Oh boy! An adaptation of a book I read for my book club has come my way! If you’re unfamiliar with movie script formatting, this book may pose a challenge; however, the television show is here! Interior Chinatown follows the story of background character Willis Wu (Jimmy O. Wang), who exists in a TV cop show and dreams of becoming a lead character. Like new detective on the force Lana Lee (Chloe Bennett).
I loved how the book turned stereotypical norms upside down, as does the series. Funny, sweet, and ardently soulful, this series gives “main character” vibes to Willis, a guy just asking to be seen.
There’s so much fun packed into this storyline, from the faux-serious clichéd back-and-forth between Detective Sarah Green (Lisa Gilroy) and Detective Miles Turner (Sullivan Jones) to Willis’ mom, Lily (Diana Lin), and her attempt to make a go of it as a real estate agent, only to discover how racist and lame the game she’s playing can be. There are nuggets of verboten truth all over this piece. Laid out, it may seem elusive, but I promise the characters are there and they’re well worth the watch. (10 34- to 47-min. episodes)
—Glen Starkey
This article appears in Dec 12-22, 2024.