Thu. Mar 28th, 2024


Enter young Sam Wing (Izaac Wang), an ordinary kid who loves to make tea at his family’s shop with his cautious parents, Fong (Ming-Na Wen) and Hon (B. D. Wong). However, Sam’s adventure-seeking grandfather (James Hong) implores him to leave his comfort zone. Grandpa takes Sam to a circus where they see an enslaved Gizmo perform; Grandpa instantly recognizes the Mogwai and tells Sam about the danger his species brings. The two rescue Gizmo and take him under their hospitality. 

But Gizmo also catches the attention of Riley Greene (Matthew Rhys), a black magic wizard who wants to use Gizmo in his quest to become immortal. With the help of a no-nonsense street-smart thief named Elle (Gabrielle Nevaeh Green), Sam and Gizmo trek through the countryside and face spiritual entities that stand in their path. Meanwhile, Greene and a set of rambunctious Gremlins trail behind as they race against the main protagonist to reach the Valley first. 

The Mogwai has always been part of Chinese folklore. If you look up images of the Chinese-rooted design of the Mogwai, they look more aligned to their gremlin counterparts than the cute, fluffy, and cuddly creatures Joe Dante shaped them to be. “Secrets of the Mogwai” expands the Gremlins’ mythology by doubling down on the supernatural side of Chinese folklore. Each episode follows Sam, Elle, and Gizmo facing off against Chinese folklore figures, from shapeshifting demons to hopping zombies. 

While intended for a family demographic, “Secrets of the Mogwai ” retains its source material’s tonal sensibilities, mixing well-earned TV-PG horror with hilarious dark humor. Just like I was as a kid watching Dante’s “Gremlins,” I was flabbergasted by the disturbing imagery and destruction that made its way into this series. I was here for all the rambunctious chaos and mayhem caused by the despicable Greene and the Gremlins that effectively raised the stakes for the young heroes. 

The series is well-driven by the development of Sam and Elle’s character arcs and their budding friendship. It may be another family show that addresses the importance of teamwork, but the writers cleverly use supernatural entities as a catalyst to drive the leads to heroic distances. Voice leads Izaac Wang and Gabrielle Nevaeh Green are completely delightful in their designated roles and bring many vibrant personalities to their performances.

The series also benefits from a central Asian voice cast, including “Mulan” veterans Ming-Na Wen and B. D. Wong, the legend himself, James Hong, and guest voices Sandra Oh, Randall Park, George Takei, and Bowen Yang. And Matthew Rhys is on another level, hamming it up with a slimy British accent as the venomous Riley Greene. Greene leans into the archetype of the classic ’80s villain that matches the show’s classic adventure narrative: obnoxious, comedic, and maniacally evil.  

By Dave Jenks

Dave Jenks is an American novelist and Veteran of the United States Marine Corps. Between those careers, he’s worked as a deckhand, commercial fisherman, divemaster, taxi driver, construction manager, and over the road truck driver, among many other things. He now lives on a sea island, in the South Carolina Lowcountry, with his wife and youngest daughter. They also have three grown children, five grand children, three dogs and a whole flock of parakeets. Stinnett grew up in Melbourne, Florida and has also lived in the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, and Cozumel, Mexico. His next dream is to one day visit and dive Cuba.