JENTRY CHAU VS. THE UNDERWORLD Episode 2 Recap

Having established that Jentry Chau (Ali Wong) is a teenager with unexplained and powerful fire abilities in the series premiere of Jentry Chau vs. the Underworld, we move on now to what a girl has to do when her only living relative is now a ghost and her only ally is an undead demon originally employed to stalk her.

Jentry, Ed (Bowen Yang), and Gugu’s (Lori Tan Chinn) ghost stare at the portal Jentry opened as a demon’s face emerges. Gugu tells Jentry to close the portal to Diyu by using her powers. Jentry doesn’t know what Diyu is. Ed and Gugu explain it’s the Underworld.

The ghost of Gugu, Jentry, and Ed stare up at the áo yīn. Jentry Chau vs. the Underworld 102 — Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

Jentry Chau vs. the Underworld, “Fifteen Minutes of Flame”

Jentry tries to close the portal, but it doesn’t work. The demon emerges. It’s huge with curved horns. Its four-legged body is covered in arms, with tentacles that cause the ground to crack. Jentry and Ed run with Gugu floating close behind them. Gugu identifies the demon as an áo yīn. Ed clarified it’s a big, hungry murder cow.

One of the tentacles wraps around Jentry’s leg and brings it towards its mouth. The tongue is made up of human arms as well, and they reach out to drag her in. Gugu attempts to attack the áo yīn, but, being a ghost now, she flies right through it. They beg Ed to help, but he’s in a huff because they don’t find him scary. Jentry sweet-talks him into helping. As she’s drawn further towards the áo yīn’s mouth, her third eye opens and burns the demon’s hands into letting go of her. Ed steps up to do some damage and gets eaten.

The áo yīn pauses for a moment, and then its innards explode outward, spewing an avalanche of gut-covered arms. And Ed. Who immediately begs to hang out with Jentry and Gugu. Gugu denies the request, ordering him to get into the portal. Ed offers to stay and be useful. He points out they need to get rid of Gugu’s corpse. Even Gugu agrees it won’t look good if Jentry is found with a dead body next to a glowing portal.

Mr. Cheng

In the morning, Jentry pushes an old wheelchair. Ed and the corpse ride in the chair, swaddled together. Gugu still doesn’t trust Ed. She suspects he’s still working for Cheng (Greg Chun) and will stab them in their sleep. When Jentry asks how Gugu knows Cheng, Gugu gets a little shifty.

She explains that Cheng is a cautionary tale for Daoist priests, of which she is one. Cheng was one until his daughter died, and he fell to darkness. He struck a pact with a Mogui to bring her back. Now, he’s after Jentry’s powers because he believes her ability to open portals can save his daughter. Jentry wonders if that means she could bring Gugu and her parents back to life.

Gugu warns her that bringing people back from the dead is never a good idea. They get home, and Jentry realizes she can see the house ghosts now, a pair of dark-haired twin girls. They aren’t enthused that she can see them now. Jentry wants Gugu to teach her how to close the portal quickly so she can head back to Seoul.

Pivot

Gugu says she can’t leave until they’re sure Cheng is dead. However, she admits Jentry can’t miss out on school. Jentry begs her not to send her to school in Riverforks. Gugu points out she can’t neglect her studies. “What am I keeping you alive for if you don’t get into Stanford?” she asks.

Jentry argues she should be on guard in case other demons come through the portal. Ed reassures her that any demons who see the dead áo yīn will go right back to the Underground.

Back at the portal, two demons – Horse-Face (Stephen Fu) and Ox-Head (Kaiji Tang) – emerge. They realize the power that created the portal is greater than any demon wields. They spot the dying áo yīn and approach it. Cutting off its head, they declare the balance between worlds must be maintained.

First Day of School

Jentry arrives at Riverfork High School. All the kids drive Jeeps. She feels out of place. Vice-Principal Wheeler (Sean Allan Krill) greets her at the Staff Door. He invites her in. She’s taken aback that the entire board behind his desk is a crime board dedicated to the Demon Girl and the fire. His desk is also covered with Demon Girl merchandise. Wheeler calls for Stella Gonzales (Cristina Milizia) to be Jentry’s buddy.

As he enters her information for registration, he realizes she’s Flora Chau’s (Gugu) great-niece. When she tells him she went to school in Korea for several years, he asks her about what she remembers of the Great Fire. He tells her the fire burned up his baby boy’s favorite blanket. He’s obsessed with proving that the fire was caused by something demonic.

Jentry tries to divert his attention to her grades or transcripts, but he assures her he has everything he needs. He opened a file on his computer about her possibly being the cause of the fire. Stella arrives, and Wheeler asks her to help Jentry settle in at Riverfork High. Jentry can’t leave the office fast enough.

Stella and Jentry take a selfie together in the school hallway. — Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

At home, Gugu directs Ed to get items for her Daoist funeral. While they argue, Horse-Face and Ox-Head follow Jentry’s footsteps to the house. They approach but can’t get past a protective shield over the house. Ox-Head considers the situation and manages to pierce the shield with his weapon.

Rough Starts

Stella sees Jentry looking upset and asks if she’s okay. Jentry asks if Wheeler suspects every new student of being the Demon Girl. Stella says he’s really bought into the local mythology around the Great Fire. The lockers and walls at Riverfork High are papered with Fire Trauma, Fire Prevention, and Fire Safety flyers.

