History YMMV / Atlanta

** The entirety of "Tarrare", especially if you look at it from Candice's perspective. She and her friends encounter Van in Paris and the four women end up going on an adventure. The premise sounds innocuous enough at first glance, but it's obvious from the beginning that something is very wrong with Van, who has completely changed her appearance and is speaking in a French accent. Candice grows increasingly concerned and unnerved as the episode goes on, and all of her attempts to get through to Van are met with hostility until the very end, when Candice asks about Lottie and Van completely breaks down, it becoming apparent that she's going through a mental health crisis.

* UnexpectedCharacter: Nobody expected [[spoiler:Creator/LiamNeeson to cameo AsHimself in Season 3]]. Ditto for [[Creator/AlexanderSkarsgard]].

* UnexpectedCharacter: Nobody expected [[spoiler:Creator/LiamNeeson to cameo AsHimself in Season 3]]. Ditto for [[Creator/AlexanderSkarsgård]].

* UnexpectedCharacter: Nobody expected [[spoiler:Creator/LiamNeeson to cameo AsHimself in Season 3]]. Ditto for [[Creator/AlexanderSkarsgard]].

* UnexpectedCharacter: Nobody expected [[spoiler:Creator/LiamNeeson to cameo AsHimself in Season 3]].

* NightmareFuel: The aforementioned "Teddy Perkins," is darker than any episode that's come before it. From the titular character's creepy face and expressions, his bizarre behavior, and the story behind it all that is gradually told throughout the episode, there's few moments of levity to be found, and a lot of unease. [[spoiler: It culminates in Darius about to be killed by Teddy, only for Teddy to be killed by his brother in a murder/suicide that puts a violent end to the story of the effects of abuse and trauma that the episode tells.]]

* NightmareFuel: The aforementioned "Teddy Perkins," is darker than any episode that's come before it. From the titular character's UncannyValley face and expressions, his bizarre behavior, and the story behind it all that is gradually told throughout the episode, there's few moments of levity to be found, and a lot of unease. [[spoiler: It culminates in Darius about to be killed by Teddy, only for Teddy to be killed by his brother in a murder/suicide that puts a violent end to the story of the effects of abuse and trauma that the episode tells.]]

* UncannyValley: Again, Teddy Perkins, thanks to being played by [[spoiler: Glover himself]] under a bout twenty pounds of prosthetic whiteface makeup. According to director Hiro Murai, the production team deliberately went for a very smooth, unnatural look with Teddy's face in order to make him seem even creepier.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: Van gets her own focus episodes in season 2, but in terms of the overall season, she’s absent for more than half of it. Granted, underusing the character was probably a better option than shoehorning her into plots just for the sake of giving her more screen time. And despite being OutOfFocus that year, Creator/ZazieBeetz still manages to get nominated for supporting actress at the Emmys. This even gets lampshaded in season 3 where Van herself says she "feels aimless".

* AcceptableTargets: Music/JustinBieber is portrayed as a complete and total douchebag who’s unworthy of his fame and gets assaulted by Paper Boi.
* {{Adorkable}}: Surprisingly for a show of such surreal atmosphere , there''are'' some examples.

* Earnest sits between JerkWithAHeartOfGold and TheStoic most of the time, but the few times he ''does'' show genuine emotion (such as his cheering for Alfred after he finally gets the money they were owed) makes it easy to remember Donald Glover is still the same actor who played [[Series/Community Troy Barns]].
* [[ThePhilosopher Darius]]'s bizarre perception of the world (and sometimes rather lax safety standards) can make him seem off putting at first glance, but a few scenes (such as his explanation of Bostrom's Simulation in "Champagne Papi") makes it clear he's a very thoughtful and softspoken soul who enjoys sharing with his thoughts with anyone willing to listen.

* {{Adorkable}}: Earnest is an awkward young black man who tries hard to be cool but it's adorable. Look at his cheering for Alfred after he gets the money they owed. It's nothing but adorable.

