TV Review: RAMY Season 2 Is Makes Compassion A Funny, Hot Mess
When you are person of color, in America, it is hard to meld, bridge, and take pride on the fact that you are apart of two worlds. Add on that, beyond being multi-cultural, you are just a regular, human being trying to figure out what things like, “Love,” “Hope,” and “Purpose,” mean to you, and you can feel VERY bombarded. In Season 2, Ramy feels absolutely crushed, but what Phoenix didn’t rise after combusting into ash?
The first thing I loved about Season 2 was not just that it is funnier and more confident, which you would expect after its first-round success; what I loved was that it was an emotionally accurate follow-up. When you first start embracing your culture and trying to find a new PATH in your life, naturally, there is a ripe blend of fear, excitement, wonder, and even child-like innocence. You are a seeker, but then you, actually, start seeing things and a journey that was once giddily scary becomes depressing and slightly numbing. It is in this point that we find our beloved hero, and Ramy Youssef is both humorous and heart-warming as the self-titled character. He has a demeanor that screams, “SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHERE I BELONG!” Those words feel like the most Millennial plea I have ever heard, and Youssef emotes it with such sweet sincerity, you want to hug him. Enter Mahershala Ali to GIVE MY LIFE JOY and Ramy a hug!
Ramy: Season 2 Trailer (Official) * A Hulu Original
It is hard not to look at your screen with dough-eyes when Mr.Ali shows up with his strength and elegance. There is a graceful, impose to Ali’s presence as Sheikh Ali. He immediately gives you this vibe that says, “THE TEACHER IS HERE, CHILDREN!” His ability to appear as firm a tree rooted into earth feels perfect for Ramy, who may come off noble, but also comes off needy and feeble. In always thinking less of himself, there are times you want to slap Ramy, of which his friends feel like the perfect guys to shake him: Steve Way’s Steve, Dave Merheje’s Ahmed, and Mohammed Amer’s Mo. After all, who are we without our friends to hilariously call us out or even our girlfriend, MaameYa Boafo as the fiercely smart, serene Zainab. Like her father, Sheikh Ali, she has the most impactful influence on Ramy by going all Iyanla Vanzant “Fix My Life.“
Okay! Confession Time! It was only a few years ago when I realized that depression comes from your ego. Your constant sadness may be rightful in its pity, but it still is self-pity, which is never good. The theme of Ramy Season 2 is so powerful because it is about compassion, and how the empathy we show towards other allows us to build the kindness and empathy we need for ourselves. Thus, the journey of Ramy this season feels heightened by the mishaps, misunderstandings, and meanings that come from Ramy’s battles with his own selfishness and and lack of clarity. He immerses himself into any situation with an open heart, like his growing closeness with the Sufi Center, but he has the tendency to shut his brain. Yet, when you are trying to be a better person, intuition is a muscle not so easily built, and Season 2 is a superbly funny look into Ramy’s efforts to do so. RAMY Season 2 premieres on HULU May 29.
