United States of Al

UNITED STATES OF AL stars ADHIR KALYAN and PARKER YOUNG in a comedy about the friendship between Riley (Young), a Marine combat veteran struggling to readjust to civilian life in Ohio, and Awalmir (“Al”) (Kalyan), the interpreter who served with his unit in Afghanistan and has just arrived to start a new life in America. The series also stars ELIZABETH ALDERFER as Lizzie, Riley’s sister; DEAN NORRIS as Art, Riley’s father; KELLI GOSS as Vanessa, Riley’s ex-wife; and FARRAH MACKENZIE as Hazel, Riley and Vanessa’s daughter. In the second season premiere episode, Al, Riley, Art, Lizzie and Vanessa work together against a ticking clock to get Al’s sister, Hassina (guest star SITARA ATTAIE) out of Afghanistan and to safety, after Kabul falls. The story is inspired by the actual experiences of the Afghan and military veteran writers on the series who worked together to evacuate family members during the takeover of Afghanistan.

Al and Riley take on second jobs as “repo men” to make extra money to send to Al’s sister, but Riley’s behavior while working becomes concerning.

While Al tries to find an eligible Afghan-American bachelor for his sister to marry so she can move to the United States, Riley and Freddy challenge each other to an intense bowling match. AZITA GHANIZADA returns as Al’s crush, Ariana; and comedian/series writer FAHIM ANWAR guest stars as Ariana’s brother, Mo.

When Al begins having panic attacks, Riley, Art and Lizzie encourage him to seek therapy so he can deal with stress.

After Al and Ariana begin dating, they quickly realize they have different ideas about courtship. Also, when Hazel is punished and can’t go to the drag race with Art, he takes Vanessa instead.

Riley struggles with his disability rating as he prepares to meet up with some military buddies for Veterans Day. Also, with Art’s help, Lizzie finally opens a box of her fiancé’s belongings.

When Al struggles with the college class he is taking, Riley takes it upon himself to speak to his professor. Also, Art’s confidence is shaken when he learns his girlfriend, Lois (guest star RACHEL BAY JONES) used to be married to a professional football star. JOHN ROSS BOWIE guest stars as Al’s Psychology Instructor, Professor Williams.

While Al is heavily medicated following surgery on his wisdom teeth, he mistakenly insults Art, forcing Riley to choose sides. Also, Lizzie tries to broker peace among Art, Riley and Al.

Vanessa becomes upset when Riley invites his new girlfriend, Holly (guest star AMANDA PAYTON) to a family Christmas party. Also, Art is uncomfortable when Lois gets him an incredibly expensive sweater as a gift.

When Al invites his professor over for dinner, Professor Williams and Lizzie start flirting with each other. Also, Riley hits a snag in his physical relationship with Holly and seeks out his therapist for help.

When Hazel gets in trouble at school, Riley and Vanessa disagree on how to handle the issue.

Art grows concerned when Al gets hooked on playing poker, misses a class and is late for work. Also, Lizzie and Brett’s relationship grows stronger, but she struggles with dating again for the first time in a few years.

Upset that Freddy (recurring guest star BRIAN THOMAS SMITH) taught Hazel how to ride a bike while he was deployed, Riley attempts to teach her something new to make up for it. Also, Ariana invites Al to a fundraiser involving spin bikes, where he becomes competitive with Ariana’s handsome cycling instructor. Lastly, Art introduces Lois to his favorite secret pastime.

Riley finally realizes how hard it was on Vanessa to be home while he was deployed in Afghanistan. Also, Lizzie and Lois grow closer, which concerns Art. Meanwhile, Hazel starts a dog-walking business and ropes in Al to help her.

When Riley realizes how much he cares for Holly, he tries to impress her with a giant romantic gesture. Meanwhile, Vanessa tries to talk Hazel out of getting a drastic haircut.

When Art tries to hide his gout flare up, the family is shocked to learn how long it’s been since he saw a doctor, and they try to convince him to go.

Heartbroken over Ariana, Al begins dating Cindy (guest star JAYMA MAYS), who Riley feels is too wild for him.

Riley and Vanessa decide to officially file for divorce, but the process stirs up old feelings. Meanwhile, Al dates both Cindy and Ariana in the hopes of figuring out which woman is the right fit for him.

Riley begins to feel guilty about his affair with Vanessa after a heart-to-heart with her boyfriend, Freddy. Also, Al’s family wants to arrange a marriage for him back home because they don’t approve of him dating multiple women.

Al decides to take his relationship with Cindy to the next level, but things go awry when he becomes incredibly nervous. Also, Riley learns some information about Vanessa that makes him wonder if they are on the same page about their relationship.

The family grows concerned when Al starts skipping classes to spend more time with Cindy. Also, Riley questions how much longer he and Vanessa can keep hiding their relationship.

In the second season finale, Riley comes clean to Freddy about his relationship with Vanessa after he learns that Freddy proposed to her. Also, Cindy becomes increasingly more possessive of Al, which makes him reconsider their future.