What's New and What's Changed?

At the end of Season 2, Ramy, an Egyptian-American Muslim millennial from New Jersey, told his new wife Zainab — on the night of their wedding, after he took her virginity — that he slept with his cousin the night before and likes the idea of having multiple wives. Unsurprisingly, Zainab left him.

Season 3 picks up two years later, with Ramy no longer sure what he believes as he struggles to better his life. Meanwhile, his family is in dire straits. His dad has lost his job, and they might lose the house. His sister Dena is studying for the Bar Exam and also struggling with her own beliefs as an Egyptian, Muslim woman in America.
 

Who's involved?

• Series co-creator Ramy Youssef returns in the show’s titular role.
• May Calamawy (Moon Knight) plays Ramy’s sister Dena. Once naive and semi-religious, in Season 3, she breaks all the rules of Islam and struggles with what she actually cares about in life.
• Hiam Abbas (Succession) plays Maysa, Ramy’s mom, who is unhappy in her marriage and doesn’t understand her kids. She’s quick to anger, and she stands firm in her values.
• Amr Waked plays Farouk, Ramy’s dad. Farouk lost his job and his savings in a bad investment deal in Egypt. He’s now doing grocery deliveries for Instacart and selling the family’s belongings online while coming up with new, half-baked business ideas.
• Laith Nakli (Ms. Marvel) plays Uncle Naseem, Ramy’s anti-Semetic, closeted uncle, who owns a jewelry store that Ramy works for.
• Dave Merheje plays Ahmed, Ramy’s close friend who works as a doctor.
• Mo Amer (Mo) plays Mo, Ramy’s other close friend, who owns a diner.
• Steve Way plays Steve, Ramy’s disabled friend with whom it seems he hasn’t kept in close touch.
• Shadi Alfons plays Ramy’s cousin Shadi, who has moved from Cairo into the family’s garage, where he spends his time watching American movies and doing shrooms.
• Bella Hadid guest stars as Lena, Steve’s extremely odd new girlfriend, who’s obsessed with The Office.
• Julian Sergi guest stars as Yuval, Ramy’s co-worker in the jewelry industry.

Why (and to whom) do we recommend it?

A revelation when it first premiered in 2019, Ramy’s third season may be its strongest yet, with its characters more fleshed out and complex, and Ramy Youssef, who also writes the show, really nailing so much of the Egyptian-American Muslim experience.

This season, Ramy grapples with getting his life back together following the events of Season 2. He no longer knows if he believes in God, which is a huge change for the character, who always struggled to be more religious, despite breaking many of the tenets of Islam. But the change makes sense and is depicted realistically, given Ramy’s experiences thus far.

Although the show sticks to its absurdist sense of humor (in one episode, Ramy sells a moldavite stone to a man who claims to be an elf and has the stone implanted into his forehead), this season doesn’t shy away from more serious topics. 

For instance, one episode takes place in Israel, where Ramy is confronted with the realities of Palestinian life in the country. The series isn’t afraid to take a stance and show the atrocities that are being committed against the Palestinians; however, it does so with nuance. An Israeli woman that Ramy works for defends her choice to live in the country by asking Ramy if he’s proud to be American, despite America’s similar atrocities. 

“Sometimes,” Ramy responds, highlighting that the problem isn’t as simple as it seems.

Throughout its run, Ramy has been just as strong when the focus isn’t on its lead character, and Season 3 is no different, with the show continuing to delve into the lives of Maysa and Farouk, as well as Dena and Uncle Naseem.

Maysa and Farouk are struggling to make ends meet, and their marriage is on the rocks. Youssef and team do a great job of depicting a realistic immigrant couple who made America their home but remain outsiders. The ideas of home and identity play a large role this season, as Farouk is told by his own brother that he’s no longer Egyptian. He’s American now, having lived here longer than he lived in Egypt. And when Uncle Naseem gets the opportunity to go back to his homeland of Palestine, he’s stopped by the IDF at the border and denied entry. America isn’t his real home, but neither is Palestine anymore.

And Dena, too, struggles with her identity. She’s not as naive as she was in Season 1, but she still doesn’t know who she is or what she wants. The show does an excellent job depicting her growth, and the changes she’s undergone make sense. In many ways, Dena is the most interesting and likable character in the series, and May Calamawy shines in the role.

Finally, we have to address Bella Hadid’s role. Hadid is great in her scenes, playing a very weird woman who only talks about The Office, and she brings a refreshing change into Steve’s life. The Steve-centric episodes in Seasons 1 and 2 were pretty cringeworthy, but with Hadid by his side, the cringe is gone, and it’s nice to see Youssef give the character some redemption and happiness.

Ramy Season 3 toggles between comedy and drama, delving into controversial topics with ease and charm. It’s easily one of the best shows of the year.

Pairs well with

• Mo (Netflix): Ramy’s Mo Amer stars in his own show about the Palestinian immigrant experience in Houston. (Read our review.) 
• Atlanta (Streams on Hulu) Donald Glover’s acclaimed FX dramedy leans a bit more into the serious and surreal, but its characters go through life with a similar sense of aimlessness as they try to figure out who they are and what’s important. (Read our review.) 
• Insecure (Streams on HBO Max) When it comes to sharing stories and experiences specific to under-represented communities, Issa Rae’s HBO comedy is the gold standard. (Read our review.)