Thursday, June 15, 2023

American Born Chinese, “Rockstar Status”, Review!

“Rockstar Status”, the third ep of American Born Chinese gets Jin closer to joining the quest for the Fourth Scroll! Re:cap - “A Monkey on a Quest” - Coach Garrett had Jin fixing up the workout room without supervision. Wei-Chun tried to give Jin the monkey robot with something added, but ends up destroying the entire equipment room! Jin sees the coach who has found out from the insurance company that the fire extinguisher was improperly placed. So new equipment room will be built and Jin is now on the soccer team! Suzy Nakamura feels betrayed at Jin’s lunchroom announcement saying Greg Wallace’s bullying was just a joke. She leaves asking him why he would want to be a “regular guy.” Be unique. Not easy as a teenager. Wei-Chun entered the dark lunchroom now lit by the stained glass window with the cranes. The janitor has made a mess of the leftovers. He knows the janitor is Pigsy, Zhu Bajie, who says he needs a lesson! Pigsy wields his rake while Wei-Chun uses food as a distraction! Jin sees the monkey robot in his backpack. 

The fight moves to the prep room, Jin hears the noise, he walks in. Jin is knocked down when Pigsy runs into him. Wei-Chun defeats Pigsy and says he will return when he finishes his quest. “Rockstar Status” begins at the All You Can Eat Lucky Buffet, Guan Yi is now in a sweater with baseball cap, she asks a cricket if he is hungry. This is of course Monkey King who transforms into a human with a jacket and half-beard. Guan Yi smiles, but Sun Wukong can’t believe he has to serve himself. He is a bit somber being a father. They sit at a booth with a crane glass panel. She is watching Wei-chun and Monkey King says he was on a “sacred mission” unlike his son. He gives Wei-chun one week and leaves. Guan Yi goes for second, funny! It is misty in Jin’s hallway. He is in the dark and sees the monkey robot spinning. Then, Wei-chun appears Kaiju size, smiling, and reaches for Jin. He is wakened by his alarm clock! 


At school is the pep rally in the gym with the Crane mascot, Coach Garrett introducing his soccer team, and Jin runs out with the others. His teammate says that they have rockstar status getting likes on his phone. Jin sees Amelia cheering in the stands. Then, he see Wei-chun also cheering and thinks back to the kitchen battle. Jin is staring at the kitchen blinds. Wei-chun checks up on him and admits that the battle was real. Also that his father is the Monkey King and tells Jin about his dream of the Fourth Scroll. The secret is out! Then, he shows Jin the crane window. Wei-Chun insists that Jin go to his house to meet his guardian. Trevor calls over Jin who agrees to go to Wei-Chun’s house at five p.m. Trevor invites Jin to hang out with the team. At the Alternative Herbalist Medicine Center, Christine is getting acupuncture from the owner, Ni Yang (Lisa Lu). She is asked how long she has been married, eighteen years, and Ni Yang says she needs a double session, funny!


She later meets with Melly (Jessica Ma) working at the counter. Melly says that she is helping her grandmother close the shop! So Christine buys a case of herbs. Then, Melly gives Christine a sample of her music, “Sucks for Grandma”, too funny! Jin goes to Travis’ party and gives a kinda apology for attacking him over the bullying video. He also sees Sydney at the party. On tv, is the sitcom  character, Freddy Wong, working out with an iron. His boss, Danny, says he is taking “pumping iron” literally. A planter falls on his head. Watching the tv, Wei-chun doesn’t laugh, Guan Yi is busy assembling an Ikea-like table. He is worried that Jin is late. Jin is meanwhile busy at the party, stuffing in hot dogs in a contest, his name shouted by the others. He finishes at five hot dogs and then meets with Amelia. She congradulates him for making the team and then gives him a vague warning. At a church, the ladies are talking about their sons, Christine notes she has a case of herbs to help one of them with her arthritis. Jin is called over by Travis to his teammates sitting on the couch. They ask him questions until Travis gets to his crush. Jin looks over to Amelia and Travis laughs.


Jin checks his cell phone and sees that he is almost an hour late to meet with Wei-chun. Guan Yi has completed the coffee table! Wei-chun can only stare out the window. He can’t call Jin? She says if he believes in Jin that he can find him and bring him to see her. Guan Yi looks up to the sky with the portal still turning in the clouds. Jin is about to leave when Travis announces that they will have the Chump Run for the four new team members. They have to do whatever Travis and the others text to them in three hours. If they fail, they have to wear jock straps on the outside and the winner gets the Golden Cleats? The questions were all a set up! The door mysteriously opens at Wei-chun’s house. Guan Yi turns to see the dark figure of Niu Mowang, (Leonard Wu), the Bull Demon! He of course is searching for the Iron Staff. She turns a mirror for him to see, but Niu Mowang refuses to see his reflection. So begins the fight, I love a fight outside of the school!, but of course Michelle Yeoh is a master! The American Born Chinese episodes have great comedy, teen characters dealing with the usual fitting in, and the mythical story that is behind it all! 


Five Monkey Robots out of Five! 


#AmericanBornChinese, #BenWang, #JimmyLiu, #SydneyTaylor, #MichelleYeoh, #DanielWu, #KeHuyQuan, #LarryBates, #LisaLu, #JessicaMa, #JoshDuvendeck, #LeonardWu    



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