FRESH OFF THE BOAT: SUCCESS PERM (TV)
Summary
One in this comedy series, inspired by the memoir by chef Eddie Huang, about a Taiwanese immigrant family and their attempts to build a "perfect" American life in 1990s Florida.
In this episode, the Huangs anxiously prepare for a visit from Jessica's hyper-competitive and judgmental relatives: her mother, her sister Connie and her brother-in-law Steve. Desperate to hide their money troubles and the restaurant's rocky start, Jessica and Louis spruce up the house and get "success perms," seen as a cultural symbol of affluence. The Chens arrive in two separate cars, including Steve's "new" Miata; the one-upmanship gets off to a tense start as a similarly permed Steve brags about his business and his "Internet computer" and Connie informs Jessica that she is no longer the favorite, as she "abandoned" their mother to move to Florida. Eddie is distressed to learn that cool cousin Justin, who introduced him to rap, has now moved on to the moody world of grunge music. The two grandmothers unexpectedly bond over their interest in the ongoing O.J. Simpson murder trial.
Jessica and Connie decide to vie for their mother's affection by playing on her great love of bargains; when Steve asks to visit Cattleman's Ranch, Louis frantically calls Mitch and asks him to stuff the restaurant and make it appear full, though he is able to find only a small handful of ringers. Frustrated with maintaining the lies, the Huangs finally admit that their business is struggling, though Louis is amused to learn that Steve's Miata, which briefly goes missing along with Emery and Evan, is not only secondhand but in imminent danger of repossession. He agrees to keep his former boss' secret, and the sisters tacitly admit their affection for one another as the Chens depart. Eddie, disillusioned with Justin's cool factor, decides to pass on his love of rap to his little brothers. Jessica and Louis decide that, despite their fibs, they "won" the competition thanks to their strong marriage. Includes commercials and promos.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: November 30, 1999 8:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:29:54
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 122246
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; Families; Chinese Americans; Immigrants; Asian American Pacific Islanders Collection
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 2015-2020
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - "The DUFF" motion picture
- TV - Commercials - Aflac insurance
- TV - Commercials - Aveeno Positively Radiant skin cream
- TV - Commercials - CoverGirl Ultra Smooth foundation
- TV - Commercials - Dove Dry Spray deodorant
- TV - Commercials - Eos lip balm
- TV - Commercials - Hershey's Kisses candies
- TV - Commercials - Kohl's stores
- TV - Commercials - Metro PCS cellular services
- TV - Commercials - Nabisco Wheat Thins crackers
- TV - Commercials - Nexium heartburn medication
- TV - Commercials - Nutro Natural Choice dog food
- TV - Commercials - Oscar Mayer Carving Board lunch meats
- TV - Commercials - Purina Beneful Health Smile dog treats
- TV - Commercials - Silk almond milk
- TV - Commercials - Sprint wireless networks
- TV - Commercials - T-Mobile wireless networks
- TV - Promos - "Marvel’s Agent Carter"
- TV - Promos - "Modern Family"
- TV - Promos - "Repeat After Me"
- TV - Promos - "Secrets and Lies"
- TV - Promos - "The Goldbergs"
- TV - Promos - "The Oscars"
CREDITS
- Nahnatchka Khan … Executive Producer, Created by
- Melvin Mar … Executive Producer
- Jake Kasdan … Executive Producer
- Kourtney Kang … Co-Executive Producer
- Matt Kuhn … Supervising Producer
- Keith Heisler … Supervising Producer
- Eddie Huang … Producer, Inspired by the book by, Narrator
- Justin McEwen … Producer
- Rich Blomquist … Producer, Writer
- Megan Mascena … Co-Producer
- Kyle Weber … Associate Producer
- Dana Klein … Consulting Producer
- Sanjay Shah … Consulting Producer
- Gail Mancuso … Director
- Craig Wedren … Music by
- Danny Brown … Theme Music by
- Randall Park … Cast, Louis Huang
- Constance Wu … Cast, Jessica Huang
- Hudson Yang … Cast, Eddie Huang
- Forrest Wheeler … Cast, Emery Huang
- Ian Chen … Cast, Evan Huang
- Paul Scheer … Cast, Mitch
- Lucille Soong … Cast, Grandma Huang
- Jillian Armenante … Cast, Nancy
- C.S. Lee … Cast, Steve Chen
- Susan Park … Cast, Connie Chen
- Noel G. … Cast, Hector
- Lance Lim … Cast, Justin Chen
- Alex Quijano … Cast, Officer Bryson
- Justin Dray … Cast, Fritz
- Kate Huffman … Cast, Charlene
- Elizabeth Ann Roberts … Cast, Gwendolyn
- Shu Lan Tuan … Cast, Grandma Chen
- Matthew Jones … Cast, Repo Man