Interior Chinatown – Season 1 Episode 9 Recap & Review

Bad Guy

Episode 9 of Interior Chinatown begins with a recap sequence showcasing the old TV show Black and White. The scene shifts to Detective Green talking to Detective Miles Turner, who is now a mangaka living his best life.

There is a new TV show introduction, now featuring Willis and Sarah Green as the central star detectives of the squad. Right after this, there’s a blast in Chinatown, and the police begin investigating the culprit. Suspicion once again falls on the Painted Faces. Meanwhile, Detective Carrey’s partner, who was rumored to have been shot by Johnny, turns up alive in a hospital, looking exactly as he did 12 years ago.

Elsewhere, Lana spots the nail salon lady, previously found dead, alive and well. She ends up meeting Uncle Wong near the dock and realizes the people he’s saving are bomb victims—“people are being killed and somehow recycled.”

At the same time, Willis decides he doesn’t want to play by the rules, prompting the police chief to paint him as suspicious, especially given his brother’s alleged role as the leader of the Painted Faces. Detective Green finds Willis’ tapes in the tech room—just like Johnny’s—and realizes his transition from a delivery guy to a detective. She visits Turner with this information, explaining that the police are setting Willis up, even though she knows he’s innocent.

Willis eventually tracks down Aidan McDonough, Detective Carrey’s partner. Aidan reveals that Johnny was presumed to be the leader of the Painted Faces and that he was about to bring Johnny back when they were attacked by a gang. Aidan was shot, and Johnny left shortly after. The manipulated tapes suggest it was all a setup, with Johnny being tracked through his pager. However, Aidan doesn’t recall where he has been for the last 12 years. After parting ways with Willis, Aidan screams as the lights go out while he’s on a deserted road.

Meanwhile, Willis is framed as the culprit behind the bombings, with another explosion taking place. The latest victim is Mrs. Guo, who later turns up at the docks, where Uncle Wong finds her. He takes her to Lana, now working at the restaurant, where Mrs. Guo recognizes the video game song playing. While at the restaurant, Lana notices something unusual about the video game that Willis and Fatty often played.

Elsewhere, Willis decides to meet the Painted Faces to uncover answers about the mystery.

The Episode Review

With this episode, everything starts coming into perspective. I had an idea of how the show might unfold, but its execution brings up so many aspects of metafiction, combining them all at once. The downside is that the show doesn’t offer a traditional plot.

Instead, it focuses on delivering a message. It critiques conventional storytelling narratives while also satirizing genres, character archetypes, and the systemic issues Hollywood has perpetuated and overlooked for decades.

The way Interior Chinatown weaves satire into metafiction is truly fascinating. There are many cleverly choreographed scenes, one being Lana’s comment about victims dying and getting recycled. It’s a multilayered satire—addressing hate crimes against Asian-American communities in the U.S. while highlighting how Asian-Americans are often portrayed in Hollywood.

Instead of being heroes, they are treated as expendable extras or confined to archetypal roles. The show also critiques the constructiveness of stories, where characters are “recycled” after fulfilling their roles. It’s incredibly clever how Charles Yu incorporates metafiction and satire into this narrative. No wonder the book is so highly acclaimed!