College is the Y-2K special of the ABC sitcom, "Fresh Off the Boat". It premiered on October 4th, 2019.
Synopsis[]
Y2K is on the horizon. While Grandma Jenny, Emery and Evan look to the future, Louis and Jessica take a trip down memory lane. Eddie, on the other hand, is stuck trying to navigate the present after his first college visit doesn't exactly go according to plan.
Plot[]
At home, Eddie is regaling tales to his family, imagining the Y2K situation to be similar to the movie The Matrix, placing himself as Neo and Louis as Morpheus. Louis states that Y2K would not be like that, while Emery believes that the world truly may end as a result of the Millennium Bug. As a result, Eddie states that they should do as much as possible during summer vacation as it may be the last summer of their lives. However, his plans are dashed by Jessica, who enters the room with a stack of PSAT books and tells Eddie that he will study them alongside her in preparation for college. Eddie then imagines his mother to be like Agent Smith, attempting to defeat him with PSAT books before successfully defeating him.
As he is studying alongside his mother, Eddie complains, prompting Jessica to reply that it is not just his future at stake but her reputation, explaining that she wouldn't be respected as a principal if she failed to get her own son into a top college. Eddie is taken aback at her statement, claiming that he doesn't want to go to a top college, instead preferring to go to a Tier 2 or Tier 3 school, where there is less pressure and more fun and he could rejuvenate from the stresses of high school.
Just then, Louis walks in, demanding Eddie what he has done to the bathroom tub. Eddie explains that it is Gia, his mega water balloon that he has inflated with water and left in the tub, intending to leave her there before he can get strong enough to throw her. Jessica scoffs at his ambition and tells him that he needs to grow up and focus on college. Louis tells Eddie that he is jealous of him going to college, claiming that he was a campus legend during his college days before suggesting that Eddie attend the University of Maryland, the school both he and Jessica went to. However, Jessica tells them that Maryland is not on her list, and Eddie leaves once he realizes he has no say in his future.
Louis warns Jessica that her attempts to push Eddie may cause him to burn out of college before he is even accepted, although Jessica responds that she cannot ease up on Eddie without him straying off. Jessica adds that she needs to prepare Eddie, citing that her sister Connie prepped her son Justin for a year only for Justin to end up at UCLA. Louis states that Eddie needs to understand that college is more than academics, where one lives by themselves, socializes, makes connections and has fun, which Jessica shuts down. Louis then reminds Jessica that she made some questionable choices in college, which Jessica shuts down as she does not want Eddie to know about it.
Emery heads into the living room, where Evan and Jenny are watching Twins, Evan watching it for Arnold Schwarzenegger, as he is going into politics and Jenny watching it because she is attracted to Danny DeVito. Emery chastises them for watching television when the threat of Y2K looms on the horizon, suggesting that they should purchase supplies and rations to bargain with other survivors. Evan replies that they would need cash in order to do so, spurring Emery to suggest that they get summer jobs. Evan agrees, citing that they could be organized while the rest of society becomes chaotic, while Emery retorts that alternatively, they could "live it up."
At Louis Huang's Cattleman's Ranch Steakhouse, Trent Masterson is regaling Eddie with the tale of going to Ball State University with his family to visit his sister at her dorm. This impresses Eddie, who wishes he could go somewhere during summer vacation, and inspires Louis to take the Huang family on a trip to visit college. Eddie reminds Louis that Jessica would not approve of a vacation and that even if they went, she would be enforcing him to study all of the PSAT books. Louis, however, reminds Eddie that Connie is Jessica's weakness.
