Kung Fu's Olivia Liang Breaks Down The Resurrection Of A Longtime Character In The Season 3 Premiere - Exclusive
Throughout the first two seasons of "Kung Fu," Olivia Liang's Nicky Shen has relied on the wisdom of her shifu Pei-Ling (Vanessa Kai) to guide her. Pei-Ling's presence in Nicky's life was a bit unexpected, given Pei-Ling perished in the show's very first episode. But it seemed after training her for three years at a Chinese monastery, Pei-Ling's connection to Nicky remained strong even from beyond the grave.
However, in the show's second season, when Nicky followed her mentor through a strange realm to learn more about the bloodlines that infused both her and her cousin Mia (Vanessa Yao) with powers, she made a startling discovery. Xiao, the ancient alchemist who created the bloodlines, was using Pei-Ling's visage to get close to Nicky and gain access to Mia, whom she wanted dead.
While Nicky and Mia managed to avoid falling prey to Xiao, in the Season 2 finale, a woman who looked just like Pei-Ling — and Xiao — arrived in the real world. In the Season 3 premiere, Nicky learns about her presence and takes her in, insisting it's her long-lost shifu. It's understandable if fans aren't so sure. Liang sat down with Looper to discuss Nicky's feelings about Pei-Ling's return and whether or not Pei-Ling is really who she seems.
'Maybe it's too good to be true'
When asked if the newly resurrected Pei-Ling can be trusted, Olivia Liang immediately admitted, "No, probably not." Pei-Ling's presence is a comfort to Nicky after all the struggles she's experienced since her return to her hometown of San Francisco, but Liang said her character also knows that Pei-Ling's reappearance could be something darker.
"Nicky wants it so badly to be Pei-Ling but because of all the stuff that went down in Season 2, there is that underlying danger that maybe it's not her, maybe it's Xiao, maybe it's too good to be true," Liang reflected. "As much as Nicky wants it to be, she is wary, and we're going to see her struggle with that, we're going to see all the characters struggle with that this season."
Now that Pei-Ling is flesh and blood, one thing that isn't in question is the fun of seeing Vanessa Kai interact with the entire "Kung Fu" cast. "We were all sitting in a green room together, and it was most of the cast together, including Vanessa, which is rare because most of her stuff through the first two seasons [was] with me and Yvonne [Chapman, who played Zhilan]," Liang remembered. "I was like, 'Vanessa, it's really nice to see you interacting with everyone and also out of that orange outfit.' It's been fun to watch her character get to know the other characters. Nicky's been talking about her for two seasons with these people who didn't get to meet her, and now everyone gets the joy of the Pei-Ling wisdom and getting her in their lives."
The third season of "Kung Fu" airs on The CW on Wednesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET. New episodes are available on the CW website and app the following day.