Good Little Asian

Last updated
"Good Little Asian"
The Sympathizer episode
Episode no.Episode 2
Directed by Park Chan-wook
Written by
Produced by
  • Jes Anderson
  • Inman Young
  • Ted Pacult
  • Kris Baucom
Cinematography byJi-Yong Kim
Editing byVikash Patel
Original release dateApril 21, 2024 (2024-04-21)
Running time60 minutes
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Death Wish"		Next →
"Love It or Leave It"

"Good Little Asian" is the second episode of the American historical black comedy drama miniseries The Sympathizer , based on the novel of the same name by Viet Thanh Nguyen. The episode was written by series creators Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar and Naomi Iizuka, and directed by Park. It originally aired on HBO on April 21, 2024, and was also available on Max on the same day.

Contents

The series is based on the story of the Captain, a North Vietnam plant in the South Vietnam army. He is forced to flee to the United States with his general near the end of the Vietnam War. While living within a community of South Vietnamese refugees, he continues to secretly spy on the community and report back to the Viet Cong, struggling between his original loyalties and his new life. In the episode, the Captain and Bon start their life in America, while the Captain continues spying and sending messages to Man.

According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.147 million household viewers and gained a 0.02 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received positive reviews from critics, who praised Park's directing, performances and writing.

Plot

At the North Vietnam re-education camp, the Captain (Hoa Xuande) is brought before a superior officer to continue his confession.

At the airfield, the Captain and Bon (Fred Nguyen Khan) run towards the plane, carrying the bodies of Bon's wife and baby. Despite the weight, they manage to get on the plane and leave Saigon. After fleeing Vietnam, the Captain, Bon and the refugees stay at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, with the Captain sending letters to Man (Duy Nguyễn), who now lives in Hanoi. Amidst poor conditions, the General (Toan Le) fails to calm the refugees, and is often humiliated for his failure in maintaining peace. The Captain and Bon are allowed to leave the camp for Los Angeles when they receive sponsorship from Professor Hammer (Robert Downey Jr.), an Orientalist grad school professor. The Captain is taken aback by Hammer's behavior, but becomes infatuated with his secretary, Sofia Mori (Sandra Oh), soon developing a sexual relationship with her.

Sometime later, the General finally moves to Los Angeles with his wife and daughter, settling at a poorly dilapidated house. To build trust with the South Vietnamese community, he decides to open a liquor store. The General shares his concerns with the Captain that there might be a mole in his squad, alarming the Captain. The Captain meets up with the General and Claude (Downey Jr.), and both laugh over a rumor that the Captain might be the mole. When questioned over why he did not get the General out earlier, Claude tells the Captain that he wanted him to take a liking to America and be grateful for his new life opportunity. The Captain also struggles in living with Bon, who is angry that he is having sex in their apartment in front of his family's photographs. The Captain shares his suspicion that he should give Major Oahn out as the mole, and Bon offers to help him.

Production

Development

The episode was written by series creators Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar and Naomi Iizuka, and directed by Park. It was Park's second writing credit, McKellar's second writing credit, Iizuka's first writing credit, and Park's second directing credit. [1]

Writing

Hoa Xuande said that the episode wanted to explore the ignorance of America during the Vietnam War, particularly over "sides within that conflict." He said that the interview scene "is very telling of how the narrative of the Vietnam War has been very one-sided, very Western-centric for such a long time." [2]

Filming

Despite not having enough time to prepare, Sandra Oh and Hoa Xuande didn't struggle in building chemistry for their characters' sexual relationship. Oh explained, "For me as an actor, chemistry is about being able to listen. You're able to listen, you're able to follow and you know how to play tennis. You know how to dance. Hoa is in, I think, every single scene of the show so he didn't have any time to kind of hang out. So it was just about being an open and willing fellow actor to really listen and be willing to dance." [2]

Reception

Viewers

The episode was watched by 0.147 million viewers, earning a 0.02 in the 18-49 rating demographics on the Nielson ratings scale. This means that 0.02 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode. [3] This was a 28% decrease in viewership from the previous episode, which was watched by 0.206 million viewers with a 0.04 in the 18-49 demographic. [4]

Critical reviews

"Good Little Asian" received positive reviews from critics. Tom Philip of The A.V. Club gave the episode a "B" grade and wrote, "The first episode of The Sympathizer felt, in many ways like a prologue. That's doubled down in episode two, where the plot starts growing tendrils that won't bloom for another few weeks and our major players are brought more firmly into focus. I said the series premiere had an air of “previously on” about it, and while the pacing of the scenes in episode two remains rapid, “Good Little Asian” lays down the groundwork for the next few hours of storytelling." [5]

