Yesterday (Aug. 2), FX Networks dropped the official trailer for “Atlanta”’s fourth and final season. In the two-minute preview, the original cast returns, and hilarious clips depict the uniqueness of the popular city. For example, even if you’ve never been to Atlanta, you’ve probably heard of the water bottle boys who are infamous at red lights. But everyone doesn’t seem to be a fan of the series. Donald Glover, who stars in and created the show, had a few things to say to critics.
During a Television Critics Association panel yesterday, Glover took time to address those who say his show isn’t for Black people. “I do a lot of this shit for the people,” the entertainer began. “So if you’re sitting there being like, ‘Oh, this is misogynoir,’ I’m wondering why you think that and why you think I feel that way when I’m nothing without my people. It’s just kind of whack to me. Some of that to me is just Internet people trying to get hot, which is also something we learned in the system we’re in.”
“I feel like a lot of the Black criticism bothers me only because it sounds like [it’s from] Black people who don’t really know what we’ve been through. I don’t think they give a lot of credit to what we’ve gone through,” Glover continued. In “Atlanta,” Glover plays Earn, a young man who has decided to leave the Ivy League life behind. The show takes us on his journey through life with his aspiring rapper cousin Paper Boi (Bryan Tyree Henry), oddball friend Darius (LaKeith Stanfield) and love interest Van (Zazie Beetz). Although Glover may have received some backlash, fans generally seem sad about the show ending.
“I’m excited to watch the final season, I don’t know if I’m ready for it to be over,” a fan tweeted. Glover’s brother Stephen also had positive things to say about the series, according to Entertainment Weekly. “I will also say being in Atlanta and walking around, or even like in L.A., I run into Black people all the time who tell me this is their favorite show and how they appreciate everything we do,” he said.
“They also say we’re making them want to do cooler and weirder stuff. So for me, that’s the real kind of conversations that are happening out there. Internet stuff isn’t always real; it’s not how people really feel. I kind of get my feelings from the streets, to sum that up,” he added.
“Atlanta” returns to FX for its final season on Sept. 15.