Asian Americans, friends, and fans were hopeful and happy as they gathered for the finale of “Fresh off the Boat” Season One at live viewing parties in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, and Seattle, featuring special guests, Q&A, panel discussions, T-shirt giveaways, Taiwanese snacks, bloopers reel, and more. Audiences across the country were live-tweeting the show as well, using the hashtags #FreshOffTheBoat and #RenewFOTB.
The final episode, "So Chineez," centered around the idea of the Huang family reconnecting with their roots. It also promised to resolve questions many had about the family.
Despite some criticism during the season over cultural portrayals - distinctions between Taiwan, China, Hong Kong and the Taiwanese, Mandarin, and Cantonese languages - clarifications showed the complexity of how pop cultures, history, and identity intersect.
But as an historic season drew to close - marking the first Asian-American family sitcom on network television in 20 years - the message from fans to the ABC Network, home to the show, was clear.
Missed the show? Here’s the trailer for the Season One finale.