The best episodes of season 3 IMO are 1, 4 and 9. Unfortunately, none of these episodes have the main characters in them. I know some people didn't like these episodes because none of the main characters are in them, but I thought these were interesting and entertaining in some Black Mirror meets Key & Peele meets Get Out meets Twilight Zone kind of way. Like others are suggesting, Glover probably would be better trying to create some other outside projects of his own if he doesn't want to include the main characters in them. The worst episodes of seasons 1 and 2 rival (or are outright better than) episodes 1, 4, and 9 of season 3.
My main issue with episodes 4 and 9 are that while interesting and bold, they play into the deep rooted fears, paranoia, hatred, and faux "oppressed" victimhood that the racist, oppressive dominant class and its buffers and tethers have about Black FBA people getting cash reparations and defining our lineage. The way they framed the episodes had me feeling kinda sad and uncomfortable by the end when reparations for Black people is actually a great thing and will be provided via the US Government and its Treasury, not directly out of people's paychecks. I'm supposed to feel happy getting reparations and seeing other Black people get reparations, not sad or guilty for not wanting to be economically deprived and under oppression for 500+ years. Wtf?
No seriously, it’s almost as if the creator of the show (Donald Glover) and his team want you to feel sorry and feel compassion for these whites and the buffer / foreign tether classes. As if they lowkey want Black American people to feel ashamed and feel guilty for getting what is rightfully ours and what was stolen and robbed from us. By the way, the Atlanta staff do have a lot of whites, non-FBA Blacks, and non-Blacks that work on and write for the show.
They also had white racist actor Liam Neeson in one of the episodes whitesplaining for his racist outbursts and basically saying "Well, I'm actually sorry for the racist shit I said, but I still hate you Black people because you all tried to end my career over it. As a white man, I realize that I have the privilege to not be able to learn from my mistakes. K?" As if they were trying to show a white perspective while also lowkey trying to rehabilitate his image.
Episodes 7 and 10 did not make any sense to me and felt off. Not only did episode 7 feel out of place and had none of the main characters in it, but I felt it didn't really mesh well enough with the storyline and it felt like I was watching a boring version of something else entirely. Hell, is there any real storyline outside of "rapper and his entourage of friends get into some weird adventures and situations" anymore?
The rest of the episodes that did have the main characters in them felt aimless, dull, unexciting, stagnant, and almost without a real sense of purpose or direction.
I'm not sure how Glover and/or his character can still wake up with a white woman next to him, sleep in the same bed as his oppressor, and enjoy being called the n-word in bed after knowing all of the racism and oppression that the oppressors subject us to.
It's crazy how I tuned in to see the main characters and their adventures, but I ended up liking the episodes (1, 4, and 9) without the main characters the most. Episode 6 had interesting ideas and has the potential to be great, but it still felt flat and dull in some ways. Episodes 2 and 8 were very so so, but I did not like how they snuck in that transwoman in there in episode 8 like that, at all. Made me think it was a woman at first until I picked up on...certain things and confirmed my suspicion via research. I don't appreciate such deception. The Atlanta cast and team are definitely on that rainbow 🌈 agenda and the white paymasters know which Black people to put on and give shows to. I knew Atlanta was caping for the rainbow mafia from the jump when they had us feel sorry for that gay dude (trade) that was messing with dudes and trannies out of prison, featured a transwoman in the BAN episode, and when one of the main characters in another episode said, "I thought AIDS was made by the government to k*ll homosexuals" when it mainly created to kill Black people, including Black homosexuals, along with some non-Black h0m0s, knocking out 2 birds with 1 stone.
Episodes 3 and 5 reminded me of why whites cannot be trusted, liked, or befriended along with several other episodes. Episode 5 felt like the closest thing to seasons 1 and 2 in certain ways, but it was worse than episodes 2 and 6 and 8, still dull, not really funny, slow paced, and had such a stupid and simple ass plot that had me thinking, "Really, you really made an entire episode about a damn phone?"
This show is having an identity crisis like one of the main characters was having in episode 10, ironically. I bet the team that works on Atlanta knows it too and was giving us a clue in that episode. I feel like the show is starting to jump the shark and that Glover is no longer vested or interested in Atlanta as a series and is waiting for it to get cancelled by the network at this point. Hence the random episodes, excessive dull moments, stagnated characters, and the throwing of shit at the walls to see what sticks. I almost feel as disappointed with Atlanta Season 3 as I did with The Boondocks Season 4. We really waited 4 years for this...(2018-2022 Hiatus for Atlanta, 2010-2014 Hiatus for The Boondocks)
Does anyone else feel that this show is trying to make white peepo and others uncomfortable at times, while generally making them comfortable, assured, and at ease? I understand that we need to understand how the white oppressor class thinks and operates, but a lot of times I feel that they get to validate their way of life and make themselves look...redeemable and look like merely misunderstood, ignorant, innocent souls that are just as cursed and as troubled as Black people are (not true).
Season 1 had such a strong start. Both Seasons 1 and 2 had a good mix of absurdity, awkwardness, creativity, adventures, and creepiness all while having interesting storylines, writing, characters, and thought-provoking commentary and situations. It's a shame that season 3 was not up to par. I give the first 2 seasons a 8.5/10 or 9/10. But I give season 3 of Atlanta a 4/10, it's take it or leave it. Episodes 1, 4, and 9 are around 6/10. The rest of the episodes for this season are 5/10 or under.
Save for a few episodes, not sure why people are praising season 3. It is dull as hell and at times smells like mayonnaise and old hot dog water poured into a mop bucket that was left to sit for months. Even the last seasons of Insecure were better than Atlanta season 3 despite having a lot of weak, oddly-paced, or slow moments / momentum in the latter seasons.
I might not tune in for season 4, but I really suspect season 3 will be the last and final season of Atlanta.
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