Atlanta

Starring: Donald Glover (38 episodes), Brian Tyree Henry (37 episodes), LaKeith Stanfield (35 episodes), Zazie Beetz (30 episodes), Khris Davis (7 episodes), RJ Walker (4 episodes), Harold House Moore (4 episodes), Matthew Barnes (4 episodes), Myra Lucretia Taylor (3 episodes), Tobias Segal (3 episodes), Austin Elle Fisher (2 episodes), Katt Williams (2 episodes), Isiah Whitlock Jr. (2 episodes), Alexander Skarsgard (1 episode), Liam Neeson (1 episode), Justin Bartha (1 episode), George Wallace (1 episode), Chet Hanks (1 episode), Brian McKnight (1 episode), Soulja Boy (1 episode), Sinbad (1 episode), Jaleel White (1 episode)
Directed by: Hiro Murai (26 episodes), Donald Glover (9 episodes), Amy Seimetz (2 episodes), Janicza Bravo (1 episode), Ibra Ake (1 episode), Angela Barnes (1 episode), Adamma Ebo (1 episode)
Rating: TV-MA
Genre: Comedy, Drama
2016-2022

Seasons Seen:
Tim: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4

Summary: Earn (Donald Glover) and his cousin Alfred 'Paperboi' (Brian Tyree Henry) navigate the rap scene in Atlanta.

Review:
Tim: Man, I don't even know where to begin with Atlanta. What can you say about this boundary-breaking, genre-crossing, controversial, oftentimes insane show that worked tirelessly to defy expectations? What is this show even about? What do we think about all those self-contained episodes that were oftentimes completely disconnected from anything to do with our main cast? I started watching Atlanta because I was big fan of Donald Glover due to Community. It was incredible to see him branch out on his own, come into his own voice, and create one of the most brilliant and indefinable shows I've ever seen. I loved the journey of Atlanta even when I didn't fully understand it.

I'll admit I may not be the target audience here. I loved how Glover and the team told a story that highlighted black people and black culture so prominently. It's a shame we don't get more opportunities like it. It seemed like FX gave them free reign to do whatever they wanted. They told stories about their life and experiences- stories that Hollywood and television too often relegate to the sidelines or backgrounds. Atlanta tackled racism and black culture in nearly every single episode (to varying degrees) and it was simply brilliant. It was powerful. The series gave us heartbreaking moments, beyond uncomfortable moments, hilarious moments. It showed aspects of a vibrant and fascinating culture that has been marginalized and demonized by many in the "white community" over the years. Watching this show felt so refreshing, such a unique experience, especially as the show skewered many aspects of white culture. It was a wild ride.

At the heart of the show, though, it's a character-driven drama. When you strip away the bizarre episodes, the big swings, the embracing of the unexpected, you find a story about four people- Earn, Alfred, Darius, and Van. Over four seasons and 41 episodes, you end up spending a lot of time with these characters. You see their ups and downs. You see them in big moments and many mundane ones. I don't know what to say, other than I grew to love these characters so much. I became so invested in Earn and Van's relationship, with all its ups-and-downs. I was amazed to see how Alfred emerged as really the main character of the series. It starts with Earn in that role, but Alfred is the orbit upon which all the other characters revolve. I loved almost everything Darius said and did- I never knew what was going to come out of his mouth next, but I was going to be there to see it. These four characters leave such an indelible mark.

A big reason why this happens is the writing, but even more so, it's the cast. It's impressive to be that during this series' run (4 seasons spaced out over almost 7 years), Donald Glover, Brian Tyree Henry, LaKeith Stanfield, and Zazie Beetz have all emerged as major players in Hollywood. Glover is undeniably a genius. It's funny to think about his role on Community as what made me a fan of his, when his voice has gotten so much louder and stronger over the previous years. His performance as Earn was outstanding. He always felt real to me. He undoubtedly brought some of himself into this role, but created this wonderful character in his own right. Glover's guiding hand throughout this series was undeniable. Based on what he did here, I'll watch whatever he does next. I didn't expect Brian Tyree Henry to emerge as perhaps the MVP of the series. I loved his performance as Paperboi in the first season. I remember when I started seeing him pop up in movies and was a little stunned to see how different each of his characters were. You can forgive me for not comprehending the incredible range he has an actor. Seriously, Henry's ability to bring forth various characters that are so unlike the others is astounding. One example, compare Paperboi to his role in The Eternals. The guy has serious, unquestionable range. He's an absolute star. Alfred continuously served as one of the most interesting, complex, funny, fascinating characters I've ever seen. Henry's work in this role was always exceptional. I loved Earn immediately because of Glover, but Henry makes Alfred the best character on the show. LaKeith Stanfield gets to be the comedy relief in Darius, a role that might seem only humorous. He certainly gets many of the series' funniest lines, delivered with perfect comedic timing by Stanfield. He made me laugh more than any other character in the series. However, Darius isn't a joke- Stanfield imbues him with quiet pain and complexity. He's a fascinating character when you look deeper. I love how Stanfield never put this out in the forefront, but subtly added so many layers of complexity to Darius over the years. And then, you have Zazie Beetz. Beetz felt like she was too often put in the fourth spot, when she deserved more screen time. Beetz has also emerged as a force in the movies. Her performances are remarkably consistent. She's simply good in everything she does. She brings this vulnerability and strength to her characters that feels contradictory, but it makes you lean in. What she does on screen is fascinating. I loved the time spent with Van and getting to know her character. She quietly emerged as one of the best parts of the entire series.

The series is really about these four and that's where we spend most of our time. The series did bring in a lot of supporting characters over the years. It's hard to remember them all, to think back to individual episodes I watched almost 7 years ago. I remember Liam Neeson's episode because it was so surprising. Justin Bartha did a nice job in one of the more bizarre pocket episodes. Alexander Skarsgard was really funny in his, too. I recognize all three of them are white actors, but they were bigger names. The series gives us a wide and diverse cast list and brings in so many people at different times, it's just impossible to name them all.

Atlanta was absolutely something special. The way it looked at race, culture, and its characters felt unique in the television landscape. Sitting down to watch an episode, I never quite knew what to expect. Would it be an episode more grounded in reality, or would it be an absolutely insane one that didn't make a ton of sense, but that sacrificed accessibility to drive a powerful point home? Would the main characters even be in it? How uncomfortable was the episode going to make me? It gave viewers an absolutely wild ride. Now, this isn't without its flaws. There were episodes where I just wanted to see more of the main characters. I wasn't as invested in whatever crazy story they were throwing at us this week. We got a lot of those self-contained episodes in the final season and it was frustrating to lose whole episodes with those four characters, knowing the end was coming. But despite that, Glover and the producing team didn't care. This was never a series about meeting expectations. You have to give enormous credit to Hiro Murai, who directed 26 out of the 41 episodes. His consistent hand made a big difference throughout this series.

Atlanta is a television series I really loved. It made Donald Glover, Brian Tyree Henry, LaKeith Stanfield, and Zazie Beetz must-follow actors for me. I'm going to go out of my way to see what they do next. The same can be said for Murai- he did such a terrific job here, I'll keep my eye on him in the future. This series was truly something special, even when it defied our expectations and frustrated us. I don't call many things brilliant, but this is absolutely one of them.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: N/A



If You Enjoyed This Series, We Recommend: Community, Californication, Lovecraft Country