After being broadcast on FX in the United States in the summer of 2018 and on OCS in France, season 2 ofAtlanta arrives on Disney +, accompanied by the first season already very noticed.
While there has been little news from Donald Glover’s series since its original broadcast, the third season has just started filming for a probable arrival on screens in 2022. One thing is certain, the arrival ofAtlanta on Disney+ is the perfect opportunity to come back to this unique, ultra-rich, very thoughtful and devastatingly humorous series.
Update: Dossier originally published in July 2018
ATTENTION SPOILERS !
AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY
The synopsis of the series Atlanta is simple and very concise: “Earn and Alfred, two cousins, try to break into the world of rap in Atlanta. Throughout their journey, they are confronted with racial, economic and even parental problems”. However, the FX series written, directed, interpreted and produced by Donald Glover (who became famous for his music and the series Community) is far from ordinary.
It is undoubtedly his audacity and his great ambition that makeAtlanta a captivating and gripping atypical series. Far from being content with its very basic pitch, the series never takes it easy. On the contrary, it responds to a very singular and totally unpredictable narrative construction. More than a series on the story of Earn and Alfred, Atlanta is an experimental show, rooted in today’s world and at the same time deeply innovative.
Donald Glover in season 1
Thus, the series works above all on a succession of episodes which, if they are linked by their central characters, remain very independent of each other. A way for the series to never lock itself around a single character and not to neglect the rest of the cast. Season 1 had judiciously presented Earn (Donald Glover) and centered its first episodes on his misadventures before devoting an entire episode to Van (Zazie Beetz) then to Alfred-Paper Boi (Brian Tyree Henry).
The opportunity for the latter to give us a sublime parody of American talk show shows with his episode 7: B.A.N.. An unusual and whimsical episode that brilliantly played its concept to amuse and disconcert the viewer, but not only. Ultra-satirical, this conceptual episode was above all a playful and subtle way of denouncing or highlighting a number of subjects : from the reign of appearance at the heart of American and world society to racial conflicts for example.
BAN or the craziest episode of season 1
THIS IS AMERICA
Marking the spectators of the show with this very special episode during season 1, Atlanta deviates even more from its starting pitch in this second season. The original story of Earn’s adventures as an agent of Paper Boi becomes here a red thread buried under a string of episodes with totally insane concepts and originals.
If season 1 already explained it clearly to us, this second season is an even more important means of expression for Donald Glover. As he sheds even more of the Atlanta music scene – while maintaining a crazy soundtrack – he broadens his horizons and tackles as many topics as possible over the episodes to discuss the ills of America. At the heart of the series, of course, the place of the Afro-American community within the country and racial conflicts resulting (episode 2 Sportin’ Wavesepisode 3 Money Bag Shawty or episode 4 Helen).
Zazie Beetz in episode 4, particularly “racist”
Far beyond this essential question, the series also returns to the place the woman within the American nation (episode 7 Papagne Champagne ), the society of appearances and the ideal of feminine beauty among others (this same episode 7). As they had done with episode 7 of season 1 B.A.N., screenwriters put also highlights the negative effects of social networks or media in general (Papagne Champagne once more or episode 3 Money Bag Shawty).
Each episode being orchestrated by three talented directors: the brilliant Hiro Murai (Legion, Barry), the brilliant Amy Seimetz (The Girlfriend Experience) and therefore the essential Donald Glover, the series abounds with earthy and eccentric staging ideas. Season 2 also takes its full extent in episode 6 titled Teddy Perkinsalready to be classified among the masterpieces of the small screen. An episode of remarkable power mixing comedy, thriller (it reminds a little Get Out), meta delirium… and developing a fascinating subject on childhood, the consequences of the star-system or even “blackface” (here parodied).
Teddy Perkins or the perfect episode of this season 2
ATLAN (ME) TA
If the series is also remarkable, especially in its most singular episodes, it is thanks to the mastery of Donald Glover. Perfect in the skin of Earn, he also has a lot of fun in the heart of the series by disguising himself: he interprets himself Teddy Perkins, made up in a kind of scary Michael Jackson in episode 6.
But where the series scores the most points is when it draws on a multitude of elements that affect Donald Glover personally. When creatingAtlanta, the comedian-musician was in deep depression. An event that is felt in the series. There is, therefore, a great semi-autobiographical force at the heart of the episodes, episode 10 FUBU especially, who allows you to create a real emotion far from any artifice.
Earn child or a meta representation of Donald Glover’s childhood
Real feelings that don’t prevent the series of being too steeped in the unique American culture. We are surprised to regret over the progress of the story and the episodes that Donald Glover does not open his series more to the whole world.
The show succeeds in convincing for all of its performances (Lakeith Stanfield increasingly essential), its words and the strength of its concepts (even if they are sometimes uneven). However, to enjoy all the subtleties of the series, an increased knowledge of American news and/or its culture is necessary, finally like the clip This is America by the same Donald Glover.
So, it’s hard not to miss a lot of information if you don’t know the Florida Man for episode 1 or the angry mom reference to the Norf Norf controversy for episode 3, particularly. A somewhat damaging point for a series that advocates so much openness to others and the integration of all.
Lakeeth Lee Stanfield, actor to watch closely
Despite this slightly excluding streak, Atlanta is one of the most thrilling and exciting series. At the same time unusual, comic, tragic, strange and surprising, Donald Glover’s creation uses powerful means to discuss the political, social or economic ills of the United States and especially to denounce the thefts committed by America on its citizens.
One of a kind, the show will return for a third season. Until the first episode, impossible to know what to expect. One thing is for sure, we won’t miss it.
Seasons 1 and 2 of Atlanta have been available on Disney+ in France since April 16, 2021.
