What I’m Watching: Ramy

Ramy: Season 2, Episode 7 “Atlantic City” (A-)

I was completely wowed by the opening montage of this episode featuring romantic conversations between Ramy and Zainab, and that did not prepare me at all for some of the content that came later. I thought for a second about when we saw them both last and realized that it’s been since episode four thanks to the very worthwhile focus on Ramy’s sister and mother. It’s crazy to think that they might already be headed for marriage, but that beautiful sequence of calls showed just how much they’re opening up to each other and realizing that they may in fact be a good couple. While that means one thing for the newly religious Ramy, his friends understood it to be their last chance to get him to come out and party, something he was not at all up for at this point in his life. Not wanting to disappoint Steve and Mo convinced him to go to Atlantic City even though he knew it was a mistake, and it went about as expected. Getting kicked out of the strip club for talking about religion was hardly a badge of honor, and it just left everyone feeling disappointed. Ramy needing to help Steve finish what was started in the strip club could have been played for outright comedy, and I appreciate more that Steve was so intent that Ramy couldn’t do it if it was purely to absolve himself of sin. Steve isn’t religious but he does have certain principles, and even though he asserted his desires over his friend’s, he doesn’t appreciate the indoctrination and superiority that those with strongly held beliefs try to exert over others. The most powerful scene for me was when Ahmed confronted Ramy in the bathroom about how he had prayed for so long for Ramy to be better and wasted those prayers on someone he hadn’t found deserving.

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.