Atlanta: The Final Season | Official Thread | FX & Hulu
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No simping involved whatsoever. The episode was meant to show what makes a family a TRUE family and as such it partially focused on what it take to bring these individuals together.
Van has been waiting on Earn to get his act together since season 1. He (like most men) thought it was all about being able to provide and care for both of them; he was ashamed by his failings at Princeton and allowed that shame to wall him off emotionally from everyone who cared about him, EXCEPT Alfred, and thats because Alfred had been looking after him his entire life. When Earn was finally able to put himself in a position to provide and get that monkey off his back (a struggle which many many black men are faced with on a day to day basis) he could then allow himself the grace to begin fixing himself emotionally, hence therapy. After the financials and the emotionals were fixed, only THEN could he allow himself the further grace of being vulnerable with Van and letting her know how much he truly adores her, not simply as a mother, but as a woman. A partner. The love of his life.
Van had to allow herself to FIND herself before she could be willing to NOT be so dependent on Earn emotionally. Once she was able to grasp a level of independence and break away from the shackles of co-dependency, was she able to see the truth and honesty in Earn’s confession of love. Its one thing to get that which you’ve always coveted; its quite another to APPRECIATE it once you’ve obtained it. And Van truly appreciates Earn’s showing of vulnerability, and in so doing can trust him and his plans to move all of them to LA.
Lottie wanted honesty and she wanted that honesty in the form of her parents truly loving and being together. Everything else, in her mind, was fake. Thats why she wasn’t initially enjoying herself. The huge camping grounds, the grandiose tent, the feigned displays of co-parenting unity. They meant little to her because she could FEEL the fakeness in it. Thats why she wished her grandparents were there; because that was a unity that was REAL. Thats why she didn’t want any singing. Her smile at the end marked a fundamental understanding that her parents were no longer faking the funk; they were at an honest and true point of love, commitment, and union. It was a REAL smile coming from someone who, finally, has seen the two most important people in her life choose one another over work, pride, or fear.
That was an incredible breakdown of that episode.
Avisible Man
S/N: 52093850
There's a shot at the beginning of Helen, when Earn and Van are driving through the woods, and a hog is in the middle of the road, causing Earn to slam the brakes and stop the car. We have Earn driving with Van in the passenger seat. We can also see Lottie's car seat in the back, sans Lottie.
That problem is rectified in Snipe Hunt when Earn comes to a stop to meet the groundskeeper. We did not see Lottie before he stops, despite her being in the back seat. Then he stops and we see her playing on her tablet, disinterested. The family is together now compared to back then. They're united by the end, signified by Lottie's smile.
Earn asked Van "what's so great about Atlanta that you can't leave it behind?
Van says that she's afraid it's about Earn not wanting to be alone when he goes to LA and that he's scared of them and that she's not just his security blanket.
I read this as Donald breaking the fourth wall and talking to the audience about Atlanta ending, which is symbolized here with Earn wanting to leave Atlanta for LA. Donald's show is almost done. He's got his new deal with Amazon to make other shyt. He's telling us that it's ok to leave this show behind. It'll always be there but he's got other shyt cooking up for us.
Maybe he's a little scared of "them" and post-Atlanta success but Van and Atlanta, the show, can't just be his security blanket. He's gotta move on and he's got the talent and team to be able to and still produce top quality content. He just needs us, the Atlanta fan base, to move with him.
Canada Goose
Pooping on your head :umad:
I didn't really like this episode, then again I don't like bottle episodes in general.
I love nature so it was dope seeing a Black family hanging out in the woods, but considering this is Atlanta I was expecting fukkery. When the credits rolled I was like, that's it?
I love nature so it was dope seeing a Black family hanging out in the woods, but considering this is Atlanta I was expecting fukkery. When the credits rolled I was like, that's it?
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Black Mamba
Superstar
Black love 
Black love
Whats so great about it is that the build up and foreshadowing has been slowly written into the background of the series since season 1 episode 1.
Lets look at Earn’s behavior starting from the beginning.
