Interior Chinatown – Episode 10 Recap, Review & Ending Explained

Willis. Willis Wu.

Episode 10 of Interior Chinatown begins with an introduction to the show Black and White, featuring a preview of the finale starring Willis, which he watches at the Painted Faces’ hideout.

It’s revealed that the Painted Faces is not a gang after all—they were Johnny’s friends. The police and the state twisted the narrative to their advantage, making Johnny the scapegoat. They tell Willis about HBWC, a private company that owns various media outlets and is responsible for all the surveillance.

Meanwhile, Detective Green is forced to give a statement against Willis, framing him as the person responsible for the bombings.

A banquet sponsored by HBWC is hosted at Uncle Wong’s restaurant to celebrate the redevelopment project in Chinatown, for which Lily had convinced the residents to sign their approval. She is awarded for her efforts, but when she realizes that the redevelopment would price the residents out, she turns down the award in protest.

Willis calls Turner for help, and Lana also comes to meet them after reading his text. Together, they decide that the story requires them to play their roles, and Willis resolves to leverage that knowledge to their advantage.

Willis enters the restaurant and is discovered by everyone just as the police arrive with sirens blaring. Many of the waiters don masks and transform into the Painted Faces, stalling the authorities while Lana and Willis flee. However, they can’t escape the building, as it turns into a maze. Their only option is to head to the roof. “The ending is already written,” Willis comments.

On the rooftop, Lana encourages Willis to tell his story, which he does, reflecting on his family and his role as “just a waiter guy.” She then points out that the game Neighborhood Rumble is exactly like their building.

While playing the game, she questions how they can free themselves, and the answer is revealed to be: “die.” With this knowledge, Lana takes Willis, and they jump off the building.

The scene cuts to Willis meeting Johnny on the other side of the game machine. As Willis expresses his feelings, it’s revealed that he’s writing Interior Chinatown before meeting Lana. The episode ends with a new show title appearing on the screen, Standards and Practices, which the two now seem to be part of.

The Episode Review

There are elements in Interior Chinatown that don’t entirely make sense, but perhaps that’s the point—this is a story about characters who want to live their own lives.

The show ends marvelously, expanding on the concept of metafiction in Charles Yu’s book. It strikes a fascinating balance between showcasing how Asian-American characters can transcend the stereotypical roles they’ve been assigned while offering a profound commentary on the nature of storytelling and its characters—how an author, reader, or audience dictates a character’s actions and destiny.

“You’re new here. Don’t rock the boat. Don’t question the system. You start at the bottom and work your way up. Work hard enough, and you can get there. To the other side,” is an insightful statement by Willis. It not only underscores the commentary on storytelling but also alludes to the golden ideal of the American Dream that attracts immigrants from around the world.

Overall, Interior Chinatown has had its ups and downs, but its scathing critique of societal structures and narrative conventions, coupled with its refreshing metafictional aspects, made it a worthwhile journey after all.