01x07 - Beyond Repair

Episode transcripts for the TV show, "American Born Chinese". Aired: May 24, 2023.*
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It follows tenth-grader Jin Wang, who is struggling to fit in with his peers.
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01x07 - Beyond Repair

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[in English] Wow.

Jamie? [chuckles]

Oh, my God, Robin!

Oh, God, look at you, baby. Oh!

-You haven't aged a day.
-Look at me? Look at you!

Oh, God, please.
It's just Spanx and lipstick.

[both laugh]

Can you believe all this?

Look at that.
They even got that nasty old rug right.

[laughs] Do you remember how many times
Scotty's dog peed on that rug?

[chuckles]
I think Scotty peed on it a few times.

[Robin chuckles]

It feels like another lifetime, huh?

[host]
And now, please welcome to the stage,

America's favorite neighbor, Jamie Yao!

[audience applauding, cheering]

There he is. Looking sharp.

They love ya. Soak it up.

-[Jamie sighs]
-[actor chuckles]

-[host] It's great to see you, Jamie.
-Good to be here.

But, I have to say, you look different.
Are you forgetting something?

N-No. I d-- I don't think so.

-[both laugh]
-[host] Does that jog your memory? Huh?

Look familiar?

-[actor] You gotta put it on.
-[host] Come on. Put it on.

-[audience member] Yeah! Put it on!
-[host laughs] Yeah.

-[audience member] Yeah!
-[host laughs]

[cheering]

So, Jamie, years ago, you introduced us

to one of the most iconic characters
in television history.

[audience applauding, cheering]

Thank you. Thank you. That's very kind.

And now, there's rumors
that he may be coming back.

Thanks, in part,
to your newfound popularity online.

I have to admit, I'm not on social media.

Well, I am, and you are one of the top
trending memes of the year.

Oh. Is that a good thing?

-[laughter]
-[host, chuckling] Is that--

Here, you can see for yourself.
Let's take a look!

[instrumental music playing]

-[whistle tones]
-[crash]

-[audience gasps]
-What could go Wong?

[laughing]

What could go Wong?

[all laughing]

-[all gasp]
-What could go Wong?

[laughing]

What could go Wong?

[cheering]

[host] Classic stuff, right? Come on.
Good stuff.

Tell us, Jamie, what was it like

playing such an unforgettable role
for so many years?

Okay, dude, I'm just gonna ask.
Who was that guy?

He's the one attempting the uprising.

My father's enemy. The Bull Demon.

That's his name? The Bull Demon?

Yeah, and now he has the Iron Staff.
He's more dangerous than ever.

I can't believe this whole thing's
over my parents' pendant.

That's what he wants
in return for my father,

but if I give it to him, then it's over.
Heaven will lose the w*r.

Yeah, but…

it's your dad.

We need to see Guanyin.
She'll know what to do next.

[Jin] Okay.

We're walking?

Okay, we're walking.

[groaning]

[panting]

[in Mandarin] I bet that's pretty painful.

That glass shard was forged in Diyu,
the underworld.

The longer it remains in you,
the more it pulls your soul apart.

[in English]
I thought you wanted an uprising.

[panting]

Not just--
Not just to settle some old score.

Hey, why not both? [chuckles]

You have the staff. Isn't that enough?

[panting]

[whispering] Oh, it's enough. You'll see.

One more day.

Mowang, don't do this.
This isn't who you are.

[grunting, panting]

You don't get to tell me who I am.

You have no idea who I am.

[grunting]

[screaming]

[panting]

-[door slams]
-[dead bolt turns]

[teakettle whistles]

[door opens]

Guanyin-pusa. [pants]

Guanyin-pusa, something happened.

Aren't you going to introduce me
to your friend?

Oh, sorry. This is Jin.

Uh, hi. I'm Jin.

It's nice to finally meet you.

-Would you like some tea?
-Uh, no, thanks.

I meant, I would love some tea.
Thank you very much.

Okay, continue.

So, we were with some friends
when Ji Gong and Niu Mowang att*cked.

My father appears and there is a fight.
Niu Mowang stabbed him and took him.

He said I have only one day
to bring him the Fourth Scroll.

So, where's the pendant? We need it.

I'm afraid that won't help you either.

It turns out
the pendant is not the Fourth Scroll.

But the prophecy, though.

The stones.

But that's all they were. Stones.

