Is there ever a good end to something which is going good? Endings to ‘good’ things generally bring a ‘sad’ feeling. But should they really? Isn’t life all about moving on? Isn’t change the only constant in life. Despite the obvious, our lives are, many a times, at the mercy of our perceptions and emotions. But if we nurture the right ones, a good end is always a possibility.
Recently me and my family, who have an unsaid rule to watch one episode of any ‘good’ web series together every evening, finished watching ‘Kim’s Convenience’ on Netflix. Frankly speaking, it ain’t really of the ‘do not miss’ category. But it surely is a light hearted, fun sitcom with emotional overtones about a South Korean family settled in Canada. The patriarch Mr.Kim referred to as ‘Appa’, who runs a convenience store in Toronto neighborhood, is unabashed, stereotyped in his views and even racist at times. Mr.Kim has his wife and young daughter Janet, who is a budding photographer, helping him out. The elder son Jung has separated from the family, after ending up on the wrong side of law during his teenage years.
Now, I am not getting into any more details regarding the series, for that isn’t the purpose of this blog. Towards the end of season 5, when the series had really upped it’s ante and it’s fans were vying for more, it’s creators Ins Choi and Kevin White suddenly decided to call it a day. The final episode showcased a family dinner, with Jung refusing to take over the store from the ageing Mr.Kim, and deciding to go his own way. Janet too follows suit. The final scene shows the elderly couple switching off the store lights after the heart warming family interaction, and the series comes to an end without any definitive closure to the story, or it’s lovable characters.
Apparently, Ins Choi the show’s main creator thought there is nothing more to add to the story. Though many found the end to be unexpected and seemingly incomplete, I think there couldn’t have been a better one. It is said the show was based on Choi’s own experiences, and with it’s unexpected finish he probably wanted to convey that not every story has a spectacular end. The same, I feel, applies to our lives as well. A project fails, a job changes, relationship ends, children grow distant, a goal remains unachieved and many other such stories in our lives tend to bring a sense of abruptness, a feeling of incompleteness. And yet every story, no matter the outcome, is only making way for a new one, with new hopes and new possibilities. It is helping life move on, and that my friends, is always a good end to have.