As is typical for “Atlanta,” surreal twists and turns are consistently grounded by a brilliant use of detail: foster-mom’s version of “healthy” “fried chicken” is a drumstick dipped in a bag of flour and then microwaved until sufficiently rubbery; the way a white guy with obvious “listens to NPR” vibes approaches Loquareeous, forced to wear a “Free Hugs” sandwich board to advertise his captors’ kombucha stand at the farmer’s market, and earnestly asks, “Is Hugs your father?” Perhaps feeling that horror tropes for social commentary have gotten a bit too popular, “Three Slaps” leans specifically in the direction of a nightmarish fairytale, a morality tale of a child who learns a hard lesson.
“Atlanta” continues to be the sort of show that inspires laughter out of shock as much as anything else. One particular scene in the second episode is quite bold even by “Atlanta” standards—and, in keeping with the theme of subverting expectations, it is not part of the plotline dealing with the infamous Danish “Black Pete” tradition.
If there is any one quality that ties together the ever-ambitious series it is the tone. Donald Glover continues to be one of the most distinctive multi-hyphenates working and entertainment. As an actor, as a showrunner, even in the music he made under the stage name Childish Gambino, his particular comedic voice—somewhere between anxious and facetious, razor-sharp sociopolitical commentary combined with dream logic, a pile of seeming contradictions that meld together through the sardonic tone that somehow works like a universal solvent—rings through with a truly remarkable consistency. While I generally consider talk of auteurism poorly suited to a medium that is by nature incredibly collaborative, there does seem to be a particular Donald Glover signature that only grows more and more distinctive with time.
“Atlanta” in so many ways feels has been ahead of its time since it started. Such trendsetters do not always age well, particularly once they start to face competition, but despite the challenges of such a long hiatus, season three hits its stride straight out of the gate. It’s been nearly six years since “Atlanta” first premiered, and the stars of the core cast and creators have risen exponentially in the interim—there is an element of nostalgia in seeing them return to these roles at this stage—but the first installments of season three manage to strike an impressive balance between feeling congruent with earlier seasons and still fresh. The two episodes made available for review give little indication in terms of where the rest of season three might lead, but when the execution is this strong, it nonetheless makes a very compelling case to go along for the ride.
Two episodes screened for review. “Atlanta” season three premieres on FX on March 24, 2022 at 10 p.m. ET.
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