W-- But-- But the bad guys
don't know that, right?

So we can still use it
to get your dad back.

-We just do the abracadabra thing again.
-Yeah!

Unfortunately,
I no longer have the pendant.

Where is it?

A dog ate it.

-What?
-[chuckles] It was a weird day.

Then we must call for help.

[in Mandarin] Pigsy, Sandy and Nezha.

[in English] Wei-Chen,
they are needed in Heaven

to protect the Jade Emperor
from the allies of Niu Mowang.

We have to do something.
You said you would support me.

And I have.

I supported your quest
to follow your dreams.

I never promised
that they would come true.

Not all dreams do.

[sighs]

It's time for us to go home.

And, Jin,

you should go home too.

Wait, but, uh, what about his dad

and all the stuff that's going on
up in Heaven?

You've got to let me help.
Please, I want to help.

No, Jin.

She's right.

It's too dangerous.

Thank you.

You were a good guide.

No, I wasn't.

I didn't guide you to anything.

Sorry, Wei-Chen.

Hey.

Here.

Don't forget your birthday gift.

Thanks, Wei-Chen.

-[dead bolt turns]
-[door opens]

[grunting, breathing heavily]

[spits]

[Sun Wukong] Mowang may be lost forever,

but you aren't.

Help me escape and I'll bring you back.

[scoffs]

-[door slams]
-[dead bolt turns]

[crickets chirping]

Wei-Chen, are you ready?

I'm staying.

With or without the Fourth Scroll,
I will rescue my father.

[chuckles]

You remind me so much of him.

So sure of yourself.

But confidence can be
a dangerous thing too.

Guanyin-pusa, I believe in my dream.

I believe the answer will reveal itself
when I need it.

If you choose this path,

you do it alone.

Do you think anyone in heaven
would want that coffee table?

[scoffs] Don't answer that. [sighs]

-[typing]
-[song playing on radio, in Mandarin]

-[Mrs. Wang] Jin-ah.
-Mmm?

Daddy's gonna pick you up
from school today.

-Okay, why?
-I'm going to visit Elaine Ayí.

-Auntie Elaine in Sacramento?
-Mmm.

-For how long?
-Couple days.

Okay. Is she, like, sick or something?

No, nothing like that. She's fine.

I left some fried rice and vegetables
in the fridge.

-Heat it up if you get hungry, huh?
-Yeah, got it.

-And don't forget. Trash, Monday.
-Mmm.

I thought you said you were only gonna be
gone for a couple of days.

-Mom, what's going on?
-Hmm?

[song continues]

I just need some time, that's all.

-Are you and Dad splitting up?
-Aiya.

[scoffs]
Don't make such a fuss before school.

It's not good for you, huh?

Jin, guess what?
Brendan got food poisoning last night.

-Well, is he okay?
-He'll be fine. It's just toilet stuff.

The point is he's out a few days,
so you're starting at midfield tomorrow.

Tomorrow?

Osito Valley?
Our biggest game of the season?

Right! Right. Yeah.

I gotta say,
I thought you'd be more excited.

Yeah, sorry, yes, sir. I am.
I haven't gotten very much sleep lately.

Me neither. This is a big one.

Get your head right, Wang.
I need you ready.

-Oh, hey!
-Hey!

Everyone's still talking about your party.
Maybe we could make it a regular thing.

-My birthday?
-[chuckles] No, bowling.

-Oh, right.
-[chuckling] Are you okay?

Yeah, sorry.
Or-- Uh-- [chuckles] I don't know, maybe.

Hey, seriously, is everything okay?

It's just, my parents are--

[laughs] Sorry. Um…

-My parents, this morning--
-[drumming]

[mascot]
Let's go! Osito Valley's going down!

Whoo!

My mom was--
She was giving me a ride to school

and we were talking and--
she's trying to start a new business--

but she was talking about…

-[mascot] Up top! Whoo! That's the spirit.
-My mom is-- Like, she's trying to--

-Dude, watch it!
-[mascot] Oh, sorry, bud. High five.

-Boop. [laughs]
-Dude!

-Jin!
-[mascot] Dude, what's your deal?

[Kinney] Hey! Hey!

[stammers] God, what the heck?

-[mascot groans]
-Watch that. Are you okay? Are you okay?

[mascot] Yeah.

My office. Now.

-Okay. Up we go.
-[mascot groaning]

[bell rings]

[students chattering]

[student] All right.

