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March 28, 2024, 07:16:02 PM

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Awkwafina is Nora from Queens

Started by steveh, October 03, 2020, 12:21:33 PM

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steveh

So this is the Awkwafina sitcom in which she plays a 27-year-old slacker living with her widower dad and grandmother as a fictionalised version of herself in an story influenced by her real-life upbringing. It aired earlier in the year on Comedy Central in the US - who maybe saw it as helping to fill the hole left by Broad City - while BBC 3 bought it in the UK.

Reviews seem to have been rather middling, mostly accusing it of being too light on plot and not making enough of her talents. While I thought it was still finding its way, as first series often do, it managed consistently good gags pretty-much throughout the series. Only the final episode where she goes to Beijing to be the American face of a company doesn't really work and has too obvious a story. The now obligatory 'stand-out episode', covering her grandma's first love and how she came to the US and with Kim's Convenience's Simu Liu, is nicely done and not too jarringly different in tone. Lori Tan Chinn as her grandma is rather a scene stealer but they mostly eschew the obvious opinionated older character cliches.

Anyway, I liked it and will be interesting to see how it develops - it's already been renewed for a second series.

sevendaughters

I made it through 15 minutes of one episode before switching off having not laughed once, or been drawn in by the scenario. I was going to make this thread about a week ago but couldn't really even think of a hook other than "this is a bad show, do not watch". I also hated the title of the show and not just because Awkwafina is a terrible rap name.

In some respects it reminded me of Dave in that the central figure is a rapper of some kind in a joke free existence populated by broad stereotypes.

Sebastian Cobb

I've been meaning to give this a go. I liked her in The Farewell and didn't realise she was reasonably established until I saw the credits and the mononym.

steveh

Series 2 is on iPlayer.

Bit scattershot but I like it trying different things even if some are more successful than others. The time travel episode I think I enjoyed most, the final two where she ends up at a kind of cult group in the woods were a bit obvious and low on laughs.

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

Oh excellent. I watched the first series quite recently and really enjoyed it. Grandma tends to steal the whole show. I must admit, I had assumed from her stage name that Awkwafina would be kind of insufferable, but I've seen a few things she's done now and I think she's rather brilliant. Her impersonating Danny DeVito was easily the highlight of that Jumanji film she was in.

EggsLikeABird

The whole cast is incredibly likeable. Awkwafina is fantastic in it, even if I find both seasons quality drips late on. Hope there's more of them.

Sebastian Cobb

I like it.

Kind of weird seeing BD Wong play a fun character after watching him in Mr Robot.