In the American sitcom New Girl, on a park bench in Los Angeles, twentysomething shambles Nick Miller (Jake Johnson) befriends an old man named Tran (Ralph Ahn), who helps him work through a conundrum without uttering a word. Tran pops up throughout the show’s seven seasons, his soothing, silent counsel helping Nick navigate adult life. It’s worth watching the entire, criminally underrated series just for this beautiful, untypical friendship. Fans have speculated that Tran is a figment of Nick’s imagination, a tight-lipped Tyler Durden with kind eyes and an infectious smile. But real or not, Tran clearly represents the father...