The pair return home, where Evan and Emery are in their work uniforms, having gained employment at a yogurt shop. Louis informs the family that they would be taking a trip to California to a pay a visit to UCLA, which Jessica initially shuts down due to financial reasons and Emery and Evan adding that they cannot go as they just got jobs. Louis tells them to just use their sick and vacation days and notifies Jessica that his brother, Gene Huang, has gotten them free airline tickets to California as he works for Delta Airlines and that they would not have to spend money on a hotel since they would be staying with Justin at his dorm. Louis then adds that if Eddie paid a visit to UCLA and then turned it down for Harvard, Jessica could then rub it in Connie's face, which causes Jessica to immediately notify the family to pack their bags.
The Huangs arrive in California, with Louis, Jessica and Eddie heading to the dorms to pay Justin a visit while Jenny, Emery and Evan pay a visit to the campus ATM. Emery warns his grandmother against signing up for a credit card, although Evan informs him that they tried to be responsible but that it didn't work, and that should just embrace Y2K and live it up. Agreeing, the trio rent a limousine and cruise through Los Angeles while standing up through the sunroof, exclaiming that they were rich. Back at the dorm, Jessica is absent-mindedly flipping a Solo cup when Louis catches her and remarks that her old habits are returning, causing her to smile. Louis then asks Justin what the plan for the day is, and he responds that he has a midterm later that day and intends to study. Jessica scoffs at him, claiming that the midterm could not be that difficult at Eddie's "safety school", only for Justin to reveal that he had a 4.0 GPA, good SAT score and even had a rare sit-down with the Dean of Admissions and still got wait-listed.
Just then, Justin's roommate Kip enters the room. Justin notifies Kip that the Huangs would be staying with them, although Kip responds that he doesn't care since he has flunked out, explaining that despite taking AP classes, being valedictorian and attending prep school, he would still be returning to work at his father's butcher shop. Jessica then realizes that UCLA is a prestigious school, likening it to the "Harvard of California" and changes their itinerary so that Eddie could attend lectures and tour the campus, even going as far as calling Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and having him recommend the Dean into having a one-on-one with Eddie.
While touring the streets of Los Angeles, Jenny meets a Danny DeVito impersonator, although she believes him to be the real Danny DeVito. She then tells Emery and Evan that she is taking "Danny" in the limo to do adult things and bids them farewell, abandoning them in the city. Back at UCLA, Eddie is excited at the prospect of going to a party but is shut down on Jessica, who forces him to memorize everything the tour guide is saying so that he may impress the Dean later. Louis urges Jessica to ease up on Eddie so that he could have some fun, and when Jessica replies that college is not meant to be fun, Louis exposes Jessica's past; during college, Jessica often got drunk, pulled pranks, streaked nude in the cafeteria instead of studying for her econ final and even stole things. Louis recants the past to show Eddie a different side of his mother, only to realize that Eddie is no longer with them, having run off.
Emery and Evan make their way to the Hollywood sign, and Emery tells Evan that he wishes to attend a live studio audience taping as he wishes to be an actor. Evan shuts him down, telling Emery that he doesn't want to do that and that he instead wants to go the beach where Arnold Schwarzenegger got his start. The two brothers argue, with Emery making fun of Evan for wanting "some Arnold" while their grandmother got with "Danny DeVito", insulting Evan, who responds that Arnold was a better actor than Emery would ever be. Hurt, Emery tells his brother that with Y2K coming, he doesn't need anything or anyone, and leaves Evan alone as he storms off.
Jessica and Louis make their way to the Dean's office, waiting for Eddie to show up. Jessica blames Louis, claiming that by telling him stories of her past, he gave Eddie free license to do whatever he wants on campus. Eddie then shows up, revealing that he left the tour group before hearing any of Jessica's past, instead electing to find Justin to see what kids his age did for fun. Upon hanging out with Justin's friends, who just watched television and took naps, Eddie declares that college is too lame and boring and that he would not be attending. The Dean then declares that personally he is disappointed, and Louis admonishes him, as he had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's recommendation for the school.
