What I’m Watching: United States of Al (Season Premiere)

United States of Al: Season 2, Episode 1 “Promises/Wadaha” (B)

The themes of this show have become increasingly relevant given the renewed public attention on Afghanistan in the wake of the Taliban’s takeover of the country. I was curious to see how this show, which does rely on jokes to drive its storylines, would do in light of this, and it makes sense that the first episode would be presented without a laugh track. The content wasn’t inherently funny, even if there were a few jokes thrown in there, mainly having to do with Art. The way everyone banded together to try to help Al’s family feels similar to real life, taking a break from comedy to get serious and deal with the realities on the ground. There is room for tragedy and heartbreak in the sitcom world, and many of the most memorable TV episodes have sprung from the real-life death of the portrayer of a character’s parent or some similarly sad event. While the situation in Afghanistan won’t allow for Al to be happy or at peace far away in America, I imagine that subsequent installments will return to the sitcom format while keeping a focus on advocacy for Afghan refugees who will likely be present in greater and more prominent numbers after the evacuation of Kabul. I do like the characters here and I’m eager to see how they find moments of humor in a difficult and unimaginable present that forces them to change how they go about their daily lives to keep what’s important to them at the forefront of their minds.