** The entirety of "Three Slaps", often called less of an episode of Atlanta and more of a psychological horror short film by reviewers. The opening alone is haunting, two men, one white and one black, are alone in a boat, before they start discussing how the black man felt pulled in by the water as a young boy. The white man starts saying that it was because he was being pulled - by the drowned black town that used to be there. He goes on to deliver a truly haunting monologue about the cold nothingness of white identity, [[spoiler: before turning around to show that he [[AndIMustScream has no face]], before dark hands pull the black man deep into the water.]] It gets worse from there, showing it was a dream sequence of a little boy who gets put into a foster home with two abusive lesbians - who feed him raw chicken, treat him like a slave, and then [[spoiler: murders the CPS officer who checks in on them, and then commits a murder-suicide on themselves and the children - the latter of which thankfully come out unharmed.]] The entire story is made even worse by the fact that it's based on the true story of Devonte Hart and his foster parents. At one point, the boy even attempts to get help from the police, who not only jokes that he almost shot him, but [[PoliceAreUseless dismisses his concerns]] and sends him back to the abusive foster parents.

** The entirety of "Three Slaps", often called less of an episode of Atlanta and more of a psychological horror short film by reviewers. The opening alone is haunting, two men, one white and one black, are alone in a boat, before they start discussing how the black man felt pulled in by the water as a young boy. The white man starts saying that it was because he was being pulled - by the drowned black town that used to be there. He goes on to deliver a truly haunting monologue about the cold nothingness of white identity, [[spoiler: before turning around to show that he [[AndIMustScream has no face]], before dark hands pull the black man deep into the water.]] It gets worse from there, showing it was a dream sequence of a little boy who gets put into a foster home with two abusive lesbians - who feed him raw chicken, treat him like a slave, and then [[spoiler: murders the CPS officer who checks in on them, and then commits a murder-suicide on themselves and the children - the latter of which thankfully come out unharmed.]] The entire story is made even worse by the fact that it's based on the [[AdultFear true story of Devonte Hart and his foster parents.]] At one point, the boy even attempts to get help from the police, who not only jokes that he almost shot him, but [[PoliceAreUseless dismisses his concerns]] and sends him back to the abusive foster parents.

** "Three Slaps", the opening episode of season 3 is a DreamEpisode about a young boy who acts up in school and eventually ends up with a white lesbian couple as foster parents, who are abusive and after murdering a social worker, eventually drive out into the countryside to commit familicide with the other adoptive kids in tow. While all the children get away safely, said boy returns home to his biological mother with a better outlook on his home life. Sadly the real life murder-suicide of the Hart Family murders in 2018 that served as inspiration for the episode did not end has happily.
* CrossesTheLineTwice: When Alfred goes to talk to troll Zan at his job (as a pizza deliverer) there is a child in the backseat. He at first assumes it is Zan's son, only to learn that it is actually Zan's Vine partner. The child says his profanity-laced catchphrase, is sent in to deliver the pizza (to spread the word about their Vine series)... and ''gets robbed''. Alfred gets out of the car and walks away, to the sound of the kid pounding the door and yelling "Give me the pizza back! I know where you live!"

** The entirety of "Three Slaps", often called less of an episode of Atlanta and more of a psychological horror short film by reviewers. The opening alone is haunting, two men, one white and one black, are alone in a boat, before they start discussing how the black man felt pulled in by the water as a young boy. The white man starts saying that it was because he was being pulled - by the drowned black town that used to be there. He goes on to deliver a truly haunting monologue about the cold nothingness of white identity, [[spoiler: before turning around to show that he [[AndIMustScream has no face]], before dark hands pull the black man deep into the water.]] It gets worse from there, showing it was a dream sequence of a little boy who gets put into a foster home with two abusive lesbians - who feed him raw chicken, treat him like a slave, and then [[spoiler: murders the CPS officer who checks in on them, and then commits a murder-suicide on themselves and the children - the latter of which thankfully come out unharmed.]] The entire story is made even worse by the fact that it's based on the [[AdultFear true story of Devonte Hart and his foster parents.]]

** [[spoiler: Somehow, even though it's ostensibly an example of ArsonMurderAndJaywalking, seeing the piano Darius really wanted get tied up and taken away as evidence is just a final punch in the gut that this was truly AllForNothing.]]

** Willie for being hilariously cantankerous, having more depth than you’d expect, and for embracing his role as “the alligator man”. Katy Williams even won an Emmy for his performance.

* UncannyValley: Again, Teddy Perkins, thanks to being played by [[spoiler: Glover himself]] under about twenty pounds of prosthetic whiteface makeup. According to director Hiro Murai, the production team deliberately went for a very smooth, unnatural look with Teddy's face in order to make him seem even creepier.

* WhiteSavior: Deconstructed with Amber and Gayle, the lesