It doesn't make sense for a show about seeking asylum in America to be a comedy. Mo is able to accomplish this while still showing light on the struggles of immigrants.
Mo explores the life of a Palestinian family in Houston, Texas who have a pending asylum case in order to pay their bills. Mo is a character who struggles to keep jobs and support his family: his mother Yusra and brother Sameer. Mo was fired from a long-standing job due to his refugee status in the first episode of the show. He gets a job at a strip club, becomes increasingly dependent on lean, and hides all of this from his family.
Mo's relationship with Maria makes his problems worse. Maria is Catholic, Mo is Muslim, and Yusra is not a fan of them all.
Mo and Maria (played by Teresa Ruiz) strive to have their relationship accepted. Credit: Netflix.
Mo's exploration of identity is one of the greatest strengths of the show. Mo's actions are at odds with his religious and cultural values. Larger questions of contemporary America and what it means to be American are brought to the fore by this dichotomy.
The theme is executed through situational comedy and dialogue, as well as the aesthetic and raw depiction of Houston, where Amer actually grew up, and Kuwait, where the fictional Najjars were forced to live after fleeing Palestine. Mo's various interests, as well as his code-switching, come together in these two locations, but they are vastly different ways of serving him. His adopted city is a place with a lot of friends but also a place where he is afraid of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. His once- home is a point of pride. The characters' everyday lives are infused with Palestinian culture. Mo carries a bottle of his mother's olive oil wherever he goes, a sign of his roots and a metaphor for resilience for many Palestinians. In one episode the character says Houston is home. I have another place I can't leave.
Mo and his mother Yusra (Farah Bsieso). Credit: Netflix
In one instance, we laugh at a perfectly-worded insult Mo whips out, and in the next moment, we wait silently as we watch the hunger in Mo's eyes. "Tombstone", episode 5, is a great example of this seesaw: a particularly hilarious scene with the new lawyer Mo has hired stands out, but so does a poignant moment where Mo and his two siblings pray at their dad's grave. There is both amusement and a chance for empathizing with viewers at the same time.
Mo Amer, Omar Elba, Cherien Dabis, who play siblings in 'Mo', pray at their father's grave. Credit: Netflix
Mo's character viewers will increasingly root for, and it's not known if the second season of the show is in the works. It would be well deserved. Mo may be the most important show of the year. Many Americans who have spent decades in a country that they can't legally define as their own are presented with a reality in the show. Mo's representation is much more than just a word. The show's eight-episode run is informed by it.
It's no easy task to tell the story of immigrants in a time constrained manner, but each episode gives viewers fresh insight, jokes, and things to ponder.
Mo is on the internet.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
