While most of today’s streaming service chatter surrounds the release of Disney+ UK, we can’t forget our former friend Netflix, who on Friday released the fourth season of Kim’s Convenience. If you're drawing a blank on the Canadian born sitcom, then you're likely in the majority since it only became available for all us Brits when it hit Netflix in 2018- and yet it still today goes largely unknown.
The fifty-two episodes currently available follow Korean-Canadian family the Kim’s, who run a Convenience store in Toronto. The family-friendly series follows Mr and Mrs Kim, who have worked hard to provide a good life for their two grown-up children, Janet and Jung, as they now attempt to navigate adulthood.
Through the parents, we explore the trials and tribulations of raising children, and the difficulties of letting go and navigating marriage
What may be the biggest draw of the comedy is the dynamics between the characters, and while inherently heart-warming, and most defiantly a feel-good watch, it also manages to showcase the difficulties of being a family. after said ‘growing up’ is considered done. And for the so-called ‘children’ we take a look at the anxiety of twenty-something life when nothing makes sense and yet we’re forced to act as if everything does. To understand Kim’s Convenience, you don’t really need to know much more than that, but it’s vital to start at episode one, since the storylines follow through to the current season.
While I have already discussed the TV show's amazing family dynamic it’s also of value to mention the importance of culture to its premise. Being that the main cast is entirely Korean, part of the family’s story arc centres around their differences from Canadian culture. While this can be exceptionally hilarious at times, it also presents us with the innate racist and stereotypical representations many individuals may still inwardly have. While the show may drop in some plots about the difficult topic, it does so in a way that’s both entertaining and educational. The sitcom also features a diverse group of individuals from various cultures as part of its recurring cast, and while this should not warrant recognition, in comparison to many other TV representations with a lack of diversity, it sadly does.
Overall, while Kim’s Convenience may be the easiest watch of your week, it sure packs a punch. Why not, instead of bingeing Brooklyn Nine-Nine for the hundredth time, you turn to something different. The Kim’s are just as quirky and hilarious, if not more real and flawed, than your usual TV characters, and are somehow just as easy to fall in love.
Kim’s Convenience season four is now on Netflix, and if you do find yourself bingeing on some gold ole’ family TV then you’ll be pleased to know that as of March 31st this year the Kim’s will be returning to your screens with new content for two more seasons.