Terry Nguyen of Vulture gave the episode a 4 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "The second episode swiftly departs from the mood of heightened melodrama that colored the last climactic scene. It is better paced and more tonally consistent than the premiere, with just the right amount of explanatory voiceover." [6]

Fletcher Peters of The Daily Beast wrote, "The Sympathizer has touched down in America. Following the end of last week's premiere episode, Captain is now Stateside, having barely made it onto the airplane out of Vietnam as Saigon fell." [7] Josh Rosenberg of Esquire wrote, "It's a decent save until the General orders him to kill the presumably innocent Major. Kill a guy for handing out candy? Maybe it’s time for the Captain to figure out how to transition out of the spy game." [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nguyễn dynasty</span> Imperial dynasty in Vietnam, 1802–1945

The Nguyễn dynasty was the last Vietnamese dynasty, which was preceded by the Nguyễn lords and ruled the unified Vietnamese state independently from 1802 to 1883 before being a French protectorate. During its existence, the empire expanded into modern-day southern Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos through a continuation of the centuries-long Nam tiến and Siamese–Vietnamese wars. With the French conquest of Vietnam, the Nguyễn dynasty was forced to give up sovereignty over parts of southern Vietnam to France in 1862 and 1874, and after 1883 the Nguyễn dynasty only nominally ruled the French protectorates of Annam as well as Tonkin. They later cancelled treaties with France and were the Empire of Vietnam for a short time until 25 August 1945.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hòa Hảo</span> Buddhist sect founded in 1939

Hòa Hảo is a Vietnamese new religious movement. It is described either as a syncretistic folk religion or as a sect of Buddhism. It was founded in 1939 by Huỳnh Phú Sổ (1920–1947), who is regarded as a saint by its devotees. It is one of the major religions of Vietnam with between one million and eight million adherents, mostly in the Mekong Delta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quảng Nam province</span> Province of Vietnam

Quảng Nam is a coastal province located in the northernmost coastal region of South Central and Central Vietnam. Quang Nam is located in the key economic region of the Central region. In 1997, the province was re-established on the basis of separating Quang Nam - Da Nang province into two administrative units, Quang Nam province and Da Nang city. Currently, the province has two cities: Tam Ky city and Hoi An city. Quang Nam province is home to the most world cultural heritages in the country with two world cultural heritages recognized by UNESCO: Hoi An ancient town and My Son temple relic area. Hoi An and the Cham Islands are part of UNESCO Biosphere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vietnamese Australians</span> Ethnic group

Vietnamese Australians are Australians of Vietnamese descent. Vietnamese Australians are one of the largest groups within the global Vietnamese diaspora.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nguyễn Trãi</span> Vietnamese scholar and poet (1380–1442)

Nguyễn Trãi (阮廌), pen name Ức Trai (抑齋); (1380–1442) was an illustrious Vietnamese Confucian scholar, a noted poet, a skilled politician and a master strategist. He was at times attributed with being capable of almost miraculous or mythical deeds in his designated capacity as a principal advisor of Lê Lợi, who fought against the Ming dynasty. He is credited with writing the important political statements of Lê Lợi and inspiring the Vietnamese populace to support open rebellion against the Ming dynasty rulers. He is also the author of "Great Proclamation upon the Pacification of the Wu".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nguyễn Quang Hải (footballer, born 1985)</span> Vietnamese footballer

Nguyễn Quang Hải is a former Vietnamese footballer. He was a member of the Vietnam national football team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nguyễn Trọng Hoàng</span> Vietnamese footballer

Nguyễn Trọng Hoàng is a Vietnamese professional footballer who plays as a right winger or a right back for V.League 1 club Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh. He is a former player for the Vietnam national team and the fourth most capped player of their history. He is widely considered by the Vietnamese press as one of the most talented players of his generation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nguyễn Tuấn Anh</span> Vietnamese footballer

Nguyễn Tuấn Anh is a Vietnamese professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Thep Xanh Nam Dinh, on loan from LPBank HAGL, and the Vietnam national team.

