Back in a February post, I highlighted some streaming favorites. Granted, late September in Middle Tennessee offers much nicer weather than does late February, so it’s not like I am in couch potato mode. Yet, there is still the matter of the pandemic with its limits on public forms of entertainment. So, I figure I should provide an update.
Kim’s Convenience
This little gem of a sitcom made its way from Canada to the US via Netflix. There are currently four seasons available with two more in the works. The storyline centers on the Korean-Canadian Kim family, immigrants Umma and Appa (the Korean terms for mother and father) and their two young adult children Jung and Janet.
Mr. and Mrs. Kim own and operate a lively convenience store in an urban Toronto neighborhood. While aspiring photographer Janet works part time at the family business, Jung finds himself estranged from his father because of his juvenile delinquent past. Jung has–however–started to establish himself as an up-and-coming manager at a rental car agency.
Both Jung and Janet navigate the complexities of contemporary romance and coming into the responsibilities of adulthood. Their parents face the transition to empty nester status and also the shifting vibe of their neighborhood in the face of gentrification. Along the way, they find deep connections through their close-knit church and community.
There is so much to love about this quirky, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, often heartwarming show. There are plot points centered on awkward social situations akin to Seinfeld. There is also tremendous warmth and sensitivity about cross-cultural friendship.
I am now reaching the end of season two, and so far, I appreciate the fact that relationship issues evolve organically. Conflict resolutions don’t follow simple formulas. We get to know the characters as real people who are on their own journeys.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Okay, I was definitely late to the party on this one. The police comedy starring Saturday Night Live alum Andy Samberg and created by Dan Goor and Michael Schur has aired for seven seasons. It began life on Fox and then shifted to NBC, though I only started watching it as an offering on Hulu.
I have always found Samberg quite funny and talented, but for several years when I would see this show advertised, it seemed like familiar territory on the surface. Yes, it does have the standard divide between by-the-book authority figures and a rebel protagonist (Samberg’s lovable bad-boy role of Detective Jake Peralta). However, there is surprising depth and nuance among the hijinks.
The precinct falls under the command of the always somber Captain Raymond Holt, played by veteran actor Andre Braugher. Holt is gay and comfortable in his identity, but he embodies the sort of rigid boundaries that keep him from interjecting his personal life into the office and vice versa.
The ensemble of characters incorporates matters of gender, race, and ethnicity. Yet, the writers manage to transcend stereotypes and expectations. We get acquainted with the everyday oddities and absurdities that make a diverse workplace interesting.
A Few Especially Interesting Documentaries
These aren’t multi-episode series selections, but I have to put in a plug for three Netflix documentaries worth checking out. First is Becoming, a behind the scenes glimpse into former First Lady Michelle Obama’s book tour that also includes surprisingly candid conversations about her life in and out of the White House. Even if you have read the book or think you know the whole story, hearing the unguarded tone seems novel.
Second is Crip Camp: A Revolution (produced by the Obamas interestingly enough), which details the history of a ground-breaking summer camp for disabled teens and young adults during the early 1970s. The camp raised eyebrows by offering radical self-empowerment rather than paternalistic charity. In the years that followed, camp attendees channeled their experience into political activism. I found the archival footage to be heartfelt and inspiring.
Third is A Secret Love, which recounts the lives of a longtime lesbian couple who began their partnership in the 1940s and shared their lives for many decades, as shame and secrecy gave way to visibility and freedom. The film also documents the special struggles faced by LGBT senior citizens, even in the era of same-sex marriage.
Happy Streaming!
Coloring Outside the Lines 