“This whole city runs on stunting, you feel me?”
WhenDonald Glover’sAtlantadebuted on FX in 2016, it was one of the most visually and narratively unique series of the year. It doubled down on an aesthetic that other FX comedies before (and since) have also embraced, starting withLouieand going on toBetter ThingsandBaskets. In each, plot is less important than style and feeling. The episodes are vignettes tinged with a surrealism that helps illustrate emotional or social truths. And yet, none of these shows ever feel like they’re lecturing or angling for a certain response. WithAtlantain particular, it’s also just damn funny.
As an Atlantan, there are again plenty of great insider references to the people and places of this city, but the show also works because of Earn’s (Glover) specific story. Season 2, calledRobbin Season, finds him still trying to hustle as a manager for his cousin Paper Boi (Bryan Tyree Henry), often accompanied by their friend Darius (LaKeith Stanfield). There are occasional windfalls, but for the most part things don’t go very well. As Earn floats from place to place looking for somewhere to crash, he dips a toe into a gift card scam, gets stunted on by just about everyone, and tries to keep his uncle from unleashing his alligator on the police. And yet, everything manages to feel natural and grounded, thanks in large part to the fantastic cast.
Donald Glover, and his brotherStephen Glover, are even looser withAtlanta’s structure than in the first season, but the vibe is essentially the same. Things are maybe alittlequieter this time around (aside from this season’s opening scene), but the unhurried stories are just as sharp and insightful and funny as Season 1 as they deal with issues are big as racial bias or as focused as being a creative trying to make it and not lose yourself. There are also some choice cameos which I won’t spoil, but they never distract from the show’s immersive world. It’s clear that Glover knew what worked in Season 1, which already came out of the gate as a bold and confident series, and the new episodes are a continuation of that, bucking a trend of sophomore slumps for auteur-driven television shows (likeMr. RobotorUnREAL).
The undercurrent ofRobbin’ Season, though, is the advent of the actual “robbin’ season,” explained in the first episode back as being the lead-up to Christmas when “everybody’s gotta eat.” Each of the first three episodes reveals a robbery of some kind that all manage to be both funny and sad. It’s a balanceAtlantadoes especially well, and the series is again elevated by the style of directorHiro Murai, who truly creates his own world for these characters to inhabit. Like everything inAtlanta, the setting is both familiar and foreign, and a joy to experience.
Rating: ★★★★★ - Excellent
Atlanta: Robbin’ Seasonpremieres March 1st on FX.
