What I’m Watching: Atlanta

Atlanta: Season 1, Episode 5 “Nobody Beats the Biebs” (B+)

What an interesting show this is. I was confused at first when I heard Earn mention Justin Bieber and wondered whether the pop star was actually guest-starring as himself. Instead, we got a black Bieber, one who was pretty self-obsessed and was primed for a rivalry with Paper Boi as soon as he smugly acknowledged that he was the guy who shot some other guy in the head, an only mildly inaccurate version of a full story that we don’t quite know. The level of fame that Paper Boi has achieved is intriguing since people know who he is but just aren’t that into him, as evidenced by the reporter who didn’t want to interview him when he so enthusiastically propositioned himself. Earn was set to have a boring day alone with his suit and tie, and being recognized by a chatty agent earned him a ticket to the top. I can’t find a credit on IMDB, but I’m sure she was played by Jane Adams from “Hung,” a fantastic actress who was perfect for this role. Earn did a great job pretending that he had just run out of business cards and acting the part, and then he got hit unexpectedly by an attack on the man that she thought he was. His life just happens around him, and Earn goes where it takes him. Leave it to Darius to get kicked out of a gun range because he was shooting at pictures of dogs rather than humans, a notion that’s both amusing and slightly thought-provoking in a way no one would ever think to suggest.