USofAl shifts back into sitcom mode with a rare episode that does not mention Afghan refugees.
United States of Al - Season 2, Episode 14 Review
Showing posts with label Dean Norris. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dean Norris. Show all posts
United States of Al, Season 2 Episode 13 Review - Hunter
Meanwhile, Al, determined to impress Ariana at an Afghan refugee fund-raiser spin cycle-a-thon, gets down right petulant when he competes against the hunky spin class instructor.
And with the house to themselves, Art and Lois enjoy privacy at home and then out in the city as vigilante anti-graffitists.
With USofAL's audience numbers steadily climbing, the show must be doing something right. But this is an example of the uneven writing that keeps the show from being heads above any other must-see TV.
It's funny and touching to see Riley interact with his daughter, especially when he realizes how much he's missed in his daughter's life - Parker Young and Farrah Mackenzie have great chemistry.
But the show's biggest challenge is how to develop Al as a multi-dimensional comic character. Is he the stranger in a strange land? Are we laughing at his conservative values? It certainly comes across that way with Al's immature bravado competing with the spin instructor. Ariana is too Westernized for Al and she's already condemned him for being an interpreter, but the show insists that they could be a couple even though Ariana shows no interest in Al. Combined with the show's unique situation of being the only show about an Afghan refugee, and you can almost feel the tug of war in the writers' room as they steer Al from serious issues to a memorable funny character that will keep a growing audience coming back every week.
United States of Al: Season 2, Episode 9 Review - Christmas
Ah, the great American tradition - the sitcom Christmas special! USofAL takes a novel twist on the 'meaning of Christmas' theme that usually hits the airwaves with an episode that pokes at materialism, love, and, yes, the true meaning of Christmas.
Al (Adhir Kalyan) celebrates his first American Christmas and fortunately the writers resist too much immigrant humor because, let's face it, as an interpreter with the U.S. Marines, the holidays and all its revelry can't be completely strange to him.
Instead the episode focuses on Riley (Parker Young) who finally asks out Holly (Amanda Payton), the bartender who gave him her number a few episodes ago. As a veteran herself, Holly and Riley immediately connect and have a fun raunchy week together so he decides to invite her to his father's Christmas party.
At the party, Riley's ex Vanessa (Kelli Goss) immediately gets jealous of his happiness. It's one thing for her to enjoy the first season and a half of Riley's alcoholic misery but it's another thing to see him glowing in Holly's presence. Vanessa gets into a drunken fit before getting warned off by Riley's sister, Lizzie (Elizabeth Alderfer). (Small point here - why the need to go to booze all the time? It's an overused crutch in this show!)
Meanwhile, Riley's dad Art (Dean Norris) gets a sweater from his girlfriend Lois (Rachel Bay Jones) but freaks when Lizzie tells him the sweater is worth more than their house. As the only loner here, is Lizzie being vindictive?
Art ends up with a heart-to-heart with Lois about gift-giving while Riley and Vanessa have their own conversation that obviously shows the two still have feelings for each other. It's a holiday episode that ends up more reflective than joyous, all in keeping with the difficult balancing act USofAL has juggled with this season.
**
Harrison Cheung is the author of the award-winning biography of Christian Bale (BenBella Books) and a contributor to Brave New Hollywood and The TV Ratings Guide.
@harrisonic (Twitter)
United States of Al: Season 2 Episode 8 Review
While heavily medicated from having his wisdom teeth removed, Al mistakenly insults Art, which forces Riley to choose sides; Lizzie tries to help Art, Riley and Al make peace.
This is one of those episodes where the writing could have transcended sitcom norms. We've seen the "drugged post-dentist" gag, but when Al tells Art he's a bad father for letting his kids walk all over him, the next morning of regret escalates quickly into an argument about American versus Afghanistan culture.
Things get serious fast when Al snaps at Art that Afghanistan is tired of being the U.S., China and Pakistan's game board. It's a sharp political zinger - I imagined the show writers rubbing their hands in glee - that makes you wonder if the post-dental surgery truth serum has scratched the surface of what Afghanis really think about behind closed doors and polite conversation.
To escape Art's wrath, Riley and Al end up camping in the back of Riley's truth, reminiscing about their time together in Afghanistan during night patrols. It's a nice moment but as if the writers ran out of gas or lost their nerve, they toss in a convenient MacGuffin that reunites the family.
What a disappointing ending. This episode had a lot of potential to explore Al and Art's truths and perception of each other and their countries.
Harrison Cheung is the author of the award-winning biography of Christian Bale (BenBella Books) and a contributor to Brave New Hollywood and The TV Ratings Guide.
@harrisonic (Twitter)
United States of Al Season 2 Episode 7 Review
In this episode, Al (Adhir Kalyan) takes a psychology course at the local college and struggles with college level English. When he gets an F on an assignment, Riley (Parker Young) heads to the school to ask the professor to go easy on Al because English isn't his first language.
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