The show is Atlanta, which Glover once described as being heavily influenced by David Lynch’s masterful series Twin Peaks. Combining contemporary dramatic elements in the cultural epicenter of Atlanta, Georgia, particularly for hip-hop music, with surrealism and satire, Atlanta was truly a one-of-a-kind series that has been imitated over the past decade but never outdone.
Atlanta Remains One Of The Best Shows Of The 21st Century
Since Atlanta premiered in September 2016, it has provided a groundbreaking framework for cutting-edge “slice-of-life” dramedy series, which have sparked spiritual successors like FX’s own Dave and Ramy, as well as Glover’s own projects like Swarm on Prime Video, which is confirmed to exist in the same universe as Atlanta.
Atlanta follows Glover’s protagonist, Earn, a struggling father who becomes the manager of his cousin Alfred (Brian Tyree Henry), better known as the local celebrity rapper “Paper Boi.” Earn, Alfred, and their spacey friend Darius (LaKeith Stanfield) not only navigate the competitive world of Atlanta’s hip-hop scene but also the challenges and oddities of life itself, which can be even more remarkable.
The core of Atlanta rests on a brilliantly balanced contrast between hyperrealism and dreamlike surrealism that makes the series deeply unique and full of surprises despite its quietly patient pace. Some scenes of Atlanta feel like they were taken out of an episode of HBO’s mainstream Hollywood comedy Entourage, while others are more akin to a feverish nightmare scene from an A24 horror movie.
All-time classic series like Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, and Mad Men are always in the conversation for the best TV shows ever made, not only due to their magnificent quality in every regard, but also their effect on the history and industry of television itself. Based on this criterion, Atlanta deserves a spot in this conversation, as it became a groundbreaking blueprint for an ultra-modern, genre-blending series that thrived on breaking every traditional rule of prestige television.
Atlanta Is Too Outstanding & Relevant To End After 4 Seasons
Glover likely could have extended Atlanta into five or six seasons after season 4 survived the COVID-19 pandemic and was released in 2022. However, much like Jesse Armstrong’s reasoning for ending Succession after four seasons, Glover made the artistically mature decision to end Atlanta with its season 4 finale, having found the natural conclusion to his beloved series.
While shows like The Bear somewhat filled in Atlanta’s shoes with its sharp blend of emotional realism and heightened filmmaking, there has truly been no real successor to Atlanta, and its absence is still felt in the modern streaming landscape. Especially because the series is built on a fluid narrative structure, floating between the main narrative and various side quest-style diversions that switch protagonists, there is no ostensible reason why an Atlanta spin-off show, or even a fifth season, could be made in the near future.
Glover has since created a reimagined reboot of Mr. & Mrs. Smith for Prime Video, which earned 2 Emmys in its debut season and will return for a second season. Director and executive producer Hiro Murai, whose signature style provided the visual makeup for Atlanta, is also a key contributor on The Bear, which will end with its fifth season this year. Perhaps this upcoming production gap will inspire a continuation of Atlanta in the latter half of the 2020s. However, the greatest challenge now is getting Glover, Henry, Stanfield, and Zazie Beetz, who all became household names after Atlanta’s success, to clear their schedules for a much-needed Atlanta season 5.