Fish-out-of-water configurations have generated laughter for at least seven centuries, with Chaucer mentioning “fish without water” in the introduction to “The Canterbury Tales.” In the modern era, television comedies from “The Beverly Hillbillies” to “Fresh Off the Boat” to “Ted Lasso” have played the clueless outsider card to great comic effect. This Emmy season, dramas, both limited and ongoing, took those uncomfortable scenarios to darker purposes by parachuting English-speaking characters into foreign countries. In addition to offering beautiful locations, the interspersed protagonists of these series provoke culture-clash narratives packed with refreshingly diverse casts.
Here's a snapshot of four recent shows that extract maximum drama from the misadventures of strangers in a strange land.
John Blackthorne of the “Shogun” began his stay in Japan being considered a “barbarian.”
(Katie Yu/FX)
'SHOGUN'
FX/Hulu
Adapted from James Clavell's 1970 bestseller by Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo, the story is set in feudal Japan around 1590.
The stranger comes from: England
Why are you in Japan: Ship pilot John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) accidentally ends up in Japan after his storm-battered ship washes ashore.
Do you speak the language? No. The language barrier provides comic relief whenever Blackthorne spits Anglo-Saxon obscenities at his uncomprehending Japanese captors, as when he calls an adversary “a sniveling little bag of shit.” Blackthorne's ignorance of language and customs serves dramatic purpose as he forges a special bond with his translator, Lady Mariko (Anna Sawai).
Foreign concept: The eightfold fence. As Mariko explained to the impetuous Blackthorne, women are conditioned to hide their true feelings behind an impenetrable barrier. Blackthorne's consort, Usami Fuji (Moeka Hoshi), for example, sheds no visible tears after a warlord kills her husband and her young son for reasons of “family honor.”
Ansel Elgort stars in “Tokyo Vice.”
(HBO max)
'VICE FROM TOKYO'
max.
Based on Jake Adelstein's 2009 memoir, “Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan,” and executive produced by “Miami Vice” creator Michael Mann, the series was filmed on location in the capital from Japan.
The Stranger comes from: Missouri
Why are you in Tokyo: Strikingly tall and white, journalist Jake (Ansel Elgort) has moved to Japan driven by his fascination with culture in general and Yakuza organized crime gangs in particular.
Do you speak the language? Yes. Elgort studied Japanese four hours a day for a month until he became fluent enough to improvise dialogue.
Foreign concept: Hostess clubs. These nightspots are frequented by men who pay fully clothed women to chat, flirt and drink.
Local color: Scooters and noodle shops abound day and night in a city that seemingly never sleeps. And tattoos play a starring role in the Yakuza subculture, shown when criminals with bodies tattooed from head to toe gather in a public bathroom to kill their psychotic leader.
Above his head: Jake is having a secret affair with the lover of a sadistic Yakuza crime boss.
Clive Owen plays Sam Spade in “Monsieur Spade.”
(Black Bear/AMC)
'MONSIEUR SWORD'
AMC
Catching up with Dashiell Hammett's famous world-weary detective two decades after his heyday as “Maltese Falcon,” co-creators Scott Frank and Tom Fontana imagine Sam Spade (Clive Owen) living quietly in the south of France.
The Stranger comes from: San Francisco
Why are you in France: In 1955, Spade delivers the precocious orphan Teresa (Ella Feraud) to the town of Bozouls. There, he falls in love and marries a beautiful vineyard owner, Gabrielle (Chiara Mastroianni), settling into a comfortable life on her estate while she maintains a cantankerous distance from the locals.
Do you speak the language? Noalthough he manages to introduce himself in French: “My name is “Sam Spade.”
Local color: Filmed on location in the south of France, “Spade” contrasts sun-dappled countryside views with the dark, narrow streets of ancient Bozouls.
Provincial antagonists: Spade comes out of retirement in 1963 after assassins raid the local convent where Teresa lived. Half a dozen shady characters try, unsuccessfully, to intimidate the expressionless detective, who ingratiates himself with no one in town except salon owner Marguerite (Louise Bourgoin). Even the police chief, Patrice Michaud (Denis Ménochet), warns the wisecracking Spade: “You might want to protect yourself with something more reliable than just your wits.”
Bonde Sham and Ji-young Yoo star in “Expats.”
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'EXPATED'
main video
Inspired by the novel “The Expatriates” by Janice YK Lee, series creator Lulu Wang (“The Farewell”) explores grief, guilt and motherhood through the lives of three women temporarily residing in Hong Kong.
The Strangers come from: New York and Los Angeles
Why Hong Kong: Nicole Kidman's Margaret moved with her three children to Hong Kong because her husband Clarke's (Brian Tee) promotion required a job transfer. Sarayu Blue's Hilary, who changed her name from Harpreet Singh, also moved away due to her husband's job. Bonus: Hong Kong puts distance between Hilary and her hypercritical mother. Ji-young Yoo's Columbia University graduate Mercy traveled to Hong Kong to start over.
Speak the language? Minimally, except for the bilingual Yoo.
Local color: Night market. The city's wild tangle of street vendors serves as the setting for the show's central tragedy. “Expats” was filmed in Hong Kong during the pandemic, when COVID restrictions limited filmmakers' access to normally bustling public spaces.
Foreign concept: Wealth, not geography, defines the dynamics of family rental families for “expats.” Margaret thinks of her Filipino nanny Essie (Ruby Ruiz) as part of her family, while Hilary, heartbroken by fertility issues and bullied by her mother, comes to see housekeeper Puri (Amelyn Pardenilla) as her only friend.
Living in a bubble: “Expats” takes place in 2014 during the island nation’s “Umbrella Revolution.” Margaret and Hilary, ensconced in their luxurious condominiums, barely notice the pro-democracy student protests. When the revolution takes center stage in one episode, Mercy’s Hong Kong friend Charly (Bonde Sham) scolds her: “It’s not your fight and it never was. You are a tourist. It doesn't affect your future. Not precisely. You can just leave.”
