United States of Al Canceled by CBS After 2 Seasons
Showing posts with label United States of Al. Show all posts
Showing posts with label United States of Al. Show all posts
United States of Al - Season 2, Episode 14 Review
USofAl shifts back into sitcom mode with a rare episode that does not mention Afghan refugees.
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 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)
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