Round Two: Awkwafina is Nora from Queens

Awkwafina is Nora from Queens: Season 1, Episode 2 “Atlantic City” (B-)

I wasn’t overly fond of this second installment, which I think leaned into the over-the-top premise of this show more than the pilot did. Nora’s plan to stay at home enjoying herself to “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights” all day seemed ready to please her, but then her grandmother, who obviously passed down some traits to her, guilted her into coming to Atlantic City for the day. I’m not sure why “Hostel 2” was the film of choice for that ride, but Nora was evidently in the right mood, ready to gamble as much as she could and make some money. She should have stuck with the slots since there aren’t rules against how you play there, and her excitement about her strategy failed her quickly when she announced that she was counting cards. Grandma didn’t fare too much better when her grandmother had to contend with another group of Asians hogging the one outlet in the food court. I suppose it’s possible that such things actually happen, but this felt unnecessarily exaggerated. Half an hour doesn’t feel like too much time to spend on this kind of show, but it’s going to have to prove itself as a bit more worthwhile and slightly serious if I’m going to continue with it for more than another episode or two. I’m also still not entirely clear on whether Awkwafina’s name is supposed to be in the title or if that’s just a marketing strategy to make sure that people watch no matter what series it is.