member of the class of 2015.