[cell phone buzzing]

Hey.

-[Anuj] Hey. Have you seen it yet?
-Seen what?

You're-- You're on TV.
I just sent it to you. Click the link.

[instrumental music playing]

What could go Wong?

What could go Wong?

[audience laughing, cheering]

-[audience applauds]
-[host] Tell us, Jamie, what was it like

playing such an unforgettable role
for so many years?

You know, uh, in those days,

people who look like me
weren't on television.

So I'm very grateful for the opportunity.
I still am.

I mean, Freddy Wong bought me a duplex.

[all laugh]

You became a landlord? That's ironic.

Is that why you walked away from acting?

I actually bought it for my parents.

But I didn't walk away from acting.
I just walked away from Hollywood.

Interesting. And why's that?

Well, after the show ended,

I thought, you know, a lot
of opportunities would have opened up,

just like the way it did
for a lot of people.

Yeah. The industry can be hard
on everyone. [chuckles]

Sweetie, I think he was talking about us.

No, no. [chuckles] It's not just you.

It's the whole system.

The only parts that I got offered
were nerds and neighbors.

[chuckles] And, sometimes, ninjas.

[audience laughs]

And what kinds of roles
were you looking for at the time?

I mean, I wanted to play the hero.

It's every kid's dream, right?

So you're saying the people at Batman
never called? [chuckles]

[audience laughs]

You know, I-- I teach
classical theater to college kids,

and-- and we talk about character a lot.

When I say I wanted to play a hero,

I mean I just wanted to be someone
who goes on a journey.

Shows some courage. Helps others.

A hero can be a person with superpowers

or they can just be--

can be someone who fights
for something that matters.

[shakily] My parents were heroes.

But as I said,
people like that weren't on TV back then.

Well, hopefully that's changing.

I hope so.

And I hope that there's a kid out there
watching this

who feels he doesn't have to be
a punch line.

Who believes that he can be the hero.

Jin.

Mr. and Mrs. Wang, thank you for coming.
Shall we?

As I mentioned on the phone, this is
Jin's second altercation this year.

Uh, a couple of weeks ago, he tackled
a fellow member of the soccer team.

We are very sorry about that.
It is not like our son.

Well, you know, in my experience,

these kinds of incidents tend to indicate
something going on at home.

So have there been any recent changes?

No. Everything's normal.

Okay. Well, that's good to hear.

Maybe it's because Jin is having puberty?

-Mom.
-You are. It's okay.

-Oh, my God.
-Yeah. Cou-- Could be hormonal.

Um, correct me if I'm wrong, Mrs. Wang,
but you spend a lot of time with Jin.

-Is that right?
-Yes.

Um, because I recently read a book
about how parents,

particularly mothers
within your community, tend to operate.

So, do you think that maybe, um,
Jin is crying out for more affection?

I'm sorry?

I just think that kids like Jin, you know,

might be starved
for more positive reinforcement.

Kids like Jin?

I also read that, um, families like yours
are very achievement-based,

which is good, it's very good,
up to a point.

-I'm sorry, I'm confused.
-[Jin] Mom.

-Yeah-- You can--
-[Mrs. Wang] He--

You know what?
[stammering] This-- This is good.

{\an }This is, um, a wonderful opportunity
for us to P.L.O.T. together.

{\an }Can we try that?

{\an }-Plot?
-Yeah, P.L.O.T.

{\an }It is a cultural sensitivity strategy
that I recently picked up at a conference.

{\an }So, um-- "Pay attention.
Look for nonverbal cues." Right?

{\an }"Offer feedback. Take turns responding."

{\an }P.L.O.T. It's very fun.

Principal Kinney,
I give Jin a lot of attention

and I also push him,
and I think it's a good balance.

Well, Mrs. Wang, um, with all due respect,

I don't think that it is a good balance
because your son is acting out.

-But, sometimes, kids act out, so--
-I'm just trying to--

I'm just trying to get to the bottom
of what is actually going on here.

Jin's a teenager.
I think that's what's going on. And--

-This feels different.
-Because our son is different.

Because our family is different.

My wife is tough on my son
because she believes in him.

She pushes him
because she knows he can take it.

We are achievement-based
because we have to be.

I'm not defending Jin's behavior.

But, yes, we are dealing
with some issues at home.

And, I'm sorry,
but your books and your card…

[stammers] …has nothing to do with us.

