If Donald listened to execs we would've never gotten Teddy Perkins, FUBU, Woods, Three Slaps or New Jazz

Atlanta will go down as a cult classic with some of the best episodes of our generation because the writers did things their own way

Lmao nah yall niggas on bad timing in here

damn s*** got toxic then a b**** in here

Not necessarily. An episode like FUBU still works cus it serves as back story for Al and Earn. And damn near every great show has a backstory episode these days.

I’d argue we’d still get Woods and New Jazz cus it ties in with Al’s rap career

A lighthearted "community type show" would not get dark and serious episodes like Woods or New Jazz

And wouldn't have an episode that ends with a child ending their life

let em know bruh lmao

I didn’t mean lighthearted community type of show

I just wanted something that followed a narrative more tightly.

Gotcha, you said Donald should've listened to execs so it seemed like you also agreed with them wanting the show to be like Community

And I’m not saying the show became bad

The episodes are still very solid.

Just left some potential in the first couple seasons imo

But who knows how much more they could have covered PaperBoi’s rap career

The original plan was to end the show after season 2. So basically the ultimate goal for Al's character was to go on a world tour, which would then give him worldwide fame. And Earn getting out of poverty and permanently becoming Al's manager
Their goals were reached tbh, and I think the showrunners wanted to originally leave it at that

Personally the rap industry aspect of the show was what I cared least about.
For me the best moments of Atlanta have absolutely nothing to do with music or Al's career . So I'm glad the show kept going after season 2

Lighthearted community?

I was talking on the lines of the show being heavy on the rapper storyline that Donald pitched to them. This show never had community vibes.

Nah yall confusing me…who said anything about light hearted community??

I thought we was discussing how Donald sold this show as a “rapper” show so he could get the green light and then do his own thing after

Look at the quote from the article in previous page

He mentions the execs were expecting a more lighthearted comedic Community type show

Iono how they would expect that when he pitched em a rapper getting famous after shooting somebody

The contractual season and the real one.

Whole lotta big "That's why your mom's in a f***ing wheelchair" energy going 'round

Everytime Al tries to keep it real it goes horribly horribly wrong, wonder what they tryna say

I think his overall view on life is prettt nihilistic. So in the “Atlanta” universe, the world kinda reacts to his fears and subconscious. He needs to genuinely experience love, happiness and relationships which we haven’t seen him have

There’s so much depth to Paperboy character. They could make a show about him

In other words death is always on his mind. Like most black men in america

"Why are you so certain the hands intend to harm you?"

Earn gave in and finally let Van in.

I said this before but I'll restate bc I think this closes Al's arc beautifully.

Woods - Al has to decide between living his true self and living up the celebrity life for fame. He has to decide quickly to give up things that matter to him most (being "real") to account for his rise in popularity. It ends with him deciding to leave the woods and posing for a fan's picture, even if it doesn't suit his current emotions/situation.

New Jazz - Al has new fame and has sacrificed his "real-ness," but as a result, has deep insecurities about those around him and whether they truly are his friends/family. He doesn't know if he's going to stick around or if he's a "tourist" to the life of celebrity - left alone with no one to watch out for, like the Goofy hat guy. The episode ends with Earn saving Al and showing that Earn truly has his back, and that fame does not always mean the people closest to you abandon you.

Alfred's World - Al finds the best of both worlds, distancing himself from the compromises that come with fame. He's figured out how to stay true to himself without compromising his image in the eyes of his fans - through solitude and a deeper understanding of privacy. The episode ends with Al succeeding with his struggles alone, while still connecting with Earn as family rather than just a work relationship.

IMO the best creatives and artists often learn that balance between fame/privacy, and I love that Al's "ending" is that he figured that out.

Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but it's art and I'm allowed to. Beautiful stuff.