Interior Chinatown: Kung Fu Guy Show Only

November 26, 2024 8:28 AM - Season 1, Episode 4

Willis and Lana get closer. Willis uncovers family secrets. Fatty finds a new role at the restaurant.

Willis and Lana sit down and watch the files, presented as film clips, and learn that older brother was the "kung fu guy" for former cops McDonough and Carrey. Lily gets hired by realtor Betty Chan who comments how her husband Joe is always reflecting on his past. Fatty learns that he has become a viral sensation for his rude service, which his boss Uncle Wong fully supports, much to his chagrin. While Lana is away, Willis begins to dig further into the files and learns that older brother was the leader of the Painted Faces, a criminal gang. When Willis sees footage of older brother killing McDonough, he deletes all the footage. He tells Fatty to tell Uncle Wong that he quits, leaving him dejected. Suddenly, Willis realizes where older brother made his call and follows a hidden tunnel that leads him into the office of the Golden Palace.

posted by mcstayinskool (7 comments total)

This is a great show and I'm a little surprised it doesn't have a full-season post (since it was dropped all at once), but even more surprised that this is the first comment in any of these threads after the first. MetaFilter should be all over this show!

I just finished the show tonight. Most of what I'd want to discuss is general and thematic, but some of it would probably hint strongly toward plot developments beyond episode 4, so I'll refrain for now unless a proper discussion page presents itself.

Instead I'll just say that I'm still unsure about whether the show operates as broad, magical-realist allegory or as tight, Christopher Nolan–style systemic storytelling. With the latter, you can generally expect that the show is dropping “hints” to you in the form of in-universe cues, screen effects, and such; and the explanation you get at the end will probably sew things up quite neatly. With the former, you have more freedom to indulge in flights of fancy without those flights necessarily establishing rules for how the universe works.

For this reason, I tend to find the loose allegory style more frustrating; you end up not knowing which contradictions are important and which ones aren't.. But Nolan style is a tough needle to thread for a TV writer; if people know to look out for it, you could end up telegraphing all your major revelations.
posted by savetheclocktower at 1:01 AM on November 29 [2 favorites]

Ronny Chieng is screamingly funny in this whole damn show!
posted by sixswitch at 5:56 AM on November 29 [2 favorites]

He is. And it was great they gave Carl some real moments, too.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 7:17 PM on December 1

This show 100% sucked me in. Perhaps there should be a full season post? Since all the episodes are already out, it lends itself to the binge and talk about it all at once model.
posted by Atreides at 7:47 AM on December 2 [1 favorite]

This is a great show and I'm a little surprised it doesn't have a full-season post (since it was dropped all at once)

That's my fault-- these are my first FanFare FPPs and I wasn't sure which way to go with it. In hindsight a full season post would have been the way to go, but that ship has flown.

I'll try to get the remaining episode posts up soon, but trying not to spoil it for myself as I am not all the way through yet.
posted by mcstayinskool at 1:39 PM on December 2 [1 favorite]

I’m so glad you posted these! Thank you :)
posted by sixswitch at 7:53 PM on December 2 [1 favorite]

I think Ronny Chieng is my favourite part of the show (I’m enjoying the rest though too). He is hilarious! And a really good friend to Willis.

I like placing the other actors before looking them up on IMDb—Uncle Wong was Archie on CSI; Lily was in The Farewell; Betty Chan is Lauren Tom.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 12:15 AM on December 14