If you are a fan of the Canadian sitcom Kim’s Convenience, you must know that the show ended abruptly. This week marked the release of the fifth season of the show.
When asked why the show ended without any notice, the show producers told the people that they don’t know how to proceed further with the story. It might be because Ins Choi and Kevin White, the show’s creators, have already left.
Many fans were disappointed when they came to know that their favorite sitcom ended abruptly. The series revolved around the lives of Asian Canadian people in a rather humane and funny manner. Simu Liu, a part of the show, said he was unhappy about how the show started and even more unhappy with the way it came to an end.
One of his concerns was the number of ‘overwhelmingly white’ producers in the show moving forward with a spin-off called ‘Strays.’ That spin-off focuses on the character Shannon, played by Nicole Power. He happens to be the only non-Asian character in the entire series.
I love and am proud of Nicole, and I want the show to succeed for her. But I remain resentful of all of the circumstances that led to the one non-Asian character getting her own show. And not that they would ever ask, but I will adamantly refuse to reprise my role in any capacity.
– Liu said
He went on to say that Ins was the only Korean writer in the room and that inputs from Asian people were largely modified or ignored otherwise.
We were a cast of Asian Canadians who had a plethora of lived experiences to draw from and offer to writers. But we were often told of the next seasons’ plans mere days before we were set to start shooting… there was deliberately not a lot of leeway given to us… I can appreciate that the show is still a hit and is enjoyed by many people… but I remain fixated on the missed opportunities to show Asian characters with real depth and the ability to grow and evolve.
The actor also lashed out at the amount of money they were paid for their contribution, saying they were getting ‘horsepoop money.’ He said the show stars were trying their best to keep the show alive for another season, but the producers didn’t want to.
