Over the past two decades, television has catapulted to the forefront of entertainment as studios have churned out more and more shows, all with the intent of keeping audiences glued to their screens in order to binge the next episode/season/series. Because of this newfound output of series after series, we have understandably reached a 'golden standard' of television where audiences have been gifted with some of the best series ever produced across every style and genre. Comedies, thrillers, sci-fi, fantasy -- the list goes on of successful series that have caused waves of fans to watch any show that might peek their interests.
Unfortunately, along with this output of televised projects has come another typical trait among TV shows that has caused some unrest among audiences -- taking several years between seasons. There's no particular show or genre to lay the blame on (though Rick & Morty did kind of start it), but it has become more and more common for Emmy-level shows to go on hiatus and spend several years making the next season of their series. One such example is the upcoming season 3 of Atlanta. The show has garnered several Emmy wins over its first two seasons and is considered to be one of the most ground-breaking/revolutionary comedies of all time. Yet, there's very little hype surrounding the show's renowned return.
A Four-Year Hiatus
Yes, that headline is accurate. While the second season of Atlanta aired a year and a half after the first season (a gap that most fans were already unhappy with), fans have been waiting almost a full four years to get new episodes of the hit comedy as the last episode of season 2 aired in May 2018. Most of that delay has been because of the Covid-19 pandemic, which ended up delaying or canceling every single film and television show in Hollywood that was in production.
Even still, series creator, Donald Glover, knew there was going to be a stretch of time in-between seasons 2 and 3 as he had promptly informed fans that he wanted to take a break in order to work on some other material. So, while it's understandable that hype for the series would've died down over such a long period of time, early reports of season 3 have stated that Atlanta hasn't lost a step at all and picks up right where it left off -- at the top of the televised comedy world. Even if some fans are a little bitter about the extended hiatus, all indications point to the series material being good enough to make audiences forget about the large gap.
Actors' Success During the Hiatus
One of the most unique aspects of Atlanta is that the entire series revolves around just four main characters. While there are plenty of guest stars, cameos, and tertiary roles, there really aren't any secondary characters with every second of every episode revolving around Earn, Alfred, Darius, and Vanessa. As a result of Atlanta's success, the four actors playing the four main roles have received immediate success in the entertainment industry. Donald Glover (Earn, and series creator) is well-known by his hip-hop alter-ego Childish Gambino and has released plenty of new material over the past four years. Not only that, but Glover has also continued his acting success by landing roles in Solo, the independent film Guava Island, and being the voice of Simba in the live-action version of The Lion King.
Meanwhile, Brian Tyree Henry (Alfred) has become one of the busiest people in the industry as he's landed leading roles in several high-profile projects such as Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse, Child's Play, Godzilla vs. Kong, Eternals, and many more. Lakeith Stanfield (Darius) has been just as busy as Brian Tyree Henry and arguably even more successful, getting spots in projects like Sorry to Bother You, Uncut Gems, Knives Out, The Harder They Fall, Bojack Horseman, Yasuke, and Judas & the Black Messiah (the latter of which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor). Zazie Beetz (Vanessa) keeps the success train going as she has gotten roles in projects like Deadpool 2, Joker, Invincible, and The Harder They Fall (reuniting with Stanfield). Safe to say that while some fans may have forgotten about Atlanta, they certainly haven't forgotten the stars that make the show so captivating.
What We Can Expect in Season 3
Not a lot has been shared on what audiences can expect to see in season 3, but it has been confirmed that the show will pick up pretty much right where it left off. Earn, Alfred, and Darius are in the middle of a European tour, trying to navigate the social constructs of the different continent while also trying to navigate the difficulties of their everyday lives. Fans should also expect to see Vanessa and the child she shares with Earn as season 2 ended on the cliffhanger of indicating that said child might be gifted. Of course, with a season 4 confirmed and already filmed, fans will just have to wait and see what the future of Atlanta will bring.