Ramy Youssef teams up with Pam Brady of South Park for a surreal and boisterous animated sitcom, #1 Happy Family USA, on Prime Video. Though not as powerful as Youssef’s earlier work, it offers delight through the eccentric misadventures of the Hussein family pre- and post-9/11. Beware the unicorn with a coffee mug who doesn’t believe in decaf.
Meet the Husseins
The Husseins are an Egyptian American family living in suburban New Jersey, leading delightfully mundane lives until world events upend their routine. Patriarch Hussein, voiced by Youssef, pedals kebabs from his food truck, while his wife Sharia works in teeth territory at a dental clinic. Their daughter, Mona, navigates her budding political interests, despite facing stiffer competition than a spoon in a knife fight. And then there’s Rumi, the tween son battling puberty’s awkwardness, all while his world changes on September 10, 2001.
The Elephant in the Animated Room
Setting the story on the eve of 9/11 delivers an undercurrent of dread juxtaposed against vibrant animation. The show tickles around issues of identity, using humor that could be tighter than a can of sardines. The premiere charms with family dynamics, like when Hussein partners with his brother at the food truck (in Midtown Manhattan, of all places). Mona wrestles with coming out to her parents, and Rumi has less-than-stellar attempts at wooing his teacher (Mandy Moore, a solid but surreal choice).
Flashes of Brilliance and Blocks of Absurdity
The series teeters between poignant cultural commentary and sheer chaos. It employs musical numbers and dizzying plot tangents, including Sharia’s boss, who could rival a highly caffeinated raccoon for unpredictability. Occasionally, the comedy falls flat, like a poorly kneaded soufflé, particularly with jokes that mistake sad reality for parody.
Cultural Collision and Family Tension
Hussein and Sharia’s contrasting approaches to assimilation form the heart of the tale, as wild and tangled as spaghetti in a blender. Their choices impact Rumi, who is caught sniffing for his identity in a post-9/11 America. The show wobbles on its satirical legs, but Rumi’s earnest character offers a delicate counterbalance.
Cracks in the Cartoon
While it might not punch deep in social critique, the show discovers a playful rhythm toward season’s end. The animation doesn’t reinvent the chalk wheel but breathes life into Rumi’s journey through dreamlike escapism and trauma. There’s a potential masterpiece bubbling beneath this animated circus, but its over-the-top antics occasionally eclipse it like an overly ambitious eclipse.
Look out for unexpected shifts in comedic tempo and possibly three-toed sloths discussing existential dread over herbal tea—next Wednesday on Prime!
