FROM left: Forrest Wheeler, Hudson Yang, Constance Wu, Randall Park, Ian Chen
The sitcom “Fresh Off the Boat” (Fox, Wednesdays, 8 p.m.), about a family of Asian immigrants acclimating to semiriotous life in mid-1990s Florida, returns with a more focused second season.
Author Eddie Huang, whose book inspired the creation of the show, previously distanced himself from the project, but is credited as a producer for this season.
There’s less focus on young protagonist Eddie (Hudson Yang), whose perspective initially drove most of the main stories; instead, more time is given to parents Louis and Jessica (Randall Park and Constance Wu), who introduce lessons learned from their “previous” culture while adapting, rather awkwardly, to life in the United States.
Louis is still laid-back but respectful of tradition, while Jessica further proves herself the quintessential “tiger mom”—she’s often domineering, has incomparable business acumen, and is still difficult to please.
Former Chinatown residents of Washington, the couple raised three kids there, until Louis decided to open a cowboy-themed restaurant in Orlando, Florida. His enterprise is now thriving, and Jessica has become a real estate agent.
Following in her business-savvy footsteps are the couple’s other kids, Emery (Forrest Wheeler) and Evan (Ian Chen). Unlike Eddie, who has started to embrace a hip-hop-inspired lifestyle, the two kids are unapologetic overachievers, which inspire giggle-worthy scenarios.
Once controversial for supposedly perpetuating stereotypes, the show often presents exaggerated Asian representations, but addresses the issue in an episode where Louis repeatedly appears as a guest on a news program.
His onscreen comedic antics were criticized, so he became stiff and brooding for another appearance—but ultimately, Louis declares that he can’t be everything to everyone.
Overpowering, perplexing Jessica—portrayed with admirable consistency by Wu—resoundingly figures into almost every arc.
In one episode, she’s secretly disappointed that Emery is interested in becoming a flight attendant, so imagine her relief when the boy shows a natural gift for tennis—and is trained by real-life star athlete Billie Jean King herself!
But despite pursuing her own interests, Jessica sometimes compromisingly bends for the benefit of her family.
The show still has a stable cultural wellspring, so stories involving superstitions and Chinese traditions are nicely utilized, if repetitively.
But the light laughs—and the occasional, inevitable groans—are mostly inspired by the savage tiger mom, whose “old” disciplines often clash with the American way.