In a rare move for a broadcast TV sitcom, ABC's Fresh Off the Boat travelled to Taiwan for three days of filming for its third season. The episode, titled Coming From America, sees the Huang family return to their native country for Louis's brother's wedding. The storyline raises an inner conflict common among immigrants, one that has never been explored on television in a meaningful way: the identity crisis that comes with existing in two cultures and never quite fitting into either.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Filmed in Taiwan | Yes |
Location | Taipei |
Filming dates | August 2016 |
Number of filming days | 3 |
Episode title | Coming from America |
Episode number | S3.E1 |
Air date | 11 October 2016 |
Locations used | Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Taipei Songshan Airport, Dihua Street, the Grand Hotel, Confucius Temple |
What You'll Learn
The show filmed in Taipei, Taiwan, for three days
The ABC sitcom Fresh Off the Boat travelled over 6,000 miles to Taipei, Taiwan, for three days of filming. The show's journey to Asia was a rare move for a broadcast TV sitcom, and the first time a network show had gone to the continent.
The episode, titled "Coming From America", sees the Huang family travel to Taiwan for Louis's brother's wedding. The storyline takes place after the season two finale and forms the story arc for the season three premiere.
The episode was shot in various locations across Taipei, including the city's oldest road, Dihua Street, the Grand Hotel, Taipei Songshan Airport, and the Confucius Temple.
The three-day shoot took 80 people, about half of the show's normal team, including 23 people who travelled from Los Angeles, such as the cast and the child actors' guardians. The remaining crew members were locals.
The episode also featured Taiwanese star Ann Hsu, who guest-starred as Margaret, Louis's brother's fiancée.
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The episode was titled 'Coming from America'
In the episode "Coming from America", the Huang family travels to Taiwan to attend the wedding of Louis' brother, Gene. Louis is stunned by Gene's success and the beauty of his fiancée, Margaret, and begins to question his decision to start over in America. Meanwhile, Jessica finds that much has changed from her memories of her home country, but she also admits that she loves her life in America and convinces Louis that he made the right move.
The episode explores the inner conflict common among immigrants, who exist in two cultures and never quite fit into either. It raises questions about identity and the sense of loss and discovery that comes with immigration. Randall Park, who plays Louis Huang, describes this experience as definitively American, as it captures the sense of loss and discovery that everyone goes through at some point in their lineage.
The episode also highlights the cultural divide between the two worlds. For example, a running joke in the episode involves the 1990 movie "Ghost", which is popular in Taiwan but considered passé in the United States. The episode was filmed on location in Taipei, Taiwan, and includes iconic locations such as Taipei Songshan Airport, the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Dihua Street, the Grand Hotel, and the Confucius Temple.
The title "Coming from America" is a reference to the film "Coming to America", highlighting the theme of immigration and cultural identity explored in the episode.
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The episode's storyline centres around a wedding
The episode, titled "Coming From America", is the season three premiere of the show. It was filmed on location in Taipei, Taiwan, marking a rare move for a broadcast TV sitcom. The episode also features a guest appearance by Ann Hsu, one of Taiwan's biggest stars, who plays the role of Margaret, the bride-to-be.
The wedding serves as a platform for the Huang family to reflect on their lives and their reasons for moving to America. It provides an opportunity for them to explore their Taiwanese heritage and navigate the complexities of existing between two different cultures. The episode also includes comedic moments, such as a running joke involving the 1990 movie "Ghost", which highlights the cultural divide between the family members.
Overall, the episode offers a blend of humour and emotional depth, as the characters grapple with their cultural identities and family dynamics against the backdrop of a wedding in their ancestral homeland.
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Ann Hsu, one of Taiwan's biggest stars, guest-starred in the episode
Hsu, whose full name is Tiffany Ann Hsu, or Hsu Wei-ning in Chinese, is a renowned actress and former model in Taiwan. She has won a Golden Bell Award, the Taiwanese equivalent of an Emmy, for her role in The Way We Were. She has also been nominated twice for a Golden Horse Award, Taiwan's version of the Academy Award.
Hsu was cast as Margaret, Gene's fiancée, who marries him in the episode. She was chosen for the role partly because of her fame in Taiwan, and also because of her comedic talent, which the show's executive producer, Melvin Mar, recognised during a Skype call.
Hsu herself was drawn to the role because of her admiration for Ken Jeong, who played Gene. She also saw the role as an opportunity to explore comedy for the first time, a genre she had always wanted to act in.
Hsu's involvement in the show was not without controversy. In 2019, she was dropped from a Chinese drama after it was discovered that she had 'liked' a photo posted by a pro-Taiwanese independence account on Instagram. This caused a backlash from Chinese netizens, who saw it as a declaration of her support for Taiwan's independence. Hsu apologised for her actions and closed her Instagram account, which had 1.4 million followers.
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The episode included a traditional Buddhist-Dao prayer ceremony
The episode of *Fresh Off the Boat* titled "Coming from America" sees the Huang family travel to Taiwan for Louis's brother's wedding. Before filming commenced, the cast and crew participated in a traditional Buddhist-Dao prayer ceremony known as bai bai.
Executive producer Melvin Mar, as head of production, was invited to lead the ceremony. Mar and the company, holding incense sticks, prayed for safety, success, and good weather. They then bowed three times to each of the four corners of the Earth.
The ceremony is performed to pray to all the gods and make them happy so that they will offer protection. A bowl containing the incense sticks is then taken to every filming location.
The prayer ceremony proved effective when, during an outdoor scene, dark clouds appeared but only a light drizzle fell.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the show filmed in Taipei, Taiwan for three days during the production of its third season.
The show's third season sees the Huang family travel to Taiwan for Louis's brother's wedding.
They filmed in Taipei Songshan Airport, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Dihua Street, the Grand Hotel, and the Confucius Temple.
The cast includes Randall Park, Constance Wu, Hudson Yang, Forrest Wheeler, Ian Chen, and Lucille Soong as the Huang family, as well as Chelsey Crisp and Ray Wise as their neighbours.
The show follows the life of a Taiwanese-American family in Florida in the 1990s.