<i>The Sympathizer</i> 2015 novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen

The Sympathizer is the 2015 debut novel by Vietnamese-American professor and writer Viet Thanh Nguyen. It is a best-selling novel, and recipient of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. The novel received generally positive acclaim from critics. It was named on more than 30 best book of the year lists and a New York Times Editor's Choice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Viet Thanh Nguyen</span> Vietnamese-American writer

Viet Thanh Nguyen is a Vietnamese-American professor and novelist. He is the Aerol Arnold Chair of English and Professor of English and American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California.

The Sympathizer is a historical black comedy drama miniseries based on the 2015 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Viet Thanh Nguyen. The series was created by co-showrunners Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar, with Park directing for the series as well. The series premiered on HBO on April 14, 2024, and is produced by A24 and Rhombus Media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">French conquest of Vietnam</span> 1858–1885 French conquest of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia

The French conquest of Vietnam1 (1858–1885) was a series of military expeditions that pitted the Second French Empire, later the French Third Republic, against the Vietnamese empire of Đại Nam in the mid-late 19th century. Its end and results were victories for the French as they defeated the Vietnamese and their Chinese allies in 1885, the incorporation of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, and finally established French rules over constituent territories of French Indochina over Mainland Southeast Asia in 1887.

Hoa Xuan Nguyen, known professionally as Hoa Xuande, is an Australian actor of Vietnamese descent. He is best known for his role as Lin in the 2021 live action remake of Cowboy Bebop. He was also in the SBS series Hungry Ghosts and the ABC comedy series Ronny Chieng: International Student. In 2022, Xuande was announced as the lead in the 2024 HBO/A24 television series The Sympathizer.

"Death Wish" is the first episode of the American historical black comedy drama miniseries The Sympathizer, based on the novel of the same name by Viet Thanh Nguyen. The episode was written by series creators Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar, and directed by Park. It originally aired on HBO on April 14, 2024, and was also available on Max on the same day.

"Love It or Leave It" is the third episode of the American historical black comedy drama miniseries The Sympathizer, based on the novel of the same name by Viet Thanh Nguyen. The episode was written by series creators Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar and co-executive producer Mark Richard, and directed by Park. It originally aired on HBO on April 28, 2024, and was also available on Max on the same day.

"Give Us Some Good Lines" is the fourth episode of the American historical black comedy drama miniseries The Sympathizer, based on the novel of the same name by Viet Thanh Nguyen. The episode was written by series creators Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar, and directed by Fernando Meirelles. It originally aired on HBO on May 5, 2024, and was also available on Max on the same day.

"All for One" is the fifth episode of the American historical black comedy drama miniseries The Sympathizer, based on the novel of the same name by Viet Thanh Nguyen. The episode was written by series creators Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar and co-producer Maegan Houang, and directed by Marc Munden. It originally aired on HBO on May 12, 2024, and was also available on Max on the same day.

"The Oriental Mode of Destruction" is the sixth episode of the American historical black comedy drama miniseries The Sympathizer, based on the novel of the same name by Viet Thanh Nguyen. The episode was written by series creators Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar and Anchuli Felicia King, and directed by Marc Munden. It originally aired on HBO on May 19, 2024, and was also available on Max on the same day.

"Endings Are Hard, Aren't They?" is the seventh and final episode of the American historical black comedy drama miniseries The Sympathizer, based on the novel of the same name by Viet Thanh Nguyen. The episode was written by series creators Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar, and directed by Marc Munden. It originally aired on HBO on May 26, 2024, and was also available on Max on the same day.

References

  1. ↑ "The Sympathizer - WGA Directory". Writers Guild of America West . Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  2. 1 2 Menon, Radhika (April 21, 2024). "Sandra Oh and Hoa Xuande Recall the Thoughtful Speech She Gave on the Sympathizer Set". Elle . Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  3. ↑ "The Sympathizer: Season One Ratings". TV Series Finale. April 24, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  4. ↑ Pucci, Douglas (April 16, 2024). "Sunday Ratings: Billy Joel's 100th MSG Concert on CBS Tops in Latter Three Half-Hours of Prime Time - Programming Insider" . Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  5. ↑ Philip, Tom (April 21, 2024). "The Sympathizer recap: The twisted morality of war". The A.V. Club . Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  6. ↑ Nguyen, Terry (April 21, 2024). "The Sympathizer Recap: American Nightmare". Vulture . Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  7. ↑ Peters, Fletcher (April 21, 2024). "'The Sympathizer' Has a Raw Squid Fetish and Is Proud of It". The Daily Beast . Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  8. ↑ Rosenberg, Josh (April 21, 2024). "The Sympathizer Episode 2 Recap". Esquire . Retrieved April 22, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.