The Chair
Today I watched the entire first season of one of Netflix’s newest releases, The Chair. As someone that genuinely enjoys college and would have remained a professional student if that had been an option, I was instantly intrigued by a show about academia. While there are already differences of opinions circulating about the shows flaws in adequately giving credit to college students and other things, I think the creators of the show did a brilliant job in still highlighting the double standards people of color, especially women, have to climb to get almost anywhere noteworthy.Â
I was immediately pulled into the main character, Ji-Yoon (marvelously played by Sandra Oh). Growing up around a lot of Koreans and spending a month in South Korea when I was 12, I have big love for Koreans. But I loved how, through her, the show touched, albeit not always perfectly, on issues that are important and matter a lot to me: single parenting, transracial adoption, sexism, ageism, and juggling all that with a messy love life and dreams of your own. Apart from the adoption piece, I am all too familiar with these complicated topics. Even then, I now parent boys that come from hard places and have experienced some sort of trauma, just like any adoptee. And how by trying to do all the things and still be there for your kids and provide them the life you believe they deserve, they still end up loving someone else more than you. Or at least it seems. It’s a nearly impossible balancing act to steward. At least it seems that way. I hope Netflix does the smart thing and brings back a second season. I’m curious to find out where the story leads to next.Â
