Atlanta Robbin’ Season episode 2 review: Sportin’ Waves
Sportin’ Waves brings Al, Darius and Earn into the world of streaming companies, dealing with the consequences of money, fame, and robbery.
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Alfred getting robbed is a warning towards the development of his rap career. Back in season 1, episode 2, as he was exiting the police station he was accosted by a policeman. This policeman wanted his picture, wanted Paper Boi to be this celebrity. But Al isn’t really in it for the fans. Fame and wealth yes, but when it comes the people around him he isn’t one to becoming someone like Justin Bieber.
Therefore as Earn and Al are in the offices of a streaming company, watching white people around them act as ‘cool’ as they think they are, they are surrounded by a people they just don’t get. Unfortunately for them, they have to go through this to get famous and rich. To be honest, as they watched a really catchy Yoo-hoo commercial, you could sort of see them wishing it was them.
Darius and Al are on a mission to find a new dealer, after the previous robbed Alfred at gunpoint. But as said, this will means dealing with the downsides to being famous. After giving his number to a potential supplier, his phone will then not stop ringing. Once you hear an awful acoustic version of your rap song, you just have to throw your phone away.
For Earn, he finally got a win. The payment came through from his investment in those puppies from back in season one, getting $4,000 for Earn is a big thing. But Earn being Earn, he goes and spends it all on a gift card from Tracey and then on useless stuff he doesn’t need. You would expect he would want to invest the money in Van and his daughter (worryingly again there was no sign or mention of either), but he has no idea of responsibility.
After last week’s intro, Tracey is this weeks MVP. He talks about the awesomeness of Bojack Horseman, the malls no-chase policy, and the amazing waves in his hair. I really recommend reading the Khris Davis interview on Complex, as it goes into detail into his take on the character that will be showing up throughout Robbin’ Season.
This was a quiet episode, but it didn’t mean that the small amount of music shown didn’t have a purpose. Here are the two pieces of (available) music (courtesy of TuneFind) that featured on “Sportin’ Waves”:
“All There” was shown as Al was walking away from his car after getting robbed, his rap credentials are now making him a target. Hearing Flying Lotus as Al and Darius try new weed, elevates the state of mind they’re in. Unfortunately the acoustic cover of Paper Boi isn’t yet available, nor is the catchy Yoo-hoo rap jingle.
Next: Atlanta Robbin’ Season episode 1 review: Alligator Man
There is an odd relationship between black and white culture. By showing Earn and Al interact with a culture they don’t get (even Earn who spent time at Princeton), and having an acoustic version of a rap song highlights the somewhat pervasive nature of how both bleed into each other. Atlanta Robbin’ Season shows that people are losing all manner of things, but Sportin’ Waves just shows it’s been happening for a while.
Next Week on Atlanta Robbin’ Season: “Money Bag Shawty” – Earn is out here making that money. Too bad he still looks broke as hell. This whole city runs on stunting, you feel me?