“#1 Glad Household USA” opens on September 10, 2001 — a day like every other.
For the Hussein household, which means Rumi (voiced by Ramy Youssef) wakes as much as placed on his new, outsized, knock-off Michael Jordan jersey. (As a substitute of the No. 23, it’s double zeroes, and as a substitute of “Bulls” it says “Balls.”) Earlier than he can complain, his father scolds him for costing the household an excessive amount of cash. (A written breakdown of his month-to-month bills contains $4.71 for “online game electrical energy,” $5.61 for fruit roll-ups, and $314.05 for “Poke-Man” playing cards.) His sister Mona (Alia Shawkat), in the meantime, does nothing unsuitable. Her bills are the bottom within the family, which makes her daddy’s favourite — “I like you the most,” he says, kissing her on the brow. Rumi’s mother Sharia (Salma Hindy) tries to defend her son, however she’s received her palms full along with her personal dad and mom. Grandpa is a non secular purist, demanding to placed on the Quran over breakfast and promising his personal daughter she’ll “rot in hell” alongside her mom (his spouse), who he berates for watching an excessive amount of TV.
The vibes are… not nice, however they’re additionally undiluted. It’s a home crammed with love within the type of chaos, and it’s simple to identify everybody’s routines and priorities, simply because it’s simple to see how they’ve all tailored to accommodate each other. When Hussein (the daddy’s full identify is Hussein Hussein) delicately asks his mother-in-law to show off the TV, with the intention to preserve vitality and lower your expenses, she whips the ability wire in opposition to his face with out taking her eyes off the display screen. Mona is gaming her dad’s system by manipulating the electrical energy panel to decrease her personal hours (thus currying his favor), they usually all do their finest to disregard grandpa’s antiquated ramblings, figuring out it’s higher to let him jabber on than to attempt to right a cussed previous man’s indelicate opinions.
However their routines, their customs, and their lives are about to alter. As everybody watching already is aware of and because the Husseins are about to seek out out, the distinction between residing in America as a Muslim household on September 10 and residing in America as a Muslim household on September 11 is stark. Current biases are magnified and impartial positions flip hostile. It’s the period of “see one thing, say one thing” (with none readability on what both “one thing” must be), the surveillance state (with no sign of ending), and Fox Information (relaxation in hell, Roger Ailes).
On prime of reviving the acute emotions of worry, confusion, and anger tied to the years instantly following Osama bin Laden’s assaults, “#1 Glad Household USA” arrives at a time when comparable sentiments amongst immigrant communities are as soon as once more peaking. Stories of illegal searches, detentions, and deportations overwhelm the information cycle. Individuals are being suggested to flee, if they’ve the assets, or keep away, in the event that they’re already in a foreign country. Are we on the precipice of a constitutional disaster, or is it already right here?
So… who’s able to chortle? Properly, prepared or not, anybody prepared to pattern “#1 Glad Household USA” could have a tough time holding again. Created by Youssef (“Ramy”) and Pam Brady (“South Park”), the Amazon Prime Video unique has no enterprise being as humorous as its first season proves to be. Bombarded with jokes, spoken and visualized, whereas bolstered by colourful, period-appropriate animation (in a notice to critics, Youssef mentioned, “We needed to downgrade our computer systems to get the look we needed”) “#1 Glad Household USA” wields its black-comic wit with sweeping breadth whereas nonetheless honoring the ache and terror felt by Muslims and immigrants making an attempt to outlive in America with out dropping themselves.
Many of the episodes are centered round Rumi, a not-so-subtle avatar for Ramy Youssef, who in 2001 was additionally a younger Muslim boy residing in New Jersey along with his Egyptian dad and mom. Rumi desires what most children his age need: to make the basketball staff, to slot in at college, and to have intercourse along with his trainer, who he’ll finally marry (after she will get out of jail — , due to the statutory rape).
However after 9/11, Rumi descends into “a social dying spiral.” Throughout present and inform, his classmates ask him why he hates America. They disinvite him from events, and even his mates battle to know what he’s going via. Rumi tries every part to get again to the life he’d had earlier than. He learns about code-switching from his pal Marcus, who’s Black. He tries to trick his household into transferring away, considering life could be simpler wherever else. He even enlists assist from President George W. Bush, after he’s “caught” illegally downloading music and prompted by a pop-up to contact “curious_george_bush43” by way of AOL On the spot Messenger.
His father isn’t doing any higher. Hussein (additionally voiced by Youssef) was a surgeon in Egypt, however now he’s the proud proprietor of a halal cart, which he parks outdoors Fox Information headquarters in Manhattan. Solely now, nobody desires to eat “overseas meat,” so he agrees to seem on TV as “Halal Harry” within the hopes of proving his patriotism. Actually, that’s all Hussein can concentrate on anymore. When he leaves the home, he shaves his bushy beard into a skinny mustache, slaps on a polo with khakis, and breaks his spiritual rules to drink beer like “an actual American.” (The animation captures the household’s transformations with a glitchy electrical present, like their brown complexion and colourful personalities are getting zapped proper out of them, to allow them to slot in with the white outdoors world.)
As over-the-top as his conduct will be, you may’t blame Hussein. He’s underneath fixed surveillance at residence due to a brand new neighbor who simply occurs to work for the FBI (completely voiced by Timothy Olyphant), and his brother has already been taken in by the authorities, sans warrant or clarification. All this makes Sharia’s refusal to refute her id all of the extra admirable — and nerve-wracking. She wears her hijab in every single place, outdoors the home and inside, together with at work. Fortunately, her boss (Kieran Culkin) is supportive — dancing on the road between applicable consideration and cultural appropriation — even when his reassurances are removed from common.
“#1 Glad Household USA’s” clear episodic construction permits it to take the acquainted form of its animated friends — a persistently humorous, animated household sitcom for adults — whereas nonetheless nonetheless standing out via its distinct perspective and story. One episode sees Hussein making an attempt to make mates with Dan, his new neighbor, besides the stakes are a lot increased than your typical home drama since Dan may also be residing throughout the road to spy on Hussein and his household. One other episode sees Mona working for sophistication president, however the stress doesn’t boil down as to if she wins or loses; it’s centered on the truth that she’s homosexual and seems like she has to cover it from her household much more than her classmates. A distinct entry follows Rumi as he joins a Devil-worshiping rock band, however the purpose isn’t simply to extricate him earlier than he does lasting injury to his vocal chords; it’s to know the painful feelings he can solely convey via growl-singing.
Amid the onslaught of jokes — I haven’t even discovered time to say Lamby, a heart-meltingly lovable lamb the household was going to sacrifice earlier than she began speaking to Rumi, however who nonetheless, very a lot, desires to die — “#1 Glad Household USA” makes time to acknowledge the darkness driving its darkish comedy. The Husseins live in worry — worry of being deported, harassed, or worse. That worry forces them to assimilate, which might result in them betraying their core beliefs. It’s a troublesome and complicated time for anybody, however much more so for a creating child like Rumi.
“#1 Glad Household USA” could show too troublesome for some audiences to sit down via. Far be it from me to inform anybody what their consolation stage is within the yr 2025, however judged by the excessive bar it set for itself, in addition to the subjective impression of this very white critic, the animated comedy is a powerful feat. Humorous and unhappy, exaggerated and sincere, Youssef and Brady’s collection affords escape and catharsis, all on the similar time.
Grade: B+
“#1 Glad Household USA” premieres Thursday, April 17 on Amazon Prime Video. All eight episodes of Season 1 will probably be launched without delay.