Atlanta

Atlanta is such an incredible and must see show! Donald Glover is just an amazing talent who seems to do no wrong and who leads an all-around amazing cast! Donald Glover plays a character named Earn who's cousin Alfred (Brian Tyree Henry) is an up and coming rapper named Paperboy on Atlanta. Earn takes over as his manger as he grinds to make Paperboy one of the top hip-hop artists in the world. Those two along with their friend Darius (the underrated LaKeith Stanfield) get in all sorts of events. He also has a girlfriend Van (Zazie Beetz) who they have a child together. Some people didn't like season 3 as much because every other episode wa it's own story that didn't involve the stars of the show. It also took them away from Atlanta and over to Europe so it doesn't have the same feel. Even though it's not as good as the first two season I still liked it. I really can't say anymore about this phenomenal show except to go watch it!

Season 1: 8/10 Season 2: 9/10 Season 3: 8/10

Can't wait for more.

This show was the first in years where I planned to watch it when it aired despite me setting the DVR to record it. The same way people geeked out on Game of Thrones, this show just struck my funny bone with the obvious situational humor and subded dark tones intertwined in it all. The basis of the show is about a upcoming rapper set in modern day Atlanta and his cousin who wants to be his manager. But what makes the show great is how the story is told. The storyline works like a drama but the perspective works like a comedy. This is much like the movie and show Parenthood; the storyline is not really a comedy but misery loving company can be funny. Atlanta works out the same way with the plot filtered through the lens of dark humor seen in Married with Children and Curb Your Enthusiasm. The show is well acted, well written, surprising, engaging, and most important it is funny.

There is a lot about this program that I shouldn't relate to. I don't live in America, I'm not black, I'm gaining a few years on the cast. But through impeccable writing, casting and acting Atlanta draws me in to a world that finds a strange yet utterly compelling way to tell a story. The comedy and tragedy mix as happens in real life. The often brutal reality of being young and black and poor in America fuses seamlessly with more existential themes of growth (personal and professional), family, race, power dynamics, legacy and much more. This work is beautiful in both a comedic and dramatic sense.

What can be said about Atlanta that hasn't already been said? This show has had so much hype surrounding it and it has lived up to all that hype and then some. Yes, the first two seasons were better but even some of the bad episodes in these last two seasons were still pretty good. My only complaint about this show is how long it took between seasons. It was 2 years between seasons 1 and 2 and 4 years between season 2 and 3. That means in over 6 years we only got 3 seasons, but at least we got them. Donald Glover is one of the most in demand people on the planet. He's at the top right now with both his acting and music careers. Seriously, is there anything Donald Glover can't do?