●●●●●

Fans of Community will be excited to see Donald Glover’s comic return with Atlanta – although it might not be exactly what they’re expecting.

Atlanta follows Earn (Glover) as he drops out of Princeton and returns to Atlanta. Struggling financially, Earn ends up in the modern slump of working a dead-end job. Meanwhile, his cousin Alfred is rising local celebrity and rapper Paper Boi. After mediating a mundane incident involving the snapping of Paper Boi’s side view mirror, Earn decides to quit his job and do something he might actually be passionate about. He becomes Paper Boi’s manager.

Atlanta is unique in addressing a wide array of modern American issues. Police brutality, mental illness and transphobia are the focus of multiple episodes. Episodic comments on Snapchat and Instagram culture keep the show universal. At times, you find yourself questioning if Atlanta fits into the comedy genre. However Glover’s exceptionally clever use of cyclical plot and unrelenting satire is a reminder that comedy and social politics are not mutually exclusive.

Keith Stanfield provides a stand out performance as the perpetually stoned, visionary Darius. Atlanta livens up tired-out stoner humour with a spaced out, yet incredulously in tune character. Darius is seen trading a phone for a samurai sword, that sword for a dog, and eventually bartering his way up in a plot that ultimately ridicules the waster stereotype and the path to success.

Fans of Glover’s music will notice familiar themes in Atlanta, particularly following his critically acclaimed STN MTN/Kauai EP. Atlanta truly feels like a dream in which Glover’s Earn, despite social and economic issues beyond his control, could feasibly run the city. Relatable characters and serious issues matched with intelligent humour create this perfectly nuanced TV series. Donald Glover shines in this much anticipated return.