Ramy: Confident and commanding television

Hailed as one of the best TV shows of the year when it was released in the US, this new series starts streaming tonight.

First impressions of Ramy are that it’s a loose, comical and insightful dramedy with a strong voice.

Then you get to the fourth episode and it hits you like a ton of bricks.

But let’s rewind.

Ramy was created by and stars Ramy Youssef, a 28-year-old American comedian and actor best known for smaller roles on See Dad Run and Mr Robot.

Like Donald Glover’s Atlanta and Aziz Ansari’s Master of None, Youssef’s TV show distils its creator’s authorial voice into a series of vignettes that reveals the experiences of someone who’s not at the apex of the American social structure.

Ramy, like his family, is a practising Muslim of Egyptian heritage.

The TV series explores what it’s like to be a first-generation immigrant and Muslim in New Jersey, balancing the demands of his family and faith with the aspirations of a Millennial who wants to follow his passions, whatever they are, and despite his family’s proclamation that “passion is for white people”.

Ramy has a strong authorial voice

The fictionalised Ramy, called Ramy Hassan in the show, is a conduit for the experiences of many, but also, you suspect, for Youssef. It’s probably why the show has the weight of authenticity even though it’s light on its feet.

The characters aren’t just archetypes, they’re fleshed out with eccentricities and inner lives.

Each episode deals with specific scenarios like dating within and outside your culture or sudden unemployment. It all creates a rich tapestry of a character and a world that is both specific and relatable.

But back to that fourth episode. Told entirely in flashback, it starts off as a story about young Ramy trying to figure that age-old rite-of-passage for tweens, puberty and masturbation.

And just when you’re laughing awkwardly at how embarrassing the whole thing is, the tone shifts dramatically — it’s September 11, 2001 and the Twin Towers have been attacked.

The episode looks at the experiences, injustices and questions that are demanded of a young Muslim kid in the wake of national trauma.

His friends ask him if his family are terrorists, he’s disinvited to a pool party and his father hangs an American flag outside their house even as his white neighbour eyes him with suspicion.

The world of Ramy is full of greys and quandaries Picture: Barbara Nitke/Hulu.

In 28 minutes, that episode of Ramy nails the complexity of having everyone question your integrity because of your faith and how you look, leading to an adoption of performative patriotism, even if you’re only 10 years old.

It also clearly ties it to how that formative experience impacts on your sense of belonging as an adult.

At the heart of Ramy’s experiences are the rules and expectations we place on ourselves and other people, and the boundaries we think we’re limited by.

Ramy doesn’t know everything, and sometimes he’s guilty of the same unchecked prejudices or privilege he recognises in others. This is a show that proves life is a constant negotiation — none of us are always the one discriminated against or the one doing the discriminating.

There’s a push and pull to power dynamics and Ramy captures that nuance with heart, humour and intelligence. This is confident and commanding television.

Ramy is streaming now on Stan

Share your TV and movies obsessions | @wenleima