Atlanta: Our Favorite Scenes, Characters & Episodes

Source: Courtesy / FX

The series finale of the critically acclaimed FX series Atlanta will air this week (November 10). The Donald Glover created comedy drama has offered us four amazing seasons of some of the most groundbreaking, thought provoking and sometimes just down right outlandish television we’ve seen in recent memory. As the cultural classic comes to an end, we decided to highlight some of the most memorable scenes, characters and episodes from one of our all time favorite shows ever.

Atlanta premiered on FX on September 6, 2016. The series revolves around college dropout turned music manager Earn (Donald Glover) and his rapper cousin Paper Boi (Brian Tyree Henry). Along with their friend Darius (Lakeith Stanfield) and Earn’s baby mother Vanessa (Zazie Beetz), they navigate their way through the rap game and essentially go from rags to riches. Along the way, we get a depiction of the city of Atlanta and its rap scene like we’ve never seen before. The show has been praised for its ability to explore the current cultural climate of the world that we live in and the creative and at times absurdly surreal depictions of all that comes with it. Every week, fans sat by the edges of their seats in anticipation for the next viral moment that would come from the conversation starting show.

The thing Atlanta was so good at was making moments that seemed to feel like cultural time stamps. You remember exactly where you were the first time you watched the Teddy Perkins episode. The laughs that came from the “B.A.N.” episode are some we wish we all could experience again. Were we all not collectively thinking that Van had lost her mind when she was in Paris? When we think about the legacy of Atlanta, we will think about the amazing cinematography, the uncanny storytelling and the unpredictable nature of each and every episode. We want to give Donald Glover and every one involved with the show their flowers. To celebrate the show’s amazing run, enjoy a gallery of some of the most memorable scenes, characters and episodes from the can’t miss hit series that had all of us in a chokehold. Jump in the comments and let us know your favorites!

1. FUBU (Season 2 Episode 10)

This episode made us all feel like we were in middle school again. The plot twist in this one was none of us expected. 

2. North of the Border (Season 2 Episode 9)

Everything went wrong in this episode but what was this man Earn thinking? 

3. Alligator Man (Season 2 Episode 1)

Seeing Katt Williams in this series was something we didn’t know that we needed but it was much appreciated!

4. Tarrare (Season 3 Episode 10)

This was some of the best acting we’ve seen on the entire series. Van stole the show!

5. B.A.N. (Season 1 Episode 7)

This episode was pure genius. A half-hour of programming on a fictionalized news network. The commercials were dumb funny. 

6. Barbershop (Season 2 Episode 5)

So relatable. Most Black men in America knows what it feels like to have to deal with a barber that does too much. This was spot on. 

7. Streets on Lock (Season 1 Episode 2)

This scene is legendary. It was only the second episode of the series but it be set the tone for the hilariousness to come throughout the next four seasons. 

8. The Club (Season 1 Episode 8)

This was one of the best depictions of club and promoter life to date. 

9. Woods (Season 2 Episode 8)

Seeing Paper Boi go through all of the different emotions he went through this episode was truly compelling. 

10. The Goof Who Sat By The Door (Season 4 Episode 8)

Thomas Washington. A Goofy Movie. Flawless execution. 

11. Nobody Beats The Biebs (Season 1 Episode 5)

If you couldn’t tell that Atlanta was a different show than any other one that was on TV after they showed us a Black Justin Bieber, you weren’t paying attention. 

12. Work Ethic! (Season 4 Episode 5)

Even Tyler Perry had to laugh at this one. Hahaha

13. Three Slaps (Season 3 Episode 1)

This episode is one of the deepest. It’s inspired by true events but with an Atlanta twist.  

14. Teddy Perkins (Season 2 Episode 6)

Maybe the strangest character and episode we’ve ever seen.

15. Rich Wigga, Poor Wigga (Season 3 Episode 9)

This episode was as funny as it was real. Rest In Peace to Kevin Samuels.