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SHOW:
Kim's Convenience S3
WHERE TO WATCH:
OUR RATING:
4/5 Stars
WHAT IT'S ABOUT:
While running a convenience store in Toronto, members of a Korean-Canadian family deal with customers, each other and the evolving world around them.
WHAT WE THOUGHT:
Kim’s Convenience was my absolute favourite show last year. The delightful Canadian series about Korean immigrants and all their family dramas could easily have hit a lull in its third season, but it’s still pretty solid.
While the series still focuses on the cultural differences and difficulties immigrants face when coming to Western countries, like learning English, season 3 mostly explores everyday situations that are all too familiar.
Jung finds himself back at Handy Car Hire after his new job does not work out. But his best friend Kimchee has moved into his Assistant Manager job. Jung has to navigate the awkward situation of being a grunt worker again when he was in a previous position of power. There is a lot of clashing with Kimchee this season, but their friendship is strong enough to handle it. Jung is also dealing with his feelings for Shannon who is still in a relationship with Alejandro who is most certainly cheating on her.
Speaking of love troubles, Janet finds herself being hired as the photographer for her ex-boyfriend Raj’s wedding. The awkward situation is made worse when Raj declares his love for Janet, but she refuses his advances. Janet is also dealing with annoying roommate situations, how she reconciles being religious and a feminist and of course, clashing with her parents.
Umma and Appa are also up to all sorts of shenanigans this season. One of the most important episodes is when Appa confronts a misogynist friend of his at a church bazaar. It’s often the older generation who have deeply ingrained prejudices so when Appa reflects on his own, it shows that an old dog can indeed learn new tricks.
In another episode, they hire a Muslim immigrant to clean their house and believe that she is spreading gossip about them. Through a series of silly misunderstandings, the whole thing is sorted out even though the Kims are embarrassed about their assumptions in the end. It’s a comment on how many people view the people they’ve employed to clean their houses in this day and age.
Kim’s Convenience season 3 is a beautiful and charming addition to the series. It’s heart-warming and hilarious, and I see a lot of my parents and community in Umma and Appa. It’s extremely relatable not only as a minority but also someone living in the 21st century. When Appa tries to hijack the next door gym’s WiFi without actually joining the gym is one of my favourite episodes this season.
It is one of the best comedies on TV at the moment, and there is just something so special and refreshing about seeing people of colour getting their time to shine.
WATCH A PROMO HERE:
