"Abracadabra" is the fifth episode of the Disney+ series American Born Chinese.
Synopsis
Jin and Wei-Chen search for a scholar who may know something about the Fourth Scroll.
Plot
Wei-Chen informs Jin what happened with him and why he was gone for a month (time moves differently in Heaven). Jin accepts this explanation before Wei-Chen meets Christine who immediately takes a liking to him. She then shows him a green jade necklace that she owns that when paired up with an orange jade necklace makes it a complete set. Jin takes Wei-Chen to his room where the latter explains that his father told him of an expert who may be able to help. While Jin does not know why it is necessary for him to be there, he agrees to come along. Wei-Chen gets distracted by a simple magic kit and is impressed with a switch out hanky trick, which Jin promises to teach him at some point.
Wei-Chen takes Jin to a strip mall restaurant called Golden Temple where they come across a drunk busboy who tells them to leave. While Wei-Chen decides to stay to look around, Jin opts to leave to study for biology. Jin's biology study is actually that with Amelia whom he has grown closer to. He meets Amelia's incredibly happy family and starts to feel at home with them. Wei-Chen explores the basement of the Golden Temple and encounters the busboy who is revealed to be Ji Gong, the person he was looking for. The two have a brief fight before Wei-Chen convinces him to help him with information.
Ji Gong reveals that he had created four paintings that delve into the history of the Fourth Scroll, which he himself has been looking for, but cannot find any leads on. The paintings explain that the first three scrolls, Discipline, Discourse, and Philosophy, were dwarfed by the fourth one which represents Power. The scroll was destroyed by Buddha who spread it somewhere on Earth and could be anywhere. Upon hearing that it caused war, Wei-Chen believes that the fourth scroll is the jade necklace that Christine owns. Before he leaves, Wei-Chen tells Gong that he is Sun Wukong's son, confusing him.
Jin is still studying with Amelia when he gets a call from Wei-Chen. However, he slights him and hangs up, leaving Wei-Chen unable to tell him that he is at his parents house. Just as Simon returns home, he comments on the necklace and reveals that the two halves represented their families which were initially at war with one another. They had the two jade pieces redone to fit one another, cementing Wei-Chen's belief that it is indeed the fourth scroll. Wei-Chen continues to spend time with the Wangs and Christine's friends, before they are unexpectedly visited by Gong who claims to be Wei-Chen's uncle.
Jin continues to study with Amelia who is noticeably irritated by her mother. Up in her room, Amelia admits to Jin that she sometimes cannot stand how her mother acts around people as she is too nice and sometimes wishes she could say something mean. Jin has the opposite problem, but admits that he sees her point. He is about to agree to join the Taylors for dinner, but upon calling his mother, learns that they all went out to eat at the Golden Temple, confusing him when he learns about Wei-Chen's "uncle".
Jin arrives at the Golden Temple to find the whole group, sans Wei-Chen, in a drunken stupor. Wei-Chen reveals what he has learned and that he is certain that the jade pendant is the fourth scroll, but Jin does not think so. As Simon and Christine sing "Sweet Caroline" at the karaoke station, Simon lets slip that he did not get the promotion at work and that Patrick got it instead. Christine is disappointed, but Simon explains that he will quit his job and find a new one. Christine admits that this is impossible as she used up half of their life savings for inventory of the herbal remedies. Simon leaves dejected.
Wei-Chen suddenly realizes that Gong had stolen the jade pendant and Wei-Chen follows him while Jin comforts Christine and proceeds to sing karaoke with her. Gong tells Wei-Chen that his father stole his potential job as the next Great Sage and that he wants the pendant so that he can barter his way back to Heaven, after having been banished. Wei-Chen chases him outside and the two of them fight. Wei-Chen uses the magic trick to get the pendant back while Gong ends up with a Lego flashlight. He is shortly approached by Mowang.
Wei-Chen returns with the pendant to Jin, who thinks that he stole it. Wei-Chen corrects him, but tells him that he needs to keep it to save Heaven. Jin becomes furious as the pendant has resulted in his parents arguing and accuses him of lying. Wei-Chen calls out his hypocrisy as he has done everything to get away from him and does not even want to be his friend anymore. As Jin attempts to take the pendant back, Wei-Chen accidentally hurts him and Jin angrily sends him away.
Jamie Yao, the actor who played Freddy Wong in Beyond Repair, fixes a refrigerator for his friend Mrs. Guardia. He offers that she attend a Shakespeare class he is teaching, but she politely declines, giving him some food as thanks for helping her. As Jamie leaves, he overhears Mrs. Guardia putting on an episode of Beyond Repair and Jamie chuckles to himself.
Cast
Main
- Ben Wang as Jin Wang
- Yeo Yann Yann as Christine Wang
- Chin Han as Simon Wang
- Ke Huy Quan as Jamie Yao / Freddy Wong
- Jimmy Liu as Sun Wei-Chen
- Sydney Taylor as Amelia Taylor
- Daniel Wu as Sun Wukong / The Monkey King (credit only)
- Michelle Yeoh as Guanyin (credit only)
Guest starring
- Ronny Chieng as Ji Gong / Mad Monk
- Josh Duvendeck as Marty K. Morris / Danny
- Lilli Birdsell as Margie Ann Taylor
- Andy Daly as Dennis Taylor
- Liam Risinger as Holden Taylor
- Leonard Wu as Niu Mowang / Bull Demon (uncredited; voice)
Co-starring
- Lee Chen as Mrs. Fan
- Celeste Den as Mrs. Liu
- Debbie Fan as Mrs. Tsai
- Jen Kuo Sung as Larry / Chinese Man
- Gloria Laino as Mrs. Guardia
Trivia
- The title is said by Jin to Wei-Chen when he teaches him basic magic. Wei-Chen repeats it later in the episode.
- Jin calls Ji Gong "Chinese Jack Sparrow", in reference to his drunken appearance.
- When Jin is exiting the Golden Temple, the karaoke display reads "Up next: Angel Baby". The song that plays during the credits is that exact song.
Gallery
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