I started watching Kim’s Convenience during the height of the pandemic. I was browsing through Netflix looking for anything to watch to keep my mind off what was going on outside, when Netflix recommended I watch Kim’s because I had watched Schitt’s Creek. I decided to give it a try, and the next thing I knew I was deep into season 2 and was looking up everything I could find about the cast and writers of this little show that originally aired in Canada on CBC.
I discovered Kim’s Convenience was first developed and ran as a play in both Canada and the United States. It was such a success that both the creator, Ins Choi, and the original actors Paul Sun-Hyung Lee and Jean Yoon — who portray Appa and Umma, respectively — stayed on when a TV series was developed.
Kim’s Convenience is about the daily life of a Korean family that runs a convenience store in Toronto. It follows the shenanigans Umma and Appa have along with their daughter Janet (Andrea Bang) and their estranged son, Jung (Simu Liu). While the show has loads of funny moments, it also has a lot of heart, especially between Appa and Jung, who are slowly trying to rebuild their fractured relationship throughout the series.
Season 5 of Kim’s Convenience dropped on Netflix on June 2, and while the show was originally renewed for a season 6, shortly after filming wrapped on season 5, it was revealed that season 6 had been scrapped do to some behind the scenes departures. This made watching season 5 bittersweet, because while Kim’s Convenience continues to bring the laughs, it also was difficult to watch because some of the story lines that appear this season don’t get to be fully explored, and the opportunity to fashion a proper ending didn’t happen.
While Kim’s Convenience ended abruptly, this show taught me through this last year that life can be unpredictable. So laugh at what makes you happy and enjoy the little moments you have with others. As Appa always says, “Okay, see you.”
