Critic Reviews

Amer—and co-creator Ramy Youssef and writers Chris Gabo, Harris Danow, Azhar Usman, Anna Salinas, Jacqui Rivera, and Luis Sivoli—excel at the one-two punch of exposing a stark reality (one that's important to witness) followed by masterful comic relief, delivered with suave embodiment by Amer.

Its only fault – if there is one – is that it seems to end too soon, with loose ends still to tie up, and surely more screen time needed for unhinged patriot Hameed (Moayad Alnefaie). Still, if this is the final season after all, Mo at least leaves us with the feeling that all good meals do – full to the brim but still greedily eager for more.

Like any good iteration, Mo takes its audience places the original [Ramy] didn't.. ... If you're expecting a series about a Palestinian refugee living in a U.S. border town to have its political moments, then Mo won't disappoint. Having said that, the show's greatest virtue may be that it rarely forgets that it's a fast-paced, breezy sitcom that doesn't linger too long on our conscience.

The show’s recently released second and, sadly, final season raises the stakes of his misadventures, taking darker turns but abandoning neither the absurd humor nor the glimpses of beauty that add dimensions to Amer’s quintessentially American, Palestinian-refugee story. .... The funniest as well as the most eloquent episodes come in the second half of the season, when the ensemble is back together.

The heaviness of the second season and his somber reality is not pushed to the wayside, as it is integral to Amer and his onscreen counterpart's story. .... Mo season 2 is a must-watch.

You find truth in the mundane, and as a series Mo is a bountiful and fascinating landscape in which to spend time and learn. ... Mo is also just a fun watch. Amer as Najjar is charming and entirely at ease on camera. He’s incredibly natural leading the series.

The series elevates a familiar set-up by filling itself with material that is, even just by virtue of its existence, quietly radical. At the same time, however, some of its shortcomings feel like the result of adhering too closely to the contrived conventions of its genre. There may be promise in this regard, though, since “Mo” has already proven itself confident enough to sidestep the pressures that loomed over it from the outset and find its own step.

Despite these minor bumps in the road, “Mo” remains an innately compelling show, due in no small part to that thrilling dissonance between Mo’s gregariousness and the deep wells of historical pain hidden underneath.

Over eight half-hour episodes, the dramedy keeps itself afloat through a likable sense of humor and an eye for clever details, even as it frequently wades into deep, heavy waters.

You will want to put a fist through the screen at several points on fiercely loving and frustrated Maria’s behalf. All while laughing with them. It’s a wonderful thing.