Atlanta (FX TV Series)

OK, apparently I've made it to the season two finale. I'm actually surprised that Earn was still working for Paper Boi at the beginning of this episode, because he seemed very serious about replacing him after ep 9. OK, Earn is trying to get a gun to some location that requires a passport? Seriously? Why are they moving? There's something seriously wrong with Darius. How does that guy know that his cousin has more connections than black people? Could he have said something more offensive? Not sure why Paper Boi seems to trust Darius a lot more than he does Earn. The tension between Paper Boi and Earn is so palpable right now. I loved what Paper Boi said to Earn on the plane. I actually screamed when I realized they left Tracy. Not sure how Earn arranged a European tour but it is incentive enough to give season 3 a shot.

There's a lot of implied jumps in time. If someone seems suddenly more famous than they were, particularly between seasons, that's just the show telling us that a lot happened between the two. But it's easy enough to trace, since Paper Boi's trajectory was clearly upwards the last time we saw him.

A lot of shows would do the formulaic thing of showing the Big Break and the celebration of same and blah blah blah. But that's been done to death, it's expected. So expected that it's jarring to see a show skip over that. But that's Atlanta. It's more interested in the stuff in between those big things. It skips over the stuff other shows build around and spends entire episodes on isolated things other shows never show at all.

Yoda, your interjections here are probably what's keeping me watching this show, not to mention a tad of morbid curiosity, so I guess we're venturing into season 3 now. OK, just what I should have expected...the opening scene of season 3 features two characters I've never seen before. Who are these people? Once again, the truth is revealed that only white people don't use a washcloth in the shower. This kid has been sent to a home being hassled by bill collectors? Amber and Gayle are insane though I don't know why I'm supposed to care I think Gayle killed that woman and I don't think this was her first murder either. OK, we had to wait 30 seconds before the episode ended to see a connection to the first two seasons, but Yoda, as Denzel said to everyone he got on the stand in Philadelphia, talk to me like I'm a five year old and tell me exactly what the hell that episode was about please?

OK, season 3 ep 2...Paper Boi is in jail in Copenhagen already. An American in Jail in a foreign country is never a good thing. Loving Darius as a blonde. There's no freaking way Paper Boi is going to wear that costume and I'm glad Earn knew that. Love that Paper Boi didn't want to leave jail til he got his lunch. OK, why did Vanessa fly to Europe but doesn't seemed concerned at all about hooking up with Earn. Still don't understand how Paper Boi ended up in jail. That was SO creepy when that guy said he would destroy Earn then beat up someone else. What's up with Vanessa?

It's based on a real life crime story. A disturbing one (which I imagine is obvious given what happens in the episode), for that matter. Sometimes Atlanta circles back and connects seemingly isolated stories like this. But sometimes it doesn't.

It starts off as mostly a normal but surreal story about a group of people, but very early on you'll notice it'll do an entire episode around one idea, one thing in the culture, one aspect of race, et cetera. Eventually it starts doing that with little or no pretense of connecting to the existing characters, except to show us about the world they live in.

If you do continue watching, the most enjoyable way to do so is to go into every episode not thinking "what's going to happen to the characters I've already met?" but "what is it trying to tell me this time?" It always has something to say, so much that it'll do one-off narratives, if necessary, to say it.

The thing that connects the episodes is not one story or group of characters, but a style and a vibe. In fact, that's an even better way to think of it: like The Twilight Zone. None of those stories had anything to do with one another, and yet they were all linked, all of a kind.

Thanks, Yoda, I will keep that in mind as I proceed.

And we move on to season 3, ep 3. So are Vanessa and Earn not a couple anymore? Darius always seems to be offering a little too much information. What made Earn think it was important for them to meet with this Nando? would have been nice to see Darius put that Asian girl in her place. That meeting with that guy Socks was kind of pointless. I love that guy thought Paper Boi was smoking a cigar. Don't really get what these people want from Earn. This Nando is insane, our boyu need to get the hell out of there. Why did Vanessa push that guy in the pool? So earn came to this party for himself, it had nothing to do with Paper Boi? Totally feeling Paper Boi at the end. Uh-oh.

Ep 3 left me appropriately hanging so I hope ep 4 rescues me. Disappointed again, but I do like Justin Bartha. I guess we're i the Atlanta twilight zone again. That t-shirt was beyond creepy. How did she settle on the amount of three million dollars? OK, I get the whole Twilight Zone motif and everything and I'm not bothered so much by what we got here, but by the fact that the previous ep ended on a genuinely effective cliffhanger and was not addressed in the next ep at all.

OK, I'm barreling on to ep 5, God help me. OK, they just completely decided not to address the end of ep 3, which implied our boys were being kidnapped. Brian Tyree Henry and Lakeith Sanford do pretty convincing cockney accents. Something's wrong with Darius.What exactly is a "cancer attack"? Does Earn just have really bad luck or is he just not very good at what he does? When did Socks become part of Paper Boi's crew? This guy Wiley needs a serious beat down. The stage manager uncle needs a beat down too. Any idea why Sccks did that? I'm asking here because I'm pretty sure it won't be addressed on the show.

Season 3 Ep6. I guess this is going to be another one of [i]those[/I episodes. ]"Get this girl a cigarette...she's freezing." OK, I guess I was wrong. There's something wrong with Darius. Why is Earn against Paper Boi getting all those free clothes? "I haven't paid for a meal in seventy-three police shootings." Loved Paper Boi's new suit. Racism will be over in 2024? Well, that's good to know. Again, what the hell is going on with Vanessa and what was with the crazy white woman accusing her of shoplifting? "And your money is literally no good here...card only." Knew Paper Boi would hate that commercial.

