After nearly a four-year hiatus, the hit FX series returns for its third season and the stars spoke out about how it feels returning to television and the important messages they hope viewers take from its timely storytelling.
It has been nearly four years since a new episode aired on television, but the FX Networks comedy-drama series Atlanta is back for its third season and its stars, cast, and crew were out in full force last night in Hollywood to celebrate. With its season two premiere raking in a combined 2.7 million viewers over all platforms in its first week with adults 18 to 49 during March 2018, there are definitely some high hopes for this 10-episode season three. Emmy winner Donald Glover, having an extensive list of responsibilities on Atlanta from being one of its stars, the show creator, executive producer, writer, director, and executive music producer, speaks out about bringing these storylines between his character “Earn Marks” and his three friends back to television after this rather long hiatus. “It means a lot,” Glover tells me. “I mean, we worked on this for a really, really long time. I’m just excited that people get to see it and that my aunt can stop complaining that I didn’t make it fast enough.” Emmy nominated actor Brian Tyree Henry, who plays Glover’s rapper cousin “Alfred ‘Paper Boi’ Miles” on Atlanta, shares similar feelings about the show’s return. “It means a great deal, honestly. I used to wonder why everyone was so angry at us. People would literally be like ‘When are you coming back? What’s going on? What’s taking so long?’ I get it now.” Appropriately being the show’s title, the first two seasons were filmed largely around the Atlanta, Georgia area. This third season, however, the story finds these characters having jet-setting adventures across Europe. Emmy nominated actress Zazie Beetz, who plays “Van” on Atlanta, the on-again-off-again girlfriend of Glover’s character and the mother of his child, hopes that fans see the evolving nature of her character as these stories continue. “I just want them to see that ‘Van’ is always in the expiration of woman in terms of like can you be a mother and a lover and just an autonomous person? Have fun, be responsible — can that package all exist in the same time? Who am I within those identities? I think ‘Van’ continues to explore that in this season and I would hope that people can take away that a woman can be all the things and more.
