Fresh Off the Boat was one of the best sitcoms to come out of ABC—a perfectly relatable show for all immigrants. The show revolves around a Taiwanese family that used to live in Chinatown in Washington, D.C., but moved to Orlando, Florida, to start a new life after Louis Huang (Randall Park of the Interview Fame) started a Western-themed steakhouse called the Cattleman’s Ranch.
Now, Eddie Huang (Hudson Yang), who is a rap fanatic, has to establish himself in his new school and is on a journey of self-discovery as he tries to readjust after his whole life has been uprooted from D.C. The story progresses around Eddie’s family, involving two nerdy siblings and a grandma who loves Garfield.
The Hollywood legend Constance Wu delivered a brilliant performance as the family’s mom and wife of Louis, Jessica Huang, who went on to become an iconic character. The show is just perfect for people whose lives revolve around moving from place to place as they grow up, trying to adjust to new customs and traditions.
The show ran for six seasons and finally came to a conclusion in 2020. Due to the touch of reality in the story, the series was an instant hit among viewers and would soon go on to become a comfort show like any popular sitcom would. Today, we will be looking at a list of scenes or instances that we miss a lot, which could be the start of a new binging session.
13. Sibling dynamics between the Huang brothers
Even though the series is an adaptation of Eddie Huang’s books under the same name, it does not mean anyone else was not prioritized. His brothers, Emery and Evan Huang, played by Forrest Wheeler and Ian Chen, were as much the main characters as their elder brother.
The two younger brothers were just 11 and 12 years old when the show aired, and it was adorable to watch them. Evan, with his cute big eyes, had his oldest trick in the book to make sure nobody ever said no to any of his requests, and Emery, with his sweet and charming personality, was fitting just right in after the move to Orlando.
The two younger brothers had a lot more in common: trying to top each other in academics, love for reading, and being the most disciplined in the house, unlike Eddie, who was a little more on the chill side with his lazy tactics and hip-hop influence. Despite their differences, the three had moments together that would define what siblings are meant to be.
From looking out for each other at school, backing each other when things got scary at home, coming together to cheer if even one of them was feeling low, and pulling each other’s legs, the show captures sibling relationships perfectly.
12. Living the American Dream
The series perfectly captures the American Dream: doing anything and everything to be rich and live a successful life. Imagine being an Asian family coming to the swamps of Florida and starting a Western-themed restaurant. Well, that’s exactly what happens in the show, and Louis does not shy away from showing this side of himself in the restaurant, too, as he hires a Mexican to cook an all-Western steak.
That man is on a mission to be number one in Florida, and as the show progresses, he and his wife, Jessica, show that with hard work, it’s possible to reach your dreams no matter how absurd it sounds. Now, I don’t want to turn this fun little piece into a life lesson, but I do miss the momentary motivation that I get from the show.
11. A friend group that reminds you of your school friends
After Eddie joins his new school, he struggles to find new friends. For a long time, he eats lunch with the janitor, who flies kites during his break. But as the series progresses and Eddie applies what he learned from the songs he listens to, he cracks ways to meet new people.
By the second season, we get to see a lot more of school through Eddie, mainly due to his circle expanding. By the end of the second season, he has the perfect crew to chill and hang out with, much like any other friendship. The boys are often seen together planning during school lunches, where something funny always happens. Even after school, they hang together to play basketball or listen to music.
When summer vacation rolls in, they go to each other’s houses for sleepovers and talk about nostalgic video games that sometimes unlock a memory for the ’90s kids when watching the show. Eddie even had his first sip of beer with the boys, which led to him getting his first case of Asian flush. The boys were a goated example of a friend group, and like all crews, they had friction among them, but it always worked out in the end.
10. Louis Huang’s Halloween Shenanigans
Lou was one of the best dads in the sitcom world, maybe even right next to Phil from Modern Family. He was a hard worker who always tried new ways to make the restaurant more successful. But as hard as he worked, he played harder. When it was time to kick back and relax or throw a fun evening, my man, Mr. Huang, did it better than anyone else.
