Earlier this week, Donald Glover said that if the first season of his television series, Atlanta, was College Dropout the second season would be Late Registration. After watching the first episode of the second season of the series, it appears that he’s not only right, but he may have undersold what the second season would be. In a forty-five-minute season premiere, Glover not only disregarded the standard thirty-minute episode rule for comedies, but he also pushed the boundaries of what Atlanta is and will be going forward.
#AtlantaFX Written by, Executive Producer, created by, starring, DONALD GLOVER ??????
— Dee (@DeeeWeathers) March 2, 2018
The series shines in several key moments beginning with viewers re-introduction to Darius and Al. It’s established very early on that Darius and Al are going through somewhat of a disagreement, but they never say exactly what’s going on. If you’ve grown up as a black man in America, you know that often times when you have an issue with your Black male friends, it’s easier to give each other space than to talk about it. The most crucial part of the viewer’s introduction to this quasi-beef is when Earn says that he loves both Darius and Al and is laughed at for it because black men don’t tell each other that we love one another. Who does that? Not to mention, Earn says it in true Earn like fashion, which is as awkwardly as possible.
Al offering Darius the blunt is the peace treaty that warmed my heart. #AtlantaFX
— Justin Tinsley (@JustinTinsley) March 2, 2018
The most perfectly awkward scene comes directly after we’re re-introduced to Darius being Darius, which is one of the most dynamic black male characters on cable television. With hardcore metal music blaring from the car stereos on the way to drop off Earn off at his Parole Officer’s office, Darius introduces Al’s cousin to the world of “Florida Man”. Considering the events of the past two weeks and of the past five years, it’s almost too perfectly placed. If you’re unaware of who “Florida Man” is, check out this Twitter account and it will explain everything.
Katt Williams is owning his cameo. I just hope he's a recurring character this season. #AtlantaFX
— Justin Tinsley (@JustinTinsley) March 2, 2018
From the “Florida Man” scene to the robbing of a fast food restaurant, it’s almost impossible to get to everything that makes this season premiere special. Oh yeah! Katt Williams makes a cameo that ultimately turns the episode from good to great, but I don’t want to ruin the episode for those who haven’t seen it. Better yet, I’ll just sum up Williams performance with two words, “baby alligator”. The bottom line is that this episode may just be the best episode of the series to date, which is saying something. There’s a point in the episode’s closing moments that caused me to channel the thoughts I had watching Lebron James do a behind the back dribble between his own teammate’s legs. At that moment, I thought that James is just really damn good at basketball. I’m starting to have the same feeling watching Glover create this world that is Atlanta.
