It may have taken almost four years to produce, but Atlanta season 3 is here. Welcomed news for those that have been patiently waiting to catch up with Earn, Paper Boi, Darius and Van, as Atlanta is easily one of the most anticipated TV shows of the year.
Fans of the FX Original are very aware that Atlanta, for all of its critical acclaim, is a series that’s no stranger to production delays. Back in 2017, it was announced that the second season would be delayed due to Donald Glover’s busy schedule. At the time, Glover had committed to filming the role of Lando Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
After FX ordered season 3 of the show, it was reported shortly thereafter that Atlanta would again take a small break in production to accommodate Glover’s schedule. (What can we say, as an Emmy award-winning actor and a Grammy award-winning artist, he’s a busy guy). Unfortunately, this last delay in production was extended once the pandemic hit.
Now with the episodes filmed and delays behind us, here’s what we know about Atlanta season 3.
When is the next Atlanta season 3 episode?
After an interesting third season, the final episode of Atlanta has arrived. Some viewers are frankly not quite sure how to feel about this season as a whole. Roughly half of the episodes don’t include the main cast, and these are the episodes that have some fans laughing hysterically and others scratching their head questioning what they just watched.
With that being said, it should come as no surprise that tonight’s episode is again going to be one of those that may not appeal to the loyal Atlanta fanbase.
This week, the new episode is titled “Tarrare,” and airs Thursday, May 19, at 10 pm ET/PT on FX. Here is the official, yet unique, synopsis:
"Yo Tarrare was a real person. Wild. They gotta stop biting these better shows tho."
When is the Atlanta season 3 finale?
The Atlanta season 3 finale airs on Thursday, May 19.
Atlanta plot
Atlanta is a comedy-drama that follows two cousins, Earnest "Earn" Marks and Alfred "Paper Boi" Miles, as they try to find success in the Atlanta music scene. Earn is on a mission to better his life by managing Paper Boi’s rap career. Unfortunately, despite Earn’s brilliance, he doesn’t have experience in the music industry, and Paper Boi has a gift for calling Earn out when the latter makes novice mistakes.
Joining Earn and Paper Boi for the ride is the mother of Earn’s daughter, Van, and the forever eccentric right-hand man of Paper Boi, Darius.
At the end of season 2, Earn, Paper Boi and Darius were on a flight headed to Europe so Paper Boi could perform with the annoying rapper Clark County. However, in order for the three to even make the flight, Earn had to help Darius secure his passport and he had to have an uncomfortable conversation with Van about the future of his daughter’s education.
The big obstacle of the season 2 finale was Earn had to think quickly and pawn off a gun that he mistakenly brought with him to the airport, a move that would seemingly save his manager position with Paper Boi. Atlanta season 3 will answer the age-old question, "what happens next?"
Atlanta season 3 cast
As previously mentioned, Atlanta stars the multi-talented Donald Glover. And while the show reportedly took its last hiatus due to Glover’s schedule, it’s quite clear that the other members of the cast were booked and busy when not filming the show.
Brian Tyree Henry spent his time during the hiatus filming projects like Godzilla vs King Kong, Joker and Eternals. Zazie Beetz was also busy starring in movies such as Deadpool 2, Joker and most recently, The Harder They Fall.
And last but certainly not least, there is LaKeith Stanfield. The now Oscar-nominated actor used the break from Atlanta to star in a number of films which include: Knives Out, The Photograph, Judas and The Black Messiah and The Harder They Fall.
On an interesting note, it’s nice to see the overlap in projects among the cast.
Atlanta season 3 trailer
Judging by the trailer, it’s clear Atlanta takes on Europe. By the way, it looks like Earn helped turn Paper Boi into a success.
How to watch Atlanta season 3
Atlanta season 3 is an FX Original and will air live directly on the network. Those that don’t have traditional cable/satellite will be able to view new episodes live using live-streaming platforms such as YouTube TV, Fubo TV, Sling TV and Hulu with Live TV.
Fans of the show that won’t be tuned in via FX can watch episodes the day after they air on Hulu.
Good news for UK viewers. Atlanta season 3 will be coming to Disney Plus, although an official date has yet to be announced. In the meantime, you can catch up on seasons 1 and 2 on the platform.
Will there be an Atlanta season 4?
Yes. Atlanta season 4 will be the final season for the comedy-drama. While that may be a sad development for fans, the good news here is that season 4 has already been filmed according to Variety. Given that’s the case, there hopefully won’t be a long gap between seasons 3 and 4.