And, you should know, my wife is
the best mother you will ever meet.

-Mr. Wang, I'm--
-[scoffs]

If you were really paying attention,

you would know
our last name is not "Wang."

It's "Wong."

Hmm.

I feel good.

-I feel very good about this.
-[slaps book]

-[dead bolt turns]
-[hinges screech]

[breathing heavily]

[Niu Mowang] Looks like
your boy's not coming after all.

It's a shame.

[grunting, panting]

[Sun Wukong groaning]

[groaning]

[panting]

Mowang.

Speak up.

-There's something you should know.
-[Niu Mowang] Oh, yeah?

Then please enlighten me with your wisdom…
[chuckles] …Great Sage.

I'm sorry.

-What did you just say?
-I'm so sorry.

I failed you when you needed me most.

I left you. [panting]

[whispering] I always knew
you were a shape-shifter, Wukong,

but the day you took everything away
from me, I realized something.

I was the one who needed a change.
And that's what I did.

So you don't need to apologize.

In many ways, you made me who I am today.

[panting]

[Niu Mowang chuckles]

[Wei-Chen] Hey, you.

What are you laughing at?

[gasps]

[sighs]

[Mrs. Wang sighs]

Hey, we'll talk about this
later tonight, huh?

I thought you were going
to Auntie Elaine's for a few days.

[bell rings]

[students chattering]

Go to class, Jin.

Where's the pendant?

I want my father first.

That's not how this works.

Stop messing around, kid.
Just show us the bling.

You don't have it, do you?

Is there even a Fourth Scroll at all?

I'm not here to talk
about the Fourth Scroll.

So you took the staff,
came down to Earth and caused all of this,

and you still have no idea
if this thing even exists.

[chuckles] Wow.

You must be so proud of your son.

[breathing heavily]

Now, don't be ashamed.

You know how your dad got the staff?

He stole it.

That's right.
He's no better than any of us.

And now that I know
that you have nothing to offer,

there's no reason
for me not to k*ll you both.

[shouts]

[both grunting, straining]

[both grunting]

[Niu Mowang shouts]

[shouts]

[groans]

[in Mandarin]
You going back to the office?

Mm-hmm.

You leaving for your sister's?

I don't know.

Thank you.

[Simon grunts]

For what you said in the office.

That was nice. Thank you.

[crying]

Why are you crying?

[sniffles, inhales]

I want our son to be successful.

But I'm failing my own life.

-You're not failing.
-[sniffles]

I'm borrowing money
from my younger sister.

[Mrs. Wang sniffles]

You asked me once
what happened to the guy you married.

[sniffles]

But what happened to the girl I married?

The girl who loved singing.

[chuckling] The girl who laughed
at the top of her lungs.

The girl who was so bold
she came here with nothing…

She turned into a housewife

and a… [in English] …church lady.

[in Mandarin] She drives a station wagon.

And got lost in house chores.

And then she gave all our money
to an old herbalist.

[sighs]

[sniffles]

That old herbalist believed in me.

And it felt good.

I have to buy some groceries.

[in English] You really think you can
challenge me when I have Jīngū Bàng?

[groaning] You may hold it in your hands,

but you will never know how to use it
like my father.

You're right.
I have much bigger plans for it.

I'll give you one last chance.

Join us, or die trying to be a hero.

[both grunt]

[Niu Mowang screams, grunts]

You already have Wukong.
You don't need to hurt the boy.

Look who finally sobered up.

[Ji Gong gasps]

Do it!

[grunts]

[Ji Gong grunts] Whoa!

-[Sun Wukong panting, grunting]
-[Wei-Chen grunting]

[panting]

[both grunt, groan]

[groans, coughs]

You're the one who wasted my time
on the Fourth Scroll

with these stupid paintings.

-[grunts]
-No!

What are you doing?

[shouting] No! Stop!

Please! I'm begging you.

[Niu Mowang shouts]

-[metallic thud]
-[groaning, coughing]

[grunts]

[groans]

[grunts]

[grunts]

-[Wei-Chen] No!
-[Ji Gong] Let's go!

-[grunts]
-[in Mandarin] Dad!

[Ji Gong, in English]
It's too late. Come on!

[Wei-Chen, Ji Gong straining]

[Wei-Chen groaning]

You can't save him! Save yourself!

-[Niu Mowang shouts]
-[expl*si*n]
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