‘The Chair’ review: A fascinating dive into academia’s ups and downs, led by a brilliant Sandra Oh
The Hindu
Creators Amanda Peet and Annie Wyman delve deep into several relevant themes and keep the tension palpable in their new show, that is brought alive by the near-perfect ensemble cast
Academia Twitter has been abuzz ever since Netflix dropped its latest offering The Chair. In the run up to the drama-comedy earlier this year, the makers had released an intriguing newspaper clipping announcing Professor Ji-Yoon Kim(Sandra Oh) as the first female and POC Chair at the fictional Pembroke University’s English department. . Ji-Yoon doesn’t just inherit a department with a 179-year history, but a crumbling one that is in dire need of some changes. The threat of budget cuts looms large, some senior staff members haven’t updated their syllabi in decades, and most are choosing to ignore student evaluations and feedback. Added to this, Ji-Yoon is navigating a complex relationship with her peer, fellow professor and noted writer Bill Dobson (Jay Duplass) who still is grieving over the death of his wife. As a single parent, she also has to contend with her adoptive daughter Ju-Ju (played by a brilliant Everly Carganilla), who at one point angrily tells her mother, “You take away everything good about life.”More Related News