Atlanta Review: The Most Atlanta / The Homeliest Little Horse (Season 4 Episodes 1 and 2)
Atlanta Season 4 Episodes 1 and 2, “The Most Atlanta” and “The Homeliest Little Horse,” maintain the dark humor and narrative creativity of its predecessors while laying the groundwork for its endgame.
“The Most Atlanta” tumbles into surrealist waters, which isn’t uncommon for the series. All four of our leads participate in the surrealism, potentially foreshadowing where each is headed in this final season. Earn and Van are stuck in Atlantic Station, serving as a “purgatory” full of their exes, as they struggle to find an exit.
DARIUS: I don’t know what Fox News has been feeding you, but I’m not Antifa; I’m not a looter. I just was returning my air fryer.
Al embarks on a grand scavenger hunt for a recently deceased rapper idol. At the same time, Darius flees a “Karen” wielding a knife, racially profiling him while hellbent on punishing him for purportedly looting a store. He was returning an air fryer! Atlanta spins out these semi-fantastical character plots that seem realistic, especially within the confines of the show’s universe.
The writing for both episodes is as sharp as ever, complete with quick-witted one-liners, beautiful poeticism, and poignant character moments. In “The Most Atlanta,” Al forgoes deciding his next steps for the BlueBlood scavenger hunt, procrastinating on an anxiety-laden life decision. Earn and Van’s trip through “exes purgatory” allows them to reassess their complex relationship and what they mean to each other.
Now, since we learn about Earn’s job offer in “The Homeliest Little Horse,” which would require relocating to LA, we’ll see how the future impacts Van and Earn’s bond. Speaking of that episode, we seldom see Black men in therapy on TV, and it’s refreshing to watch Atlanta depict this with grace, tenderness, and humor.
EARN: I love spite. It’s a pure, powerful thing. It gave me courage.
Earn’s revelatory therapy sessions in episode two bring a couple of reveals to light — firstly, there’s the Princeton expulsion story. Said story unveils more of racism’s pervasiveness and abhorrent ugliness, notably how it’s deeply entrenched in the Ivy League community. The wait to hear this reveal is worth it.
Secondly, Earn discloses his heart problems to his therapist and how his doctor refuses to classify them as anything but anxiety. Medical gaslighting is real and significantly worse for marginalized communities, and it’s wonderful to see the show address it.
Donald Glover’s performance in “The Homeliest Little Horse” is award-worthy. We see all the facets of Earn — his signature, sharp-as-a-tack humor, searing vulnerability, and raw anger. Glover conveys these aspects of Earn so beautifully, giving us a glimpse into the mind and heart of this character we’ve loved for six years.
TILLMAN: Spite can be a very powerful thing. But it can leave you depressed and empty. Goals stop becoming yours. You start becoming a book written by somebody else.
Glover’s performance transcends visceral. We feel everything Earn’s feeling. Atlanta never pulls punches narratively or character-wise and never shies away from vital themes. “The Homeliest Little Horse” is no exception.
Admittedly, watching the Lisa Mahn story unfold as a B-plotline is jarring when trying to figure out why it matters. However, once the bombshell twist arrives, the pieces fall into place. Is this Earn’s dark turn for the season as he seeks to upend the life of the woman who wreaked havoc on his family trip?
The juxtaposition of Lisa’s fake rise to fame and the deconstructed, stripped-down Earn in therapy is intriguing and seamlessly woven together by airtight writing.
And, going back to “The Most Atlanta,” the show addresses the looting that arose during the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 and how countless white folks incessantly and intentionally conflated protesters and looters. Naturally, Atlanta illustrates this with its trademark biting wit.
Overall, “The Most Atlanta” and “The Homeliest Little Horse” construct a strong foundation on which Season 4 can spread its wings. All the elements are present for the show’s best season yet. These characters are flourishing thanks to top-notch writing and fantastic performances across the board. Here’s hoping the series delivers satisfying endings for each character.
On a similar note: Darius is still the funniest character in Atlanta, played to perfection by LaKeith Stanfield. Glover is hot on his heels, though. As is Brian Tyree Henry. And Zazie Beetz. Let’s be honest — everyone on this show is funny as all get out.
Stray Observations:
- On a materialistic note, Zazie Beetz is one of the prettiest people on the planet. On another equally materialistic note, Van’s plaid romper in “The Most Atlanta” is envy-inducing.
- BlueBlood’s elaborate scavenger hunt leading to the location of his funeral is just *chef’s kiss.* There’s nothing wrong with going out in style.
- Darius would walk into madness and mayhem and go about his business without awareness of his surroundings. That’s why we love him.
- We finally learn why Earn was expelled from Princeton in “The Homeliest Little Horse.” Talk about a reveal six years in the making. As expected, the story behind Earn’s expulsion is heartbreaking.
- That plot twist in “The Homeliest Little Horse” is the furthest thing from expected. Imagine concocting an intricate revenge scheme involving several moving parts and players. Earn is a damn genius. Plus, Earn realizing he might need to resume therapy is hysterical and a brilliant episodic button.
- Oh, look, we found Donald Glover’s Emmys submission scenes! He’s always fantastic, but he’s bringing his triple A-game for Season 4.
What did you think of this episode of Atlanta? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Atlanta airs Thursdays at 10/9c on FX, with next-day streaming on Hulu.
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Melody McCune
Melody loves TV. Maybe too much. Besides being a Senior Writer for Tell-Tale TV, she's the Managing Editor for Geek Girl Authority, an Independent Contractor for Sideshow Collectibles, and a Senior Writer for Eulalie Magazine. Additionally, she has bylines in Culturess, Widget, and inkMend on Medium. To top it all off, she's a critic for Rotten Tomatoes and CherryPicks.