Mo season two: As Netflix announces return date, here's what to know about the hit series

Loosely based on creator Mo Amer's life, it became a critical triumph after its 2022 debut

The first season concluded with Mo Najjar stranded in Mexico. Photo: Netflix

Season two of the Netflix hit Mo will return next month, the streaming platform announced.

The first concluded with its eponymous protagonist stranded in Mexico, pursued by a gang and unsure of how he will re-enter the US in time for his family’s asylum hearing. The second, which will air on January 30, will show Mo Najjar (Mo Amer) trying to get back to his family in Houston.

The journey won’t be straightforward for Mo, a Palestinian refugee without a passport. To make matters worse, there have been developments at home that further threaten to upend his life.

“Little does he know that the journey home is just the start of his troubles,” Netflix’s synopsis reads. “There's a new guy in town ready to steal both his longtime love Maria and his falafel taco recipe.”

Mo won the Breakthrough Series at the Gotham Awards in 2022. Photo: Netflix

The first season of Mo was a critical hit after it aired in 2022, raking in a 100 per cent rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. Loosely based on the life of its creator and lead, Palestinian-American comedian Mo Amer, it was praised as a "major moment" for Palestinian representation. It also won the Breakthrough Series at the Gotham Awards in 2022.

Born in Kuwait, Amer fled to the US with his family in 1990, before finally obtaining US citizenship in 2009. The semi-autobiographical series tells the story of Mo Najjar, played by Amer, who Netflix has described as “a man who’s learning to adapt to his new world as he embarks on the path to US citizenship”.

The show delved into the experiences of a Palestinian descendent growing up in Texas, and was inspired by Amer’s experiences hustling to support his family while waiting for news on his asylum request.

The series stars Daughters of Abdulrahman actress Farah Bseiso, Limetown actor Omar Elba, Narcos: Mexico actress Teresa Ruiz and rapper Tobe Nwigwe.

Simon Rex and Johanna Braddy are also joining the cast for the second season. Rex will be taking the role of a chef named Guy who becomes Mo's romantic rival. Braddy, meanwhile, will portray Austin, described by Netflix as "a vivacious and slightly unhinged Texan" who is the sister-in-law of Mo's good friend Hameed, played by Saudi comedian Moayad Alnefaie.