In 2019, the world was introduced to Ramy, which tells the story of millennial Ramy Yousseff, a first-generation American-born, who deals with life as a young Muslim man in America. The Hulu exclusive show has been a success for the comedian thus far, with Yousseff receiving a Golden Globe in 2020 and nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards as both an actor and director. We decided to take a look at five moments that truly shot out at us from his show:
Ramy, Are You A Terrorist? (Season 01: Episode 04 – Strawberries)
In one of the more prominent episodes of the first season, Ramy flashes back to 2001 when he’s just a little kid growing up in America. The episode mainly focuses on young Ramy and his friends a little bit before the tragic day of 09/11. Once that heinous crime happened, Ramy is questioned by his “friends” whether he’s a terrorist or not. Of course, he isn’t and we all know he isn’t, but his “friends” aren’t convinced; So they pressure him to masturbate into a leaf to prove that he’s not a terrorist. This moment was a callback to Ramy lying about masturbating six times a day before 09/11. Ramy gets scared and doesn’t do it, but that never matters anyway as his “friends” are long gone by then. It’s rare that we get a Muslim’s perspective on the effects that 09/11 has had on their lives and that heartbreaking moment exemplified how they are treated just because of their race or nationality. We as an audience are able to connect more with Ramy because we understand his difficulties as a Muslim growing up just because of a heinous crime committed by one man.
Maysa’s Realization That The French Guy Has A Wife (Season 01: Episode 07 – Ne Me Quitte Pas)
This episode focused on Ramy’s mother, Maysa, who’s looking for a connection that she doesn’t get much at home. Maysa ends up taking an Uber gig, thinking that it would be the perfect way to meet new people; however, reality quickly sets in that the job isn’t rainbows and kittens. Eventually, she meets a passenger who speaks French, and the two are able to connect through their culture and cigarettes. When the businessman gives Maysa his personal number, Maysa thinks it’s a sign that something more could happen until she meets the wife of the French passenger. Maysa’s plight of loneliness is felt throughout the episode and her realization that the French guy was married is soul-crushing. Sure, it’s clear that she wanted something intimate with the guy, which would be cheating but the episode does an excellent job of showcasing just how lonely she feels despite having a husband, daughter, and son.
Ramy Listens To Kristi’s Song (Season 01: Episode 08 – Saving Mikaela)
This was arguably one of the most uncomfortably funny episodes of season one. What starts off with Ramy wanting to help his wheelchair friend Steve get laid sets off a host of problems. The first, the girls, are underage. Though in the case of Steve, who’s me-too proof, you’ll understand why he opts for a 16-year-old high school girl. However, the situation gets more awkward when Ramy talks to Kristi, Mikaela’s friend; The revelation that the girl is suicidal prompts Ramy to be really tender and sweet to Kristi, which is where the weird song comes in. It’s all about Mikaela’s betrayal and it is one of the most awkward and hilarious things you’ll ever see. The song is bad and so is Mikaela’s singing; however, Ramy clearly doesn’t want to hurt the young girl’s feelings. While suicide is the topic of this episode, Ramy and the writers made sure to tackle this subject in a nice, delicate manner.
Ramy Kisses His Cousin (Season 01: Episode 10 – Cairo Cowboy)
Ramy has a hot cousin! This season finale saw Ramy back home in Egypt. Thus far, Ramy’s experience hasn’t been what he was looking for and his grandpa dying right before his eyes didn’t help matters. However, he spends time with his cousin and the attraction between the two grows deeper. On a bridge, Amani and Ramy talk about their failed love lives and Ramy professes his love to his cousin. It’s clear that the feelings are mutual for Amani, but as she continues to say, “we’re cousins”. Ramy kisses her anyway, but she stops him and repeats the same line. The show goes off with both looking awkward over what just happened. What’s great about this moment is how much is packed into one single scene. Ramy’s love life is a mess; Sure, the guy gets laid more than most men, but it’s nothing more than sexual. He finally meets a girl that’s perfect for him, unfortunately, it’s his cousin. We want to root for Ramy to get a win because we understand the struggles he and Amani have to deal with when it comes to love. So while this sweet and tender moment is Game of Thronesy, it’s still one of the best scenes in season one.
Dennis Kills A Protester (Season 02: Episode 02 – Can You Hear Me Now?)
In season two, Ramy finally admits to how much his life is a mess. He even revealed that he and Amani had sex! However, our young protagonist is trying to do better with his life and seeks spiritual guidance; Enter Mahershala Ali’s Sheikh Ali, a wise and patient soul who’s trying to get some balance in Rami’s life. Fast forward to episode two, and Ramy meets Dennis, a homeless soldier who’s suffering from PTSD. Despite the numerous warning signs that something isn’t right with the guy, Ramy’s selfishness overlooks those several warning signs and pushes forward in trying to help this veteran. Everything appears good and well until Dennis snaps and kills one of the protestors outside of the mosque. This was a powerful moment from the second season. It’s noted how selfish Ramy is and this theme hit him like a brick wall here. Ramy was so focused on doing good deeds to make himself feel better that he never paid attention to the problems this man was clearly facing. This was a powerful message and the writers did an excellent job communicating it. Following this moment, Ramy can truly grow and we as the audience will be there rooting for him to do so.
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