Saturday, May 30, 2020

What I’m Watching: Ramy (Season Premiere)


Ramy: Season 2, Episode 1 “Bay’ah” (B+)

I’m very excited that this show is back, and it feels like it’s been more than thirteen months since its last new episodes premiered (though I didn’t finish season one until the end of June. This opener was a strong reimmersion back into Ramy’s world, providing some helpful hints about what I forgot happened when Ramy went to Egypt. He certainly is masturbating a lot since his return, and he’s much more conflicted about the contradictions of his religion and his desires than he’s ever been. I like that the imam told him that the prophet didn’t watch porn, to which Ramy replied that the prophet didn’t have porn. Michael was helpful in directing Ramy to a new imam, played by two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali, who’s also a two-time Emmy nominee for his performances on “True Detective” and “House of Cards.” He seemed a bit too eccentric at first, but he showed Ramy that he was actually listening to what he was saying by not dismissing his urges and inner conflict. Discussing the conditions of the actresses working in porn and asking him if he had showered were fair things for Ramy to contemplate, and he definitely got him to open up about everything that was bothering him. Farouk drinking whiskey to impress his boss while Maysa was confusing Eva Longoria and Jessica Alba was a major development that is sure to have reverberations throughout this season for this family. Ramy having the gun Uncle Naseem gave him pointed at him in the bathroom was an intense experience that added considerably to this multifaceted episode. I look forward to experiencing the rest of this season over the next few weeks.

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