If you’re an Atlanta fan like myself, then you’ve probably been going through serious withdrawal, since the show has been on its extended hiatus. Season 2 of Donald Glover's critically acclaimed dramedy wrapped up back in 2018, and faithful viewers have a void during the two years that have followed. While two seasons are currently in the works, they’ve been delayed due to COVID-19. However, Glover recently offered some high praise for the seasons, and it sounds like they could be well worth the wait.
Donald Glover has social media accounts, but he rarely posts messages for his fans, making it a special occasion any time that he does speak up. The actor, writer, director and producer recently took to Twitter to give a shout-out to Angela Barnes Gomes (an Atlanta alum) for her recent work on a voting PSA. While sending out a few posts, he provided a quick update on Atlanta and sent a very clear message on just how good Seasons 3 and 4 will be:
Now, that’s a bold statement if I’ve ever seen one, especially since The Sopranos still stands tall as one of the greatest series in TV history. But this is a claim that you can’t shoot Glover down for making. The first two seasons of Atlanta are easily some of the best episodes of television we’ve seen over the past few decades. There are so many memorable episodes that come to mind. From the Emmy-winning “B.A.N.” to the creepy and hilarious “Teddy Perkins,” the show has definitely made an indelible mark on the television world.
Atlanta was originally renewed for a third season in 2018, with the new episodes slated to air in 2019. Plans changed, however, due to scheduling conflicts with Glover. By the end of 2019, the show was given the green light for Season 4, and both seasons were scheduled to be filmed back to back in 2020. With this plan, Season 3 was to premiere in January 2021, while Season 4 would have dropped in the fall of 2021. This, of course, didn’t pan out as FX would have liked due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This summer, though, FX announced that Seasons 3 and 4 of Atlanta had been written and that they would still be shot back to back in 2021. According to FX’s John Landgraf, one season will be filmed primarily in Europe, while the other will be shot mostly in the Atlanta area.
When we last left Earn, Alfred, Van and Darius, they were experiencing some big changes in their lives. Earn, Al and Darius were headed to Europe to tour with rapper Clark County. Prior to that, Earn and Van learned that their daughter, Lottie, is gifted, and her teacher suggested sending her to a private school. The two parents were also drifting apart, as Van later informed Earn over text that she was considering taking Lottie and moving in with her mom.
The second season of Atlanta took Earn and his friends to some interesting places – both figuratively and literally – and the third and fourth seasons will likely continue this trend. You have to wonder how Earn, Al and Darius are going to react to being outside of Atlanta. There’s also the matter of Clark County, who has proven that he’ll do what’s needed to achieve fame, even if it means throwing a few people under the bus.
Based on the quality of storytelling we’ve seen from Atlanta so far, I have no doubt Donald Glover and his collaborators will only build on the momentum they’ve built. It’s currently unclear as to whether or not these will be the final two seasons of the show but, if they are, Glover will definitely make it his goal to deliver big laughs, poignant drama and sharp social commentary.
You can catch up on the first two seasons of Atlanta by streaming them on Hulu.
