It can be difficult to create a family drama that lasts more than a season or two. If you’re too heavy on the drama it can be melancholy and not fun to watch. Conversely, if you try to balance it with comedy it becomes a romp and loses its edge which is part of the formula for success.
With the template of shows like ‘Modern Family’ and ‘black-ish’, ‘Kim’s Convenience’ explores the often tumultuous relationships of a Korean family in Toronto. ‘Mr. and Mrs. Kim’( Paul Sun-Hyung Lee/Jean Yoon) own Kim’s Convenience, the show’s namesake and neighborhood convenience store. The Kim siblings, Jung and Janet, (Simu Liu/Andrea Bang) were born in Canada but ‘Mr. and Mrs. Kim’ are Korean immigrants.
The fact that their first names aren’t used is one of the consistent reminders of the cultural tenor of the show. Listening to the Kim’s accents can be overwhelming and even come across as a tired stereotype but there’s no mistaking who they are and where they are from which is probably the point.
Season after season ‘Kim’s Convenience’ tackles a range of issues. Obviously, discrimination is addressed but also father-son rivalries, gender roles, workplace romance, etc. We experience the full tapestry of interpersonal conflicts in this tight-knit Toronto neighborhood.
It is often reminiscent of the ‘After School Special’ and bereft of profanity and nudity. A show for the entire family. The romantic tension between select characters is playful and respectful.
This is aspirational storytelling that shows us how we should regard our neighbors without insults and victimizations but clever scenarios that flesh out integrity, humility and patience. There’s a naivety to the writing that isn’t boring or predictable but gently takes you by the hand and leads you down a path of interpersonal discovery.
In one particular episode we are introduced to yet another one of the shows eclectic walk-ons who is clearly the embodiment of the reason for ‘Me Too’. It’s not subtle or veiled and probably accurate but definitely a more ludicrous example of how not to act in mixed company.
When the ‘Kims’ go to a church function they encounter a fellow congregant who belittles the women at the church. Unfortunately, ‘Mr. Kim’ laughs along with the man’s improprieties as ‘Mrs. Kim’ looks on with disgust. She later brings it to ‘Mr. Kim’s’ attention and he humbly concedes to his bad behavior. You can almost see the self-development take place within him as the scene comes to an end.
When they are all back at church again, the man picks up where he left off previously but this time ‘Mr.Kim’ rebukes the man, showing the change in the character’s social awareness. This is the kind of literary dexterity we need. Not the socio-political bludgeon we tend to get at primetime but a contrivance carefully crafted to give us a problem to solve together as we navigate gender and race.
As with most successful sitcoms, we are graced with an eclectic cavalcade of walk-ons and supporting cast that round out our experience with the ‘Kims’. There’s ‘Shannon'(Nicole Power), ‘Jung’s’ manager, who crushes on ‘Jung’ in almost every episode. ‘Kimchee'(Andrew Phung), the obligatory best friend. ‘Gerald'(Ben Beauchemin), ‘Janet’s’ roommate, who provides Eurocentric oblivion to all things ethnic. Then there are characters like ‘Mr. Mehta'(Sugith Varughese), an Indian version of ‘Mr. Kim’ and ‘Pastor Nina'(Amanda Brugel), the church pastor who shows up with an innocence that feels like icing on an already delicious cake.
Most of the show exposes us to a culture not many of us, especially Black folks, have ever experienced. However, it succeeds in finding common ground in the most relatable experiences like going to work or church and being inundated with vibrant personalities. In the landscape of comedy that feels less and less comedic, ‘Kim’s Convenience’ will have you in tears or it may just make you cry.
