Last year, Ramy Youssef’s eponymous Egyptian-American comedy debuted to rapturous reviews—even netting Youssef a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Series (Musical or Comedy). During his acceptance speech, Youssef quipped to the coterie of television and film, “I know you guys haven’t seen my show.” That should change after Season 2. “Ramy”—by virtue of Youssef and his co-creators Ari Katcher and Ryan Welch—returns to Hulu for its second season, and, once again, deftly explores the tribulations associated with balancing the dogmas of religion and identity in the midst of an immigrant family.
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When last left, while on a spiritual pilgrimage to Egypt, Ramy was embroiled in a sexual relationship with his cousin Amani (Rosaline Elbay). Now, he’s returned to New Jersey and hasn’t left his room. Instead, the young man is consuming his sorrows by way of gummy bears. In Season 2, Ramy’s storyline allows the comedy to tackle an important topic—Black Muslims, an often misunderstood community.
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While Ramy has always been a sarcastic, self-serving, sex-crazed narcissist, those vices are pitched to insufferable levels in Season 2. Hoping to fix his addiction to porn and sex—and his generally selfish demeanor—Ramy begins to follow the tutelage of a stoic Sheikh (Mahershala Ali). In becoming part of his mosque, Ramy also forms a romantic bond with the Sheikh’s daughter (MaameYaa Boafo), and for a time, appears to have changed.
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Between Ramy’s impulsive and terrible decisions, it’s a testament to Youssef’s acting that his character is remotely likable. Though even Youssef knows such empathy should be in short supply from viewers, and by season’s end, he does grapple with Ramy’s dangerous vices.
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In fact, Ramy is the least interesting person in this series, which says nothing against the strength of the character, but the greatness of the writing—at least, when it comes to contextualizing male figures. Indeed, all of the comedy’s authoritative male characters watch as their walled-in masculinity crumbles into disarrayed displays of emotion. For instance, the homophobic, sexist, anti-Semitic diamond trader Uncle Naseem (Laith Nakli) is given unexpected depth in an arc—transitioning from an arrogant punchline to self-hating sadness—where he struggles with his identity.
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Ramy’s father, Frank (Amr Waked), also reconsiders his unfulfilled American dream and his role as a father in an episode wrought with intimacy and regret. Another storyline features a white Iraqi War veteran suffering from PTSD, and even the tranquil Sheikh—in a scene brokered by Ali’s intense shades of disappointment—is overcome by hurt and betrayal by season’s end.
Unfortunately, “Ramy” rarely affords Muslim women the same unique multi-dimensional narratives. Though Ramy’s sister, Dena (May Calamawy), receives her own episode where she struggles against the “Evil eye” and a series of unlucky events, her arc flattens into a meandering line—adding little to her character. Likewise, Amani remains as the emotionally vulnerable taboo lover from Season 1, with no additional depth. Ramy’s mother, Maysa (Hiam Abbass), also receives another cocooned episode, one that asks her to explore the outside world. However, her arc only serves to expand another’s identity and not her own.
During this section, Maysa awaits the government’s approval of her U.S. Citizenship. The only warning they offer is to avoid any hint of a criminal record. But Lyft suspends her from driving due to complaints, which she suspects stems from a transgender passenger she unknowingly misgendered after questioning their wearing a dress. Though “Ramy” sharply expands its scope to include LGBTQIA+ viewpoints, Maysa is relegated to a woman mournful of her unfulfilled dreams and her othered awkwardness, terrain already covered during Season 1. While aligned with great performances from Calamawy, Abbass, and Elbay, these thin or repetitive storylines for the series’ women are especially troubling because of the report from “Hala” director Minhal Baig that “Ramy” dismissed many of its female writers from the prior season.
Even so, “Ramy” holds a strong footing as a deep dive into a rarely represented community, while parsing through the complexities of what it means to be a good Muslim man. Which in some respects makes the viewer wonder what it means to be a good person, even if such questions on the part of the audience happens unencumbered by the greater existential dread wrapped in a religion. Much like Donald Glover transitioned “Atlanta” from oddball slice-of-life perspectives to truly surreal humor, from Season 1 to 2, as does “Ramy.” In fact, over the course of the new episodes, Mia Khalifa guest stars, Ramy and Steve (Steve Way) visit an Atlantic City strip club during a snowstorm, and a marriage and divorce occur. These are only a sampling of the random events of this newest season. And while flawed in its gender representation with regards to its writing, “Ramy” remains just as funny and wildly unique. [B]
“Ramy” Season 2 premieres on Hulu on May 29.
