Hulu's new original dramedy Ramyis the latest in a surge of television shows about millennials coming to terms with their identity. It's difficult not to compare it with counterparts like Insecure,One on One Lessons Where You Learn Through Hands on Caressing Fleabag, Atlanta, Master of None, Dear White People, all of which are masterful in capturing the farrago of human emotions through nuanced humor and deep reflection.
SEE ALSO: The one line in the 'Fleabag' finale that cut me to the coreBut Ramy distinguishes itself through the revolutionary lens of its creator and star, Ramy Youssef. He brings his experiences growing up as an Egyptian-American Muslim in New Jersey to the show without holding anything back.
The first episode opens with Ramy getting lectured by his mother about finding a "high quality" woman at the mosque. This is followed by a scene involving him, an older traditional Muslim man, and the necessity of washing toes. No words can do justice to this scene's absurd greatness.
It is quickly established that Ramy is religious but doesn't fully know to what extent. He enjoys premarital sex but refrains from alcohol and drugs. He is familiar with verses of the Quran but when he tells a prospective match he reads them in English instead of Arabic, she shuts him down. Questions about commitment to his own faith linger throughout the season as he goes on a journey to figure out the answers.
Ramy takes a couple of episode to smooth out its narrative but the wait pays off in big ways.
I was already reeled in but it's the fourth episode that bowled me over. "Strawberries" takes place entirely in the past with Elisha Henig playing a 12-year-old Ramy.
When he starts the day, his biggest problem is the same as that of his white friends (and most pubescent boys): learning how to jerk off. He ends the day, which happens to be 9/11, being alienated by most of these friends and having a nightmare about Osama bin Laden.
Yeah, this is definitely not the kind of protagonist we're used to. It's what makes the show special. Ramy is a doe-eyed but intelligent lead who isn't ashamed to explore his love for his faith, despite the judgements society keeps throwing his way.
The show also challenges some of its own ideas when it focuses on Ramy's sister Dena, played by breakout star May Calamaway, who has to face serious sexism even from her own family. Her spotlight episode "Refugees" is a crushing, remarkable display of the inner demons she has to battle because of this.
Ramyaces demonstrating varied Muslim perspectives in an obvious yet subdued way. If you look at them individually or even as a family -- Ramy, Dena, their parents -- these are just your ordinary, hard-working folks living in a suburban New Jersey home. But they're not ordinary at all.
Their authentic stories being shown on-screen relay a cultural shift that is needed, and one that Ramy is a huge part of. Even in a divisive political climate, this show doesn't back down from doing an entire episode about Ramadan or letting its lead character immerse himself in religious prayer often.
Ramy is filling a gap by adding to representation for Egyptian-Americans, Muslim immigrants, and impactful diegesis about them. The compelling arcs will stick with you even after you're done watching the first 10 episodes, a task that should take you no time at all.
Ramy Season 1 is now streaming on Hulu.
Topics Hulu
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