Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens may be the only scripted live-action original romp on Comedy Central but thank goodness it is. We need this show. Awkwafina (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, The Little Mermaid) co-created this fun, offbeat series with Teresa Hsiao. At first glance, season three is something of a marvel.

“It’s that rule of threes thing with the third season,” mused co-star Bowen Yang (Fire Island, Saturday Night Live). “It feels like we’ve established this pattern, and thank goodness because this [experience] is really up there as one of my favorite projects I’ve ever done.”

There’s a great deal of zest swirling around the upcoming season. In fact, it may be the best outing thus far for the series, which debuted back in 2020. Alongside the addition of recurring guest star Jennifer Esposito, most recently (and ironically) seen in the film Somewhere in Queens, the upcoming season is loaded with other celebrity appearances — Lea DeLaria, Michael Bolton, Janeane Garofalo, Gina Gershon, and the indelible Judy Gold, to note a few.

Awkwafina herself also moves into new creative waters, making her directorial debut in one episode. Bill Benz, Jordan Kim, and Laura Murphy put on the director’s hat for other episodes.

As Nora (Awkwafina) continues her attempts to embrace adulthood, dad Wally (B.D. Wong), Grandma (Lor Tan Chinn), and cousin Edmund (Yang) come along for the fun, but also surf through their own changes in season three. Bowen Yang shared more about his experience on the show in the exclusive MovieWeb clip below.

Bowan Yang Unpacks Awkwafina’s Power

Offbeat humor has always defined Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens, and season three attempts to go even further creatively than in past seasons. We find Nora searching for meaning everywhere. She nabs a local job and even appears in a reality competition show. It’s fun to see all that play out. Themes of identity and success filter into the upcoming season, too. Aging is on Grandma’s mind, for instance, and Edmund experiences a career boost as an actor. Dad Wally seriously considers making very big changes.

Yang says that overall, Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens stands out for many reasons:

“There’s this lovely lane we’re in. This show is about an Asian family, and we can point to examples right now in media that are funny but try to round it out with something grim and dark. This is just something so light on its feet and so wonderful for that reason. People really respond to it. Nora […] is one of the only shows we’re going to get stopped on the street by, like, people in Queens. Working class people in Queens love that show. It connects on so many levels and to so many different sectors. It binds people together in ways that aren’t expected.”

Comedy Central

For the most part, TV casts and crew create a symbiotic relationship as they co-create a show. Considering Awkwafina’s unrelenting wit and talent, one must ask: What has been the most interesting thing Yang learned working with the headliner?

Related: Exclusive: B.D. Wong and Lori Tan Chinn on Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens’ Sweet Spot in Season 3

“So much. I mean, from the basic stuff like, ‘This is how you hit the mark’ to the ways she’s able to set the tone for a set. You know, she’s No. 1 on the call sheet. She understands her responsibility. And to see that in action has really taught me so much about taking that level of care to other things I go into.

“If I have the power to, you know, offer that kind of care in a certain way, that’s an invaluable thing on a set to learn,” he added. “Awkwafina has really been so direct about showing people that.”

Teresa Hsiao on Collaborating With Awkwafina

Comedy Central

“Everyone sees how funny she is. She’s just incredible,” beamed Teresa Hsiao about working with Awkwafina and co-creating the series with her. “She’s the person you see on screen just being really funny. For me, the surprising thing was just how smart, thoughtful, kind, generous she is in real life.”

Related: Best American Movies with an Ensemble Cast of Asian Characters, Ranked

Hsiao is quick to point out that Awkwafina also makes her directorial debut in season there, an act that generated positive ripple effects throughout season three’s production cycle. “That was something that really set the tone for the show — like the show as a family, especially now in season three. We’ve all kind of gone through it together. That lightness in tone for the show really does come from her.”

Other standouts in the upcoming season include Nora considering therapy after having recurring nightmares. Meanwhile, Wally decides to make a big leap with Brenda (Jennifer Esposito), and watch for Grandma to mourn a significant loss.

“I hope the show continues to be a fun sell for everyone,” Hsiao said. “It’s wacky and fantastical, and there are moments that are a little crazy. But at the same time, I think it’s grounded. It’s very real and very emotional. I’m excited for people to finally see it.”

Season three of Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens hits Comedy Central on April 26.