If you haven’t checked out Donald Glover’s show ‘Atlanta’ already, you are missing out. Many of you might recognize Glover from the hit show ‘Community’, and some of you might have bopped your heads to his tunes – Glover’s rap name is Childish Gambino. In ‘Atlanta’, Glover brings us to – surprise, surprise – Atlanta, where Earn Marks is struggling to make a living, jobs being tough to come over. That is, especially jobs that are a: well-paid and b: legal. He’s crashing at his ex-girlfriend/part-time girlfriend’s place, and yes, they also have a kid together that he wants to provide for. Comic relief: Earn holding his daughter, pulling her close pretending she is whispering something in his ear, responding to her: “No, this is a great environment for you!”
His cousin has just released a mixtape, and Earn, an ironic name for a non-earner obviously, is keen on proving himself as an agent for his laid-back rapper cousin – aptly named Paper Boi.
The show is a great mix of drama and comedy, the latter often provided by Paper Boi’s friend Darius (wonderfully played by Keith Stanfield). Glover, who als writes the show, touches on a lot of social issues, but it never feels forced. He’s also not afraid to give his supporting cast a lot of the spotlight, as in the 6th episode, when Zazie Beetz (who plays Earn’s on-and-off girlfriend Van) amongst other things provides the audience with a very interesting way of faking a drug test…
Though, when it comes to casting, few things can top the casting of Justin Bieber in the 5th episode. The pop singer shows up for a charity even, and is played by an… African-American. Now, that’s what I’d call an off-the-wall casting.
The show was renewed for a second season already 2 episodes in, and I for one is looking forward to more!
SlumBlog Millionaire 