The Brothers Sun’s Michelle Yeoh & Co. Are a Lethal Force to Be Reckoned With in Netflix Premiere — Grade It!
You’re never too old, or too skilled a hired killer, to be reminded: Mama is always right.
That sentiment is at the heart of The Brothers Sun, which Netflix released Thursday. The show promises to be a kung-fu-esque series, and it does not disappoint, taking us through every kick, duck, stab, and beating-with-an-unusual-object (like a rolling pin). Come for the violence, stay for the messy family and comic relief, courtesy of series creators Brad Falchuk (Glee, American Horror Story) and Byron Wu!
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The Brothers Sun Finale: Did You Catch That Post-Credits Scene?
In a minute, we’ll want to hear what you thought of the premiere. But first, let’s recap what happens in Episode 1.
We open in Charles “Chairleg” Sun’s lavish penthouse in Taipei, Taiwan. The Great British Baking Show plays in the background as Charles (Justin Chien, Snapchat’s Two Sides:Unfaithful) crafts a white cake with homemade cream and a strawberry compote. Starting a drama series with a delicate baked good is a sweet, bold move. GBBS also happens to be my favorite show, so I’m ecstatic over its unexpected appearance — but I’m quickly reminded: We’re not really here for cake.
An untimely visit from masked intruders pulls Charles away from his soon-to-burn bake. He doesn’t break a sweat, and the show doesn’t skip a beat, as he dominates the fight. The scene in GBBS a while back where the contestants watch Ruby’s showstopper cake fall mirrors Charles’ throwing the last attacker onto a wooden table.
If Charles’ burnt cake wasn’t enough to add an extra layer of frustration to the night, his father comes out of hiding to check in on him. Big Sun, the leader of the Jade Dragons, shames his son/personal assassin for allowing his thirst for killing to overshadow a need for answers. After all, an assassin that’s able to be surprised isn’t a good one.
He implores Charles (and us) to think logically about the attack: Why only three attackers? Why attack in a confined space? Why would they put themselves in a circumstance they never had a chance of escaping?
Charles attempts to cover up his mistake by pointing the finger at Sleepy Chan, the leader of the second most powerful Triad family — right behind the Sun family, of course. This is motive enough, Charles says, for Sleepy to take out Big Sun and declare himself Dragon Head over all the Triads. Everything’s all fun and games until Big Sun gets shot, proving that the attack on Charles was a setup. In a move to protect the family, Charles leaves for Los Angeles. He must now protect his mother, Eileen (Michelle Yeoh, Star Trek: Discovery), who is the key to the family’s power. But much to Charles’ dismay, she isn’t the only one that needs protecting.
We learn that in an effort to conceal their identities, his mother took his brother, Bruce (Sam Song Li, Never Have I Ever), when she went into hiding a decade prior. Her contribution to the family has its downsides — Charles and Big Sun live in luxury in Taipei while Eileen and Bruce live a frugal, boring life in Los Angeles in an effort to slip under their enemies’ radars.
Bruce is nothing like his brother. He’s sensitive, responsible, and in the dark about the power his family holds. Bruce isn’t fit to sell drugs or fight, let alone admit to his mother he’s disobeying her behind her back with a silly hobby: improv comedy.
What the two brothers do share is living with the weight of making their family proud, just in different ways.
Charles surprises his family at home, but instead gets greeted by another masked intruder. This time he takes his father’s advice and keeps the attacker alive for questioning. “Riddance of evil must be thorough” is the only response the man gives before Charles decides to take him out for good.
When Eileen arrives home, she briefly acknowledges the dead body before scolding and questioning Charles. She’s more concerned with trivial topics, such as the mess Charles created, cooking, marriage, and teaching him how to dispose of a body himself. Eileen mothers her eldest son, reminding him that no matter how soft he believes Bruce is, his responsibility is to protect them both.
Charles and Bruce bump into each other at a club later that night while they’re both out: Charles is looking for a crew to help him protect his family, and Bruce is trying to sell drugs to pay for school (extra emphasis on trying). The reunion is cut short by the leader of the drug posse wanting to test the strength of the infamous Chairleg. But, once again, the same gang that tried to kill Charles twice — in Taiwan and in his mother’s kitchen — infiltrates the club, looking for him.
The brothers escape and return home to find their mother already taking care of the dead body, reminding them that she is always in charge no matter how incapable they may think she is.
This first action-packed episode leaves us with unanswered questions: Why are the Sun family’s enemies so focused on Charles? How does Eileen hold the family’s power? (I’ll be honest: A part of me suspected she may have superpowers, but that feels like too cheap of a move for a show that delivers such powerful fight scenes.) Does Bruce tell his mother improv is not a phase? Is Sleepy Chan behind the attacks?
While you’re pondering these questions and more, make sure to grade the premiere via the poll below, then hit the comments with your thoughts!
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