Ep 7 of Season 3 is a go. OK, this is looking like one of those episodes. Another fact-based story I'm assuming? This is definitely something out of The Twilight Zone. I hope the Warners still have a car when the service is over. OK, what the hell was that?

Ep 8 of Season 3 on deck. " I generally like to cleanse before I go in"...what the hell does that mean? Like we think Darius is ever going to pay for anything. Only Darius would like Cats. "I made a playlist to guide the honey through us." Were those guys playing catch with a baby? If this woman hates rappers, why won't she leave Paper Boi alone? I can't remember the last time I saw an actress in fish net stockings. I can't believe Paper Boi ran into Liam Neesom. Black people tried to ruin Liam Neesom's career? Can't believe Paper Boi didn't answer Lorraine's question because he didn't know the answer. Odd, but watchable episode.

Just making a point about culture and race, I think, since you basically have a white kid raised by a Trinidadian nanny, who subsequently adopts her culture instead of that of his parents'.

FWIW a lot of fans of the show don't like this one.

And we're up to season 3 ep 9. who is Logan Paul? Fascinated by the title of the episode because something told me it was going to be about white guys who think they're black. OMG, they referenced Golden Corral. I just ate at the Golden Corral here last week. I bet his girlfriend doesn't know his father's black. That's messed up what Mr. Lee did, so much for this kid living a lie. How can they sue? It's his money, he can do what he wants with it. How has this kid managed to hide from everybody that he's half black? I'm black and I don't know six things that mix with Hennesey. I guess we're supposed to feel sorry for this kid, but I don't because he's been hiding who he is for at least four years. His girlfriend's a bitch too. I liked the message of this episode but the flame-throwers were over the top and I didn't really buy Aaron's transition in the final scene.

OK, curious to see where we land with the third season finale. Why do we care about this woman Canice? Not feeling Vanessa's haircut. Why is Vanessa pretending to be French? "Maybe it's lie security bread, she don't feel French without it." Was that Alexander Skarsgard playing himself? Vanessa is freaking me out. "The bread was worth the wait." That scene in the museum...WTF?!? Is it possible this is a Vanessa doppelganger? Is it kind of weird that Candice's girlfriends like Vanessa? Breading and fileting human hands? Thank God, Vanessa came out of it, whatever "it" is. OMG! "And then I woke up?" Seriously? This alleged explanation for Vanessa's behavior ever since she came to Europe is kind of half-assed. Shanice just took Candice's trick? Possibly the most bizarre season finale I've seen in my entire life.

OK, let's kick off the fourth and final season. There's something wrong with Darius. Ditto the woman in the wheelchair. She's nuts. SO Earn and Vanessa are still together? Hard to tell from episode to episode. Really didn't like Vanessa's condescending tone about Amir still working at the same place for ten years. This thing with the woman in the wheelchair was stupid. You don't always get back what you give. That was kind of strange.

Season 4 ep 2. Paper Boi's favorite movie in middle school was Mulan? Has Earn always been in therapy or did he just start this? Why are we just now learning about all of these health issues for Earn now after three pervious seasons? Earn's Sasha/Princeton story was gold, beautifully performed by Donald Glover. "I love spite. It's a pure, powerful thing." OK, that publisher guy did not say her book was going to be the next Harry Potter. Like the actor playing Earn's therapist. Where have I seen him before? Why did the librarian just allow those kids to walk away like that? well, I guess it wasn't like they were in school. Wow, I can't believe Earn did that. That was mean and totally out of character for Earn.

Season 4 ep 3. Why would this be so important to a man to give up a million dollars? Wait a minute...D'Angelo made an office out of a fast food restaurant? "You're gonna be Ice Cube's best friend in Are You There Yet 5 in less than a year?" Was that Chris Colfer from Glee playing Yodel Kid? This thing with Earn and the mute security guard is stupid. Earn stayed there for four days? Was that John Hinton from Living Single playing Bunk? Loved Paper Boi's tux. "I remember it's not about what feels good, it's about what survives." That was weird. Was that really D'Angelo?

Season 4 ep 4. Isaiah Whitlock playing Earn's dad? Wonder if he'll get to use his signature catchphrase. Can't place the actress playing Aunt Jeanie. Exactly how insane is Aunt Jeanie? Katt Williams cracked me up. "I don't hate you because you're light0skinned, I hate you because you're evil," Au\nt Jeanie actually called the police? That's hilarious. I don't know why that kid was hassling Pops, but that hat was kind of cool, I wonder how much that salesgirl took him for. Well, I must be officially old, because when I was a kid we had dinner every day at 5:00 pm. Love the way the whole bread thing went right by Grandpa.. Sure we we were gonna get a "sheeeeee-it" from Isiah Whitlock in that last scene.

We're in the home stretch of this bizarre little show. Season 4 ep 5. I cracked up when Vanessa pulled onto the lot of Chocolate Studios. The actually searched Lottie's backpack? Mr Chocolate has a private office where no one is allowed in or out? Not too creepy? Did she have to be caught lying about her name to that guy? I would have lied too. This Mr. Chocolate not appearing on the set and comparing himself to God? He needs to get over himself. If I'm acting, my director better be talking to me face to face. Can't really tell if Vanessa is concerned for Lottie's welfare, or if she's jealous of Mr. Chocolate paying more attention to Lottie than her. I really didn't like what that woman backstage was implying with Vanessa. Mr. Chocolate never leaves his office? This is so Twilight Zone. Can't run a studio without ever leaving your office, sorry. This episode seems to be some sort of shot at Tyler Perry. When Vanessa demanded to the intercom that he give back her daughter and the intercom replied "No: quite possibly could have been the most terrifying moment I've seen on television in years. "She'll be Spurned Woman Number Eight when I'm done with her." That episode demanded an "And then I woke up" scene that never happened. Kind of gave me chills.