Count me among the legions of Asian American Gleeks who’ve been irritably waiting for show producers Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan to do something interesting with Harry Shum Jr.’s peripatetic footballer-turned-dance machine, Mike Chang. Really, RyBrI: After two years of back-bench toil as the mostly mute “Other Asian,” there isn’t a performer on the show who’s earned a turn in the spotlight more than Harry. And given the season-opener revelation that Chang is a senior, with little likelihood of sticking around on the show post-McKinley, this season could represent Shum’s final chance to shine.  [SPOILER ALERT! Don't read this column before the show if you want to be completely surprised by the plot.]  We thought it would happen last season, after Jenna Ushkowitz’s Tina spontaneously fell for Mike’s laser-etched abs at Asian Camp, launching the promising Chang-Squared romance. So far, that’s turned out to be mostly a tease: Yes, the cutest Asian couple on primetime (not that there’s much competition) has gotten a sliver of extra screentime and some charming cutaway cuddle scenes. But instead of a launchpad to real character development and substantial storylines, TiKe has mostly been an excuse for throwaway ethnic gags. I mean, chicken feet salad?  That’s why the previews for tonight’s episode raised both hopes and hackles. Yes, this looked like an opportunity for Mike to finally stand at center stage. But the clips also made it clear that his subplot would drape Our Man Chang in lame clichés of model minority whiz-kids and High Expectation Asian Parents. So which would it be: A much-needed Shum showcase or a perfect storm of Asian stereotypes?  The answer is: Both … sort of. The setup isn’t promising: Chang, juggling football, show choir, dance practice and his relationship with Tina, shockingly gets an A-minus in Chemistry — e.g., an “Asian F,” per the episode’s title. This leads his father, Mike Chang, Sr. (“Last Airbender’s” Keong Sim) to descend upon Principal Figgins with a series of ultimatums, ranging from subjecting Mike to mandatory daily drug testing to booting Tina from the school as an unacceptable distraction. (Hilariously, the last demand is the only one that Figgins is willing to entertain, given ex-goth Cohen-Chang’s apparent continued abuse of the principal’s vampirophobia as a means to excuse herself from gym class.)  But if Chang Sr. is a problem, Mrs. Chang (Tamlyn Tomita) ends up being the solution. Instead of going full tiger, Mama Chang surprisingly ends up being sympathetic to Mike’s dreams, not least because she’s a thwarted terpsichorean herself. Which leads to a touching moment, in which Mike leads his mom in a waltz around the dance studio, the two sharing their mutual love of tripping the light fantastic. The only awkwardness in this otherwise sweet scene? Accepting that Tomita, forever frozen in the Eighties among those of us who crushed on her in the era of “Karate Kid II,” is actually old enough to be a high school senior’s mom. Kumikooooo!  And then, Mike Chang sings. He sings! And he’s not bad! At all! In fact, his solo rendition of the “West Side Story” classic “Cool” is one of the highlights of the episode, opening up a world of new opportunities for our footloose favorite to grab some limelight as the rest of the season unfurls.  So how would I grade the episode? A little uneven, but good overall — and with signs of great potential. I’ll give it a B-plus.  Of course, that translates into an Asian F-minus. Back to the books, Murphy/Falchuk/Brennan!  After nearly eight years writing the column “Asian Pop” for the San Francisco Chronicle, Jeff Yang launches his new column, “Tao Jones,” here on Speakeasy this week. Tune in Friday for the first installment.  What do you think about “Glee,” Mike Chang and Tiger parenting? Leave your thoughts in the comments.
"Glee" is finally focusing on the lives (and singing abilities) of its Asian characters. Is the show doing justice to the world of Tiger Moms, Dads and Cubs? Columnist Jeff Yang offers his thoughts.