8Asians | An Asian American collaborative blog

Dr. Ken, Season 2, Episode 11: “A Park Family Christmas”
Original airdate December 17, 2016.

Doctor, doctor
Against Ken’s advice, Suzy volunteers the Park home for the annual Welltopia holiday party.  Molly learns that Pat’s bringing the high-school classmate who’s an admissions director at Stanford, so she stresses out about this party being up to Stanford snuff.  Clark has a special gift lined up for his boyfriend Connor.  D. K. and Dave volunteer to be Santa and an elf at the library Christmas event.

Can’t you see I’m burning, burning?
This episode is terrible.  But I love Christmas.  When I was a younger man, I loved Christmas TV episodes, and there’s a Christmas episode of M*A*S*H that’s one of my three favorite episodes of television of all time.  There are times–including times of the year–when you turn a blind eye on someone’s faults and celebrate the good stuff, and Dr. Ken has always been a hundred percent well-intentioned and fair of heart.  I want to hold it to the highest standards because its success should mean something, but heck.  I was the recipient of more than a few charitable grades in my time, and my Asian-ness isn’t even special where I come from.

So thanks to Mrs. Feldman for the B that should have been a C in seventh grade and Mrs. Rediger for coming in on a Saturday so I could turn in my book report on Chaim Potok’s My Name is Asher Lev before your deadline to submit grades in ninth grade.  I’d like you both to know that I’ve extended similar grace to my own students and privately invoked your names each time.

Oh doctor, doctor
There are a few moments that had me laughing aloud even on the third viewing, but there are really only two things that matter here, and the first might not even matter at all in light of the second.  First, this is an episode about goodwill toward humans, and at this time of year (perhaps especially this year), I don’t care how many times I’ve seen it or heard it, and in this case I don’t even care that the message is vocalized by a young boy in a green elf costume channeling Linus Van Pelt, Kermit the Frog, and Mike Brady all at once.

Second, we have a marriage proposal by one gay man to another on a thirty-minute sitcom on Friday night.  I don’t care that it’s done at a party in front of a bunch of people, or that it’s followed by a group rendition of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” around the family piano.  Again, there are times when all you need is to celebrate someone’s heart.

Is this love I’m feeeeeeeliiiiiiing?
No rating this week, because this episode’s intentions go beyond whether or not the show is creative, clever, unique, charming, funny, or whatever.  メリークリスマス。

Dr. Ken, Season 2, Episode 10: “Ken’s Apology”
Original airdate December 10, 2016.

I have done all that I could to see
Ken overlooks something crucial in a patient’s medical history.  He feels terrible about it and wants to apologize to the patient, but Pat informs him very firmly that apologizing means admitting fault, which is against Welltopia’s policies.  If he does so, he will lose his job.  D. K. goes to Dave’s parent-teacher conference.  He accuses the teacher of not challenging Dave enough, and without clearing it with Ken or Allison, applies to have Dave skip a grade.  D. K. also tries to set Molly up with his barber’s son, a boy who’s “Korean and a boy,” and therefore perfect for her.

the evil
I really hate this D. K. story, even though it rings mostly true.  As a career educator, I’ve heard more than my share of stories just like this, and most of it’s pretty believable.  I think I’m just tired of this plot device.  It almost ruined Everybody Loves Raymond, a good show that could have been a lot better with grandparent figures who weren’t so there.  Even the Molly part of this episode isn’t bad, such as it exists.  I think my problem is that D. K. is the least interesting character, yet he’s given far too central a role this season.  I’m tiiiiiiiiiiiiiired of it.

and the good
The Ken story is really well done.  It’s like the writer whose job is to add the wackiness and the writer whose job is to make everything heavy-handed took the week off together.  The seriousness with which Ken, Pat, and Allison treat this mistake is convincing.  Since the three of them aren’t making silly jokes, Damona and Clark, who don’t have a story this week, get to add the comic relief, a dynamic that’s been consistently effective this season.  The resolution at the bowling alley, when the patient offers his hand and Ken instead gives him a hug, is an excellent payoff because it’s so well set up.  It’s sweet, funny, and very serious all at once, nicely dismounting and then sticking the landing in a way Dr. Ken doesn’t often exhibit.

without hiding; you must help me if you can.
Except for D. K., everyone in this episode is great.  Molly and Dave (who has one of the best lines, when he calls Jay “K-Pop”).  Damona, Pat, and Clark.  Allison and Ken.  Don, the patient.  Jay, the Korean boy.    This could have been a top-five episode for this show.  3.5 appointment books out of 5.