8Asians | An Asian American collaborative blog

Dr. Ken, Season 2, Episode 13: “Jae Meets the Parks”
Original airdate January 13, 2017.

Let him soothe your soul; just take his hand.

Molly introduces Jae to her family, and everything’s great until Jae says he’s dropped out of UCLA to pursue his art.  This makes Allison uncomfortable and sets Ken completely off.  Ken forbids Molly from seeing Jae.  Molly stops talking to Ken.  Damona learns that Pat has lied to her about being required to wear scrubs at Welltopia.  In an act of defiance, she dresses up for work but gets locked in the stairwell.  Pat is putting on a few pounds and orders a reluctant Clark to become his food police.

Some people call him an evil man.

Only two things this week really bug me.  The first several minutes of the show look like they’re about to get out of hand with all the Parks overacting and overreacting, and when Ken and Molly have their fight, it’s begins as just the worst version of this fight we’ve seen in a hundred sitcoms.  Also, guys know when other guys shouldn’t be trusted, and Jae is sneaky untrustworthy.  I mean, not in a way that puts Molly in any danger, but in that way where he’s going to make a bad decision somewhere and Molly’s going to be the collateral damage.  It’s that lotus flower, I tell you, and “sweets for my sweet.”  Gag me with a rice paddle.

Let him introduce himself real good.

The episode gives every indication that it’s going to be like its recent siblings, but somewhere in that diagreement between Ken and Allison, while Molly is walking Jae to his car, it shifts into super believable, drawing on decisions made by actors and writers a year ago.  There’s some depth here, some realization of characters who aren’t as shallow as they frequently want us to believe.  Comic relief from Clark, Pat, and Damona is better than usual as well, especially from Clark, and even D. K. is pretty much right on.  “Korean Footloose” is funny too, a nice little treat for us Gen Xers in the audience.

He’s the one they call Dr. Feelgood.

Last week’s episode was terrible.  This week’s isn’t great, but it’s solid and respectable, not to mention pretty funny.  What is it about fighting that brings out the best in these actors and characters?  3.5 ID badges out of 5.

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。