Louis then tells Jessica that they need to show Eddie that college can be fun. Jessica laughs, stating that while she allows Louis to play it up in front of the kids, he was really a dork in college. Louis replies that Jessica is the only one who can show Eddie, as Eddie is her. Jessica instantly replies that Evan is the child who is most like her, but Louis clarifies that while Evan is who she is now, Eddie is the person she used to be, and Jessica agrees to do so.
Emery heads to a live studio audience taping while Evan helps men work out at the beach gym, asking them political questions, although both brothers find their experience boring and exhausting. Jenny takes "Danny DeVito" to a high-end outfitters, paying to have him dressed up as The Penguin from Batman Returns, although she too finds it boring.
Eddie returns to the dorm to eat dry ramen with Kip when Jessica enters, telling Eddie that she used to be a 'madwoman' in college. Taking him aside, she divulges her college past to him, including a time when she shaved off all of her hair on a dare. Eddie is boggled that his mother used to be wild, and asks her why she kept her past hidden from him. Jessica replies that it was because she knew that Eddie's qualities came from her and wasn't proud of it, adding that had she focused on college the first time around, perhaps she wouldn't be repeating it, and therefore does not want Eddie to do the same.
Eddie responds that to him, Jessica's route seemed more ideal, as she enjoyed her time in college, got married, had a family, had multiple careers and continued to push herself. Jessica iterates that she does not regret her past, but does not want Eddie to do the same, admitting that she is a hypocrite, although Eddie states that she isn't a hypocrite so much as she is cocky, thinking that he could not handle it like she did. Jessica affirms this, citing that she is battle-tested, with Eddie retorting that he was as well, as he had one thing she did not – her for a mother. Smiling, Jessica proudly states that Eddie's quality of calling it as he sees it came from her. She then teaches him what to do with the inflated water balloon she filled with shaving cream, having given Eddie a tip that using shaving cream was more beneficial than water as it allowed the person to easily lift and throw the balloon.
Emery regroups with Jenny and Evan in the limo, and tells them that Hollywood sucks and that he finds the excessive lifestyle and lack of consequences to be unsustainable. Jenny agrees, citing that even Danny DeVito could not handle it; Emery clarifies once again that the man she was with was not the real DeVito, although Evan convinces him to let Jenny have it since she may have kissed him. Emery then tells the two that if the world does end with Y2K, he would want to spend his last moments on the family couch with them as he usually does. Evan then mentions that if the world does not end, they would not be able to pay back the credit cards, although Jenny replies that she faked her death once before and that she could do it again.
Jessica and Eddie wait for Louis to walk down below before throwing the water balloon with shaving cream on top of him, drenching him. As Louis gets dried and the trio walk back, Eddie remarks that, after getting a taste of what his mother was like in college, he wonders how his father was. Louis tells him that he cannot disclose his college actions as they would be 'Rated R', which Jessica laughs at, reminding him that he was the one who said they needed to be open about their past to their children. Jessica tells Eddie that Louis was a club guy, having joined all the clubs, and a flashback is shown with Louis pruning shrubs in the Topiary Club while Jessica slid down the steps in her stolen canoe. With his ego bruised, Louis responds that he had lots of sex in college, which Jessica denies, and Eddie, laughing the entire time with Jessica, tells the two that he has heard enough. Jessica then goes on to drop 17 more cream balloons that weekend while Louis wakes up with a crippling case of pink eye due to the shaving cream balloon hitting his face.
Cast[]
- Hudson Yang as Eddie Huang
- Randall Park as Louis Huang
- Constance Wu as Jessica Huang
- Forrest Wheeler as Emery Huang
- Ian Chen as Evan Huang
- Lucille Soong as Jenny Huang
- Chelsey Crisp as Honey Ellis
- Ray Wise as Marvin Ellis
- Trevor Larcom as Trent Masterson
- Lance Lim as Justin Chen
- Ryan Salazar as Kip
Trivia[]
- This episode was intended to be the Season 6 premiere.
- The airing of this episode somewhat coincides with the turn of the new year from 2019-2020.