An episode exploring this new plane of achievement is exactly what we got tonight. To make another season about moving out of the storage space and climbing another rung on the ladder of a regionally famous mid-level rapper would’ve likely rang inauthentic, and frankly uninteresting. Donald Glover has signed an eight-figure development deal with Amazon, is said to be getting his own channel on the platform, and is developing a show with Malia Obama on staff. Lakeith Stanfield has been nominated for an Oscar. Zazie Beetz and Bryan Tyree Henry are both (kind of?) Marvel superheroes. Jayson Buford is calling Yankees World Series from the jump.Ībe Beame might fuck around and release a Nic Cage-inspired cookbook.Ĭoming into this season of Atlanta, I expected there would be a shift to the contradictions, frustrations and horrors that come with transformative wealth and success because the entire cast has moved to different stages in their career. Show your support for our tireless staff of writers by subscribing to the Passion of the Weiss Patreon. This is why Atlanta is so great.In the ‘Atlanta’ cinematic universe, Paper Boi still frequents this site. It can feel, at times, uncomfortable, which is probably something Glover is really trying to achieve, to really show you a raw, uncensored glimpse into a different world. It’s a life that many poor, black citizens in the outskirts of The New South are familiar with, but one that the vast majority of viewers isn’t. There’s the hazy heat that makes you think the characters are constantly on the cusp of perspiring. There are screen doors slamming on beat up row homes. There are late nights at shitty grocery stores. Glover helps paint a vibrant portrait of life in the backstreets of The ATL. They’re part of the reason the show is enjoyable to watch, but the overwhelming reason is Atlanta itself. Darius, who is Paper Boi’s good friend/business adviser for no reason, is the comedic relief. Paper Boi is the talented one who’s a tad dopey in the ways of the world. Earn is the Princeton dropout who’s far too smart for his current situation. These effects are not always positive, as can see in the first two minutes of the show’s first episode. The first few episodes are really a study in celebrity, as Paper Boi starts to experience the effects of stardom, albeit on a very small scale. Alfred “Paper Boi” Miles, with the help of his cousin-turned-potential-manager, Earn Marks (Donald Glover), gets a single on a local radio station and that propels him to a minor level of fame within the community. Hip hop is one of those potential avenues for filling your bank account, and that’s what Atlanta is about: an up-and-coming rapper named Paper Boi (Brian Tyree Henry). In a way, it’s kinda relaxing, and you kinda don’t care about a plot developing.īut it’s not like there’s no plot. The show makes you feel those minutes dripping by. Conversations are more like planning meetings. Scenes pass slowly in sparse apartments and in dusty yards. Everyone’s kinda bored but also kinda hustling. The show, as the name would suggest, takes place in Atlanta, but more specifically it takes place in the rougher neighborhoods of Atlanta, where people need money they don’t have but are presented with few avenues to get it. But don’t let this deter you there’s beauty in the languidness. Not only are the characters constantly partaking in said activity, but the show crawls along at about the same pace as the world after you’ve smoked a joint. If you’ve ever smoked, sank into your couch, and surveyed the world moving slowly around you, you’ll know what it feels like to watch Atlanta. What Donald Glover will be known for, however, is Atlanta, the new FX series he created. All of these projects have been successful. Donald Glover has written for 30 Rock, acted in Community, and performed as a recording artist under the name Childish Gambino.
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