Donald Glover's FX dramedy ATLANTA

i don't think it was particularly out of step with the heightened reality that has always existed in this show, but mileage may vary, i guess

feels a lot like satire through magic realism to me tbh

have we already forgotten the invisible car

or, say, the entirety of that teddy perkins episode

I actually have forgotten the invisible car (Teddy Perkins was one of my least favourite episodes).

Maybe I'm over-explaining something much simpler: I like the real Van a lot, and hated her as that character.

I had fun with this season but understand the frustrations many have with it.

Hopefully S4 will be more straightforward.

I loved everything about this season. It was very discomfiting, as m/l explicitly intended.

I just finished Ron Brownstein's Rock Me on the Water, about film/music/TV/Jerry Brown in early-'70s L.A., and one of the things it goes into is network interference in the early days of All in the Family/Mary Tyler Moore/MASH. I take it that such a thing barely exists these days. I'm not even talking about sex or profanity, more conceptually; it's almost inconceivable you could have a show where the three lead characters are not in four out of 10 episodes.

I don't think Atlanta's level of rule breaking would be allowed in most other places, even now. Glover(s) got special allowances from FX/Hulu.

i would guess that it's less about "allowing" 4 episodes where the main cast doesn't appear, more like "lakeith is only available for 5 episodes, zazie can do 4, brian can do 6–how can we make this work?"

these folks are busy, and this fractured approach is probably more a result of busy schedules and covid regulations than anyone on the creative team would likely admit

Hadn't considered that, but it's still something to get the go-ahead; I would think most shows would just shut down (like Mindhunter did, so yes, xposts, maybe Atlanta's the exception right now) until everyone's available.

this fractured approach is probably more a result of busy schedules and covid regulations

Yeah I figured that was the case, much like how Arrested Development S4 focused on one character at a time to accommodate busy schedules

It would be strange to hate the finale because of the surrealism, it's a show built around that. I just found the episode a lot more annoying than amusing, seems that everyone's mileage varies. I think I'd feel the same about Amelie if I watched that movie again now heh

I think they probably have a decent script backlog, and apparently all of this season (according to what I read) was written in 2019, when everyone was even more busy

It would be strange to hate the finale because of the surrealism, it's a show built around that. I just found the episode a lot more annoying than amusing

Same for me, if I've been ambiguous about that; I didn't at all object to the weirdness or surrealism, just the specific idea and the execution of it.

What was the significance of the photo in the post credits scene?

the white guy from the beginning of the season has the same name as him?

Ah, cheers

We be in the city. OFFICIAL TRAILER for #AtlantaFX: The Final Season. September 15 on FX. Stream on @Hulu. pic.twitter.com/LdxidH63oI

— AtlantaFX (@AtlantaFX) August 2, 2022

for the final season, they’re taking it back to where it all began

wait that’s still the title of the show, wtf

Can't wait!

I was pretty up-to-date with Top 40 hip-hop in 1993, so I'm surprised I have no memory at all of Paperboy's "Ditty," which I stumbled over when I started looking into the origins of the name Paper Boi--an amalgamation, I guess, of Big Boi and Paperboy. Anyway, I started down that road because of a book I'm reading on the USFL. I wanted to know if the name was maybe a reference to an obscure corner of league history having to do with Greg Fields' nickname for a couple of teammates: "The two were heading for a meeting, and Fields looked at Kraus--who was being paid $1 million over six years--and said, 'Wellllllll, fuck--there's the big paper boy!'" Fields starting calling the two teammates "the big paper boys," and he became known as Big Paper.

Maybe the 1993 Paperboy took his name from all of that.

I thought paper was a straightforward reference to money? (all about that paper, boy)

I'm looking for meaning in all the wrong places--I'm sure it's a straightforward as you say. (In which case 1993 Paperboy was at least thinking along the same lines as 1984 Greg Fields.)

great use of Cousteau in the trailer

in the us, the paperboy delivered your morning paper. in atlanta, paper boi gets that paper

Halfway between, Tony Soprano, standing at the end of his driveway.

https://phildellio.tripod.com/paper.jpg

There were/are many rappers out there named Paperboy (with various spellings, etc).

This will never not be hilarious.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1kmT_Yv3Ss

yes!

This has started up again--final season, right? I'm just finishing a rewatch of The Americans, will get started right after.

Yep. We’re back!

First episode was hilarious

last two episodes so good

"8 minutes"

Haven't seen the last two episodes but Alfred's storyline in episode 3 was amazing. I've been enjoying this season more than the previous so far

“Safe farm is there”

That’s a keeper.

I liked that they apparently bargained shoe man from 8 minutes down to 3 seconds.

Hahaha this episode

This was such a random swerve at this point in the season

I'm four episodes in. Liked the first two (and was glad to see all the principles back), so-so on the third, thought the fourth started slow and got better and better. There was a great line about dementia. The idea of building an episode around spite reminded me of Jerry trying to return the jacket in Seinfeld.

I guess FX being owned by Disney has had one positive outcome now

amazing

googling after the episode led me to this incredible Roger Ebert three-star review of A Goofy Movie, written after the projector broke two-thirds of the way through: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/a-goofy-movie-1995

Bravo! What an episode (again)!

Not sure what to make of E5. Pleasantly weird, but I didn't really laugh.

Was that the Mr Chocolate episode?

Seem to remember lots of laughs in that one

Yeah it was. Liked that episode but found it more weird and amusing than laugh-out-loud funny. Now, episode 6... some of the most laughs I've had from this show

A little embarrassed how long it took me to realize the latest episode was not a real story

Ha. It was so well crafted (and acted) though

Most of the laughs in episode 5 were at how absurd it all was but the end when Mr Chocolate loses it and screams "I shall have her! She can't be not-eighteen forever!" definitely cracked me up