Just as Jentry emphatically declares herself sweat-free, she slips on a wet spot on the floor and falls into someone’s arms. She opens her eyes and finds herself staring at the handsome guy who caught her. He introduces himself as Kit (Woosung). He’s also new to Riverfork High. Stella helps extract her from the awkward verbal exchange.

Jentry makes it through the day at school despite constant reminders of the fire she caused as a child. At lunchtime, Stella warns her not to eat the cafeteria food. Her boyfriend’s bringing takeout, and she’s told him to bring extra for Jentry. Stella’s boyfriend turns out to be Michael (AJ Beckles).

In the house, Horse-Face and Ox-Head interrupt an argument between Gugu and Ed to demand the origin of Jentry’s powers. Gugu is outraged that they broke past her charms. They are unconcerned by her outrage.

Meltdown

In the cafeteria, Jentry’s bothered enough by Stella and Michael’s couple shenanigans to melt her spoon. Stella tells Michael about Jentry falling into Kit’s arms. With her powers still activated, she tries to make a quick exit but is intercepted by Wheeler. He asks her why Gugu’s house was the only one on her street that didn’t burn down. He notices a burning smell, and she uses his moment of distraction to leave.

Running to the bathroom, she dumps the melted spoon in a toilet and then has to throw some toilet paper that spontaneously combusts in, too. When she leaves the stall, two girls are staring at her. She tries to cover for the burning smell, but the whole stall bursts into flame, and the girls run out, screaming. The fire alarm triggers, and everyone evacuates the building.

Guarding the Gates of Diyu

At the house, Ed greets Horse-Face and Ox-Head by name. They are Diyu’s guards. He asks why they aren’t at their stations. Ox-Head informs him the gate is no use if there’s a portal to the Underworld ripped open. With Gugu urging him on, Ed tries to take on the guards, but to no effect. Gugu hears the sirens and rushes outside. She calls Jentry’s name, giving the guards a hint as to where she is. They teleport. Ed runs out of the house and tells Gugu to come with him to save Jentry.

Outside the school, Wheeler takes attendance and notices that Jentry isn’t accounted for. He rushes inside. Horse-Face and Ox-Head arrive. Inside the school, Jentry emerges from the washroom, soaked through. Finding the halls abandoned and the lights doing a weird flashing thing, she tries to leave but stops when Horse-Face confronts her.

An Ox-Head and a Capture

Ox-Head appears directly behind her. She tries to run for it and crashes into Ed with Gugu. Ed tries to challenge the guards, but they slice him in half and lock the halves in two different lockers.

The guards tell Jentry she cannot escape them. She decides to try anyway. Wheeler runs in the front doors just as she and Gugu dive under a table in the cafeteria. When Horse-Face gets a hold of her arm, her fire burns him, and he lets go. She jumps over a desk and accidentally turns on the PA microphone.

They capture Gugu. Gugu tells her to save herself, but she refuses to lose Gugu again. She opens her third eye and calls out the flames. The guards take defensive positions, and she realizes they’re afraid of her. She tells them they should be. Not realizing the mic is on, she tells them about setting the Great Fire as a child.

The Ultimatum

Ox-Head leaps at Jentry but strikes down the mic. He tells her they fear her because she has powers never meant for a mortal. Her existence threatens both their worlds. Horse-Face tells her she must close the portal. If she doesn’t close it, they must kill her. When she confesses she doesn’t know how she opened the portal, they prepare to kill her. Gugu intercedes and begs them for time so that Jentry can learn how to close the portal.

The guards take neutral poses and remind Jentry and Gugu that the bounds between the world are there to keep everybody safe. The longer the portal is open, the more suffering Jentry will cause. Horse-Face cautions Jentry that the Yellow Emperor’s powers always bring tragedy. They disappear, vowing to return if she doesn’t close the portal.

Wheeler arrives, wielding a fire extinguisher. He names her the Demon Girl and swears she won’t fool him again.

Burying Gugu

At home that night, Jentry brings a bowl of rice out to the burial ritual prepared for Gugu. She places it with bowls of oranges, flower vases, incense sticks and a photo of Gugu. Jentry bows three times to the shrine. As she places her incense stick in the holder, the candles blow out. Gugu asks her to relight them with her powers, but she opts to go get the matches. Gugu sits at the edge of the grave hole and looks down at her body.

Inside, Jentry looks for the matches in the kitchen. She finally finds a pack but turns around when a cupboard door opens. The ghost of a young Asian woman is furtively taking something. Jentry gasps. “Mom?!?”

Jentry Chau vs. the Underworld is streaming now on Netflix.

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Diana Keng

Diana lives in Vancouver, BC, Canada, where she invests her time and energy in teaching, writing, parenting, and indulging her love of all Trek and a myriad of other fandoms. She is a lifelong fan of smart sci-fi and fantasy media, an upstanding citizen of the United Federation of Planets, and a supporter of AFC Richmond 'til she dies. Her guilty pleasures include female-led procedurals, old-school sitcoms, and Bluey. She teaches, knits, and dreams big. You can also find her writing at The Televixen, Women at Warp, TV Fanatic, and TV Goodness.

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