When faced with an issue, especially adversity; Earn tends to go BIG. He was working as an airport salesmen making commission. Instead of looking for better work, he went BIG and decided to manage his cousin’s burgeoning rap career. His initial pitch to Alfred was what? “If we do this right our kids can live good.” What was the sweetener? “ I still know people at Diamond House. Promoters. Managers. People who manage BIG TIME artists.” Before being rebuffed. What does he do then? He takes the last of his money to get Alfred on the radio in a play to get Alfred to take him seriously. There are examples after examples, season by season of Earn doing something grandiose in order to PROVE himself. The end of season 1, he gives almost all of the money Alfred gave him for his management fee to Van. Season 2, he sets up Clark County with the golden gun so that he and Alfred can go to Europe partly because he needs the money for tuition for Lottie to go to a better school. Season 3, he lies on behalf of Van; making up an entire story on THE SPOT that is so believable in its execution not only does it get a WHITE WOMAN thrown out of the hotel, but it gets Earn and Van a free luxury suite for the night.
Lets fast forward to season 4. Episode 2, “The Homeliest Little Horse”; shined the light on what made Earn the way he is. He was betrayed by somebody he thought was his friend, kicked out of Princeton in shame and scandal, and made to feel a failure. This, by his own admission made him into somebody who wanted to prove himself. The therapy sessions also revealed that he wanted Van and Lottie to come with him to LA and he was thinking of the best time to tell her. His initial plan was to tell her during the trip to Princeton, where he was going to receive an honorary degree (again something BIG) and spend time with Van and Lottie at an amusement park. He was denied this, which sent him on an emotional tailspin which ended with him seeking revenge on the airline receptionist.
Now we come to episode 7. Earn has rented the entire camp grounds and paid for the best tent (again something BIG) for Lottie’s birthday. This is because, once again, he’s faced with adversity. The possibility of being without Van and Lottie in LA. So his going BIG isn’t meant to be manipulative, its two fold..
1). Its a coping mechanism
2). Its Earn’s subliminal way of showing Van and Lottie that he’s capable of providing the life that they DESERVE to live. Its his way of showing love.
But not until the conversation in the tent does Earn come to the realization that his coping mechanism has never been the correct strategy when it comes to Van. Van loved him when he was basically homeless. Van loved him when he was getting arrested and needed to be bailed out. Van loved him when he was losing foot races to Michael Vick. Van loved him in Europe. Van loved him in the Atlantic Station time warp. Van has loved him through and through. She didn’t NEED provision. LOTTIE needed provision.
Van needed sincerity. And when Earn was finally clear enough with both her AND himself about his devotion to her, he finally got what HE needed.
mastermind
Rest In Power Kobe
ignore
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mastermind
Rest In Power Kobe
As for the episode, it was beautiful and everyone has said all the things needed. I think the snipe hunt was about Earn, but this episode was more about Lottie and her seeing her parents come together for themselves, which will be great for her. Its just a remarkable change for these three since the first season.
LOST IN THE SAUCE
The Sauce Apostle
As long as we're doing deep dives, I haven't seen it mentioned that camping could be an allegory for going to LA. They go out of their comfort zone to a new location together and everyone has their own reaction to that. Lottie seems bored, and misses her grandparents. Van is apprehensive, doesn't want to risk crossing the stream. Earn is using it as an opportunity to manipulate Van. Earn and Van reconnect but Lottie ends up looking like an afterthought. At the end of trip Earn just abandons the tent they built. Maybe it's foreshadowing for the future?
Dont know if this has been posted yet, but Tracy is a damn national treasure 
Nothing’s bigger than Eminem. Dre didn’t strike gold. He struck OIL with that white boy
Avisible Man
S/N: 52093850
Struck black gold with that white boy. Now he straight like Hormuz.
Jean toomer
Superstar
Set to a Sade score…Black love
Beautiful, well-acted episode
SuburbanPimp
Giving game to lames since the 90s
Great episode, no need to go in depth. Just very well done and a realistic perspective of relationships in this era. I appreciate the versatility of Atlanta. They do surrealism, absurd and subtle comedy, but they don’t depend on any one thing to make the show great. Sad we only got like 3 episodes left but I’ve really enjoyed this last season and hope they can wrap it up well