It’s been nearly four years since FX’s “Atlanta” graced our TV screens, but the show will finally make its triumphant return for season three on March 24. We last left off with Earn (Donald Glover), Darius (LaKeith Stanfield), Van (Zazie Beetz), and Al, aka Paper Boi (Brian Tyree Henry), at a crossroads gearing up to tackle new chapters in their lives. Earn and Darius are off to support Paper Boi in Europe for his tour, while Van is still figuring out what she wants to do with her life. But “Atlanta”‘s third season teases that the gang will reunite overseas for a brand-new adventure.
“We just wanted to make a Black fairytale.”
Ahead of season three’s premiere, creator Glover and writer/producer Stefani Robinson shared a few tidbits at SXSW that set the tone for the season’s opening. “I like to describe ‘Atlanta’ as a group thread in real life,” Robinson said. “We’re just sh*tting a group text thread. We’re just cobbling together internet videos that make us laugh.” Glover added: “We just wanted to make a Black fairytale. I remember sitting in the writers’ room and being like, ‘What do we write about?’ We just wanted to do short stories. Something I would want to watch.”
“Atlanta”‘s season three premiere consists of two new episodes. First, “Three Slaps” will reimagine the true-life story of Devonte Hart and the Hart family murders that occurred on March 26, 2018. Episode two, titled “Sinterklaas Is Coming to Town,” will pick up with Earn, Al, Darius, and Van in Amsterdam, adjusting to the country’s off-putting culture.
But before we get there, we need to recap some of the most important plot points from season two – after all, it’s been over three years since it aired. So if you need a quick refresher, keep reading to find out everything you’ll need to remember before season three of “Atlanta” premieres.
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Paper Boi Is Headed on a European Tour in "Atlanta" Season 2
Paper Boi’s rap career has been the subplot for “Atlanta” since season one. In season two, the show introduces radio-friendly rapper Clark County (played by RJ Walker) – the complete opposite of Paper Boi’s street persona. Though the two budding rap stars come from opposite worlds, Clark County extends an olive branch to Paper Boi and gets his manager, Lucas (Matthew Barnes), to secure him a spot on his European tour. Since Earn is Paper Boi’s manager and couldn’t get the gig himself, it causes friction in their already-strained relationship. However, Earn pulls a bold stunt in the season finale that gets Lucas kicked off the tour and earns Paper Boi’s respect as both a professional and his cousin.
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Earn and Van Are Still on and Off in "Atlanta" Season 2
Earn and Van’s relationship has been rocky since the start of “Atlanta.” In episode four of season two, the couple reach their breaking point after they realise they both want different things. Earn, while content with their “arrangement,” finds that Van tries to turn him into someone he’s not by dragging him to Fasnacht – a traditional German celebration. Meanwhile, Van doesn’t feel valued in their relationship and just wants Earn to reciprocate doing things he doesn’t like the same way she does for him. In the end, a heated game of ping-pong decides their fate, and they break up – for now, at least.
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Paper Boi Is Still Struggling With Fame in "Atlanta" Season 2
Paper Boi is still adjusting to being recognized as Paper Boi. In any given episode during season two, the rapper is either noticed by an awestruck fan or being pressured by another to “put them on.” In both cases, Paper Boi struggles to deal with his newfound fame and oftentimes feels like it’s a burden, though he starts to come to grips with it in the eighth episode of season two when he willingly snaps a picture with a fan in a convenience store. That is, only after he clashes with an old friend over their opposing views of the rich and famous lifestyle. Nonetheless, the power of fame is a theme that will surely carry on for Paper Boi in season three.
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Earn Proves His Loyalty to Paper Boi in "Atlanta" Season 2
Earn and Paper Boi reach their breaking points in episode nine when the former proves to be invaluable as a manager. Throughout the season, Earn struggles to pull his weight and accept his responsibilities in managing Paper Boi’s career. First, he pitches the rapper to a whitewashed Spotify-esque company. Then, he fails to book him and the crew – Paper Boi, Darius, and Tracy (Khris Davis) – a hotel room when Paper Boi is scheduled to perform at a college concert. But things come to a head when Earn and Tracy get into a scuffle and Paper Boi doesn’t come to his defense.
The divide in their relationship continues until the end of the season, when Earn thinks his cousin is on the verge of firing him. That is, until Earn makes a move to not only save himself but to also prove he does have Paper Boi’s back. While at the airport en route to Europe, Earn realises the gold gun his uncle (Katt Williams) gave him in episode one is in his backpack. We later find out that he slips the gun into Clark County’s bag, but Clark lets his manager take the fall. Paper Boi tells Earn he saw what he did and ultimately respects him for it. “You my family, Earn. You’re the only one who knows what I’m about. You give a f*ck. I need that,” he says in the finale.
Earn may have passed that test, but he’ll still have to prove himself as a worthy manager in season three.