One of his favorite things to do was celebrate the spooky night of Halloween. Both Jessica and Louis have their favorite holidays, but we will come to that later. Louis used to go all out on October 31. He would be seen buying candies in bulk, home decor, real massive and scary pumpkins, and costumes for everybody. Each year, the Halloween episode was something that viewers looked forward to. Sure, one can say they are taking the same concept as Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Halloween episodes.
To which I say—why not? The creators do a brilliant job of giving the viewers an absolutely hilarious episode around the holiday, and we even get to see the siblings in some of the best costumes.
9. Jessica’s over-the-top Christmas
Now that we have talked about Louis’s favorite holiday let’s shed some light on Jessica’s favorite holiday season—Christmas. The time to be jolly and sip hot chocolate, but it’s not just all that. Christmas at the Huangs goes a little crazy.
Jessica’s obsession with making everything perfect just doesn’t die. She has a whole schedule and list of traditions that the family follows every year, and if just one thing goes wrong, that’s all it takes for the family to never hear the end of it. From the Christmas gifts to home decor, everything had to be followed in a certain way. Her obsession with Christmas and power grew so much that she even introduced her own Asian version of Santa Claus, known as “Lao Ban Santa,” which translates to Boss Santa.
The obsession did not seem healthy, but it gave viewers some of the best episodes of the season. It was the perfect episode to watch when it’s cold outside—you can just curl up into a woolen ball and devour all the Christmas episodes while sipping hot chocolate.
8. Eddie and Nicole
What started out as a crush for Eddie turned out to be his best friend for life. It might seem like he got friend-zoned; however, their story will make it seem like it turned out for the best.
It all started when Eddie first moved into the suburban neighborhood in Orlando, struggling to adjust to all the new things happening around him. But he started to get fond of the place because of one person—Nicole, his neighbor Marvin’s (Ray Wise) daughter, and Honey’s (Chelsey Crisp) stepdaughter.
Throughout the initial seasons, he hits on Nicole. He even lets her pierce his ears (the things that we do for love), but it never molds into a relationship. After Nicole gets her first car for not failing school again, Marvin buys her a cool car called the Saturn, which becomes the two best friends’ safe space to talk about things with the idea of “what happens in Saturn stays in Saturn.” Their friendship was one of the best in the series, and it’s in that car that Nicole reveals that she is a lesbian, and Eddie becomes the first to know about it.
So, while things between the two did not work out as Eddie had imagined, he now had someone with whom he could talk about anything without worrying about judgment.
7. 90s Hip-Hop Theme is Heavy
Hip-hop was heavily influential during the 90s, from music legends like Tupac and Biggie to classic gang rap makers like Ruthless Records, the group behind N.W.A. All are mentioned in the series. Eddie, who is an immigrant and does not have any friends, relies a lot on hip-hop to dictate his lifestyle.
He was a huge fan of Notorious B.I.G., and during the show, Biggie’s songs could be repeatedly heard throughout. The songs were a navigation tool for Eddie on how to deal with things, and this was relatable for a lot of youngsters. The show did not just show its love for the rap scene—when Biggie died, a whole episode was dedicated to that news, with Eddie sulking all over the place upon hearing it and making conspiracy theories around it.
The series did not just show these artists as entertainers but also highlighted how listeners and viewers considered them to be something more. The show captured that moment perfectly.
6. The Theme Song
One of the most important elements of any TV series is the theme song. It becomes the first thing to hit you after a cold opening, and if the makers get it right, it will play in people’s heads even after the episode is done. So, did Fresh Off the Boat do it right?
Well, absolutely. The show had one of the best theme songs I have heard in a long time. The song was performed by rapper Danny Brown, and this came as a surprise to me, as I had been watching the show for way longer than I had discovered the rapper. So, finally finding out that I had been a fan of his work way before I even knew who he was was a whole new level of crazy.
But enough about my experiences. One of the reasons the show will continue to stay relevant is Brown’s songs—the hard-hitting beats and the baby voice singing. And when he hits the “Huang time, baby!” I’m sure it sets the mood for the show. All of this is done in under 15 seconds.
More than just an intro, the theme song became an unmistakable part of the show’s identity. You knew you were in for a good time when it kicked in. It perfectly set the energy, made you nod along to the beat, and got you in the zone for another hilarious episode.
5. Eddie and His Girlfriend Alison
After Eddie knew that things were not going to work out with Nicole, he had his fair share of the sad boy phase, but it did not keep him down. He soon accepted the situation and was back doing his thing. However, after Nicole’s rejection, he was not looking for anyone to date. Then, while passing through the corridor of his school, the classic beat from Dr. Dre’s song Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang hit his ears.
When he looked into the music room, he noticed a girl named Alison playing the melodies of the song on a piccolo. He instantly fell in love with her and started dating her a few episodes down the line. According to Eddie, she was the only girl who understood him and spoke fluent “Eddie,” which was just a clever way to say, “She gets me.“
The two gave some of the best moments of the series. With Alison’s chill vibes and a new, nervous Eddie constantly trying to impress her, it was something fresh and quite entertaining for viewers.
4. The Constant Banter Between Jessica and Louis Huang
It is said that opposites attract, and to prove this theory, we don’t have to look any further than Eddie’s parents, Jessica and Louis. Both are played by well-known Hollywood celebrities, and their characters are the polar opposites of each other.
Jessica leans more toward being a tough parent who is super focused on what the family needs to achieve after moving to Orlando. She is constantly planning their kids’ and restaurant’s future and does not believe in vacations. Louis, on the other hand, is more on the chill side. He likes to take vacations, spend a little money, and let the kids do their own thing, and he doesn’t like micromanaging his restaurant.
One of the best things about the show is the difference of opinion they have on every decision they make. It makes for very entertaining episodes for viewers. Over the years, it seems like they have come to understand that they are both good at certain things, so they should just focus on those. But that still doesn’t take away the small banters we continued to get through the seasons. Be it game nights where both of them suck at playing charades or deciding who will be a better coach, they contrast each other in a unique way.
3. The Best Friends Who Are Also Neighbors
After moving to Orlando, Louis was busy building his restaurant, and the kids were busy with school. Jessica, left all alone at home, often found herself bored. She tried building a relationship with the Homeowners Association (HOA) ladies, but they didn’t seem too interested, and Jessica always felt out of place with them.
But all of this changed after she met her neighbor Honey, a young, independent woman with high energy and a bubbly personality. She was the first person Jessica connected with. Over the years, their friendship grew to be one of the strongest in the series. They both liked reading Stephen King novels, watching horror films, and shopping together.
Their friendship even rubbed off on their husbands, as Louis became best friends with Honey’s husband, Marvin, a dentist.
2. The HOA Meetings
The HOA meetings were not just about community rules. Whenever a meeting took place, it was guaranteed to be filled with people throwing shade at each other and a cute little Evan handing out appropriate punishments for those who broke the rules.
There was always something happening in society, and before anyone could take any action, it had to be presented at the meetings. It was during these meetings that you could see Evan with a huge clipboard and a hammer to represent the power he held. Despite his age, he had the whole thing under control, and it was fun to watch those who had previously run it go silent at little Huang’s command.
It made for some fun scenes and was a part of the show from start to finish.
1. The Constant Cameos
It is clear that the show was heavily influenced by rap and pop culture, but you wouldn’t believe how many cameos were made by popular celebrities and athletes. If there are two things Eddie is obsessed with, they are rap and basketball, and the show made sure to give us that.
There is a scene in the series where Louis and Jessica buy a car from a dealership called Shaquille O’Neal Motors, and by now, you might have guessed who owns it—that’s right—Shaquille O’Neal himself. It doesn’t stop there. When Eddie looks for a part-time job to buy his girlfriend Alison a gift, he unknowingly takes a job as a caretaker for a mansion owned by the famous rapper DMX.
And that’s not all. The show is filled with multiple cameos, from Billie Jean King becoming Emery’s professional tennis coach, Nancy Kreiger playing herself at a book signing, and the legendary Michael Bolton partnering with Louis Huang to run a restaurant. The series is filled with stunning cameo roles that any pop culture fan would love.
While these star cameos were interesting to see in the show, the real stars will always be the actors who played the Huang family, creator Nahnatchka Khan, and the real-life Eddie Huang for his book, giving us a story that many will love and cherish for years.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
