‘American Born Chinese’ Finale Recap: Season 1 Episode 8 — Fourth Scroll Revealed

The following recap incorporates spoilers from the Season 1 finale of American Born Chinese, streaming on Disney+.

Disney+’s American Born Chinese, with its season finale, in thrilling style revealed the sought-after Fourth Scroll — but in doing so, it upended a essential character’s life, leaving viewers clamoring for renewal information.

The finale opened with a dream during which Jin (performed by Ben Wang) was the handyman in Beyond Repair, the (fictional) Nineties sitcom that featured the stereotype-riddled, catchphrase-spouting character of Freddy Wong (performed by Academy Award winner Ke Huy Quan). In the sequence, Jin was visited by the goddess Guanyin (Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh), who defined that it was the autumn equinox, at which period Heaven and Earth are in excellent stability and a “gate” briefly opens ‘tween the 2. Thus, Bull Demon (Leonard Wu) has a plum alternative to launch his rebellion, through the second that the gate between the realms is open.

In the course of delivering this exposition, Guanyin says a number of issues — together with “Power flows from the core,” and that tonight’s soccer recreation has “epic consequences” — that Jin hears from others later that day, after waking up, convincing him in addition to greatest pal Anuj {that a} mythological occasion is fated to unfold.

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Jin and Anuj discover Wei-Chen at his “aunt’s” condominium — and in his pure monkey type. Putting their heads collectively, the boys suspect that Bull Demon is performing out a storyline from one of many Kugo Ren mangas. As they got down to deduce which particular storyline, Jin and Anuj discover a comp to a Fantastic Four comedian during which the Mole Man attacked nuclear energy crops from beneath. They surmise that Bull Demon plans to do identical, utilizing the Iron Staff to attract energy “from the [Earth’s] core,” on the soccer recreation that evening.

Said soccer recreation is preceded by a number of faculty membership showcases there on the taking part in area, together with one for Anuj and the Cosplay Club. Knowing that Bull Demon has (some) shapeshifting talents, they will’t ensure who/the place he’s, so taking a cue from one thing Amelia mentioned — in the middle of (lastly) asking out Jin/prompting a primary kiss! —  Jin decides to attract out their foe. Cue an impromptu play during which Jin and Anju cosplay as Bull Demon and the goddess Guanyin, with the previous making his character out to be fairly unhappy, pathetic and insecure. Bull Demon, “hiding” within the stands as biology trainer Mr. Larkins, take the bait and leaps by the air and onto the stage, to conflict with Wei-Chen.

Ultimately, the struggle takes flight, with the 2 tussling within the sky above the sphere — all because the principal, soccer coach and others presume it to be a(n bold) little bit of theater. All the whereas, the Iron Staff, thrust into the bottom, begins to attract energy from the Earth’s core. Despite repeated tries, Wei-Chen is unable to get freed from Bull Demon lengthy sufficient to take away the employees. Jin, in the meantime, after lobbing a number of heavy objects on the employees, to no impact, flashes again to one thing his dad and mom mentioned through the Beyond Repair dream — to be courageous, acknowledge the power inside him, and “just be you.”

Jin then fees at, and leaps atop, the Iron Staff, simply in time to dam and take up its power blast.

And he was ready to take action as a result of he himself is the Fourth Scroll!

As the gate between Heaven and Earth closes, Monkey King Sun Wukong (Daniel Wu) resurfaces — apparently fairly healed by Mrs. Wang’s co-opted natural treatment powder! — to reclaim the employees after which disappear with each his son and Bull Demon, leaving the soccer area displaying no indicators of the celestial skirmish.

Arriving residence that evening, Jin finds Wei-Chen ready for him. Wei-Chen studies that Bull Demon has been handed over to the Jade Emperor. He additionally affirms that it was Jin, not himself, who stopped the rebellion.

“I still don’t know how I did that,” Jin shrugs. “Neither do I,” says Wei-Chen, “but I’m going to find out.”

After the boys hug goodbye (for now, not less than), Jin heads inside the home to seek out… nobody. His his dad and mom are lacking. And the celestial who we all know to be Princess Iron Fan (Poppy Liu), aka Bull Demon’s spouse, is sitting within the household front room.

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“Who are you?” asks Jin.

“I have been waiting to ask you the same thing…,” the princess counters. “But I got my answer tonight. That’s why you are coming with me — if you want to see your parents again.”

Now, Jin’s Chinese isn’t so good, however we at residence benefit from closed-captioning, so the dire stakes are clear. But will Disney+ in these unsure streaming instances order a Season 2 of ABC?