So heres my special plea for all the Emmy voters out there: Dont forget aboutRamy.
But I hope the TV Academy will take another look at Youssefs profound accomplishments.
As a performer, hes dazed and confused, whiplashing Ramy the character between urges spiritual and physical.
Credit: Barbara Nitke/Hulu
Remarkably, in the first season ofRamy, Youssefs most brilliant creative contribution is behind the camera.
He doesnt appear at all in the fourth episode, Strawberries, a flashback episode to Ramys adolescence.
Robot as young Ramy.
Hes a kid cusping on teendom at a very specific cultural moment.
Ramys pals are already all talking about masturbation.
He has no real idea what theyre talking about.
The twist in Strawberries arrives unexpectedly.
Before he can do anything, history intervenes.
Cries of sorrow and fear echo through the school corridors, and every classroom is watching the news.
Strawberries is both more realistic and more brazenly surreal.
The juxtaposition of Ramys story with the larger international tale crisscrosses the confessional-personal with the twisty-political.
Strawberries is no exception.
Young Ramys reaction to the attacks is hyper-specific, and feels autobiographical in the most seeking way.
Youssefs work on Strawberries surely deserves Emmy nominations for the Comedy Writing and Comedy Directing categories.
Youssefs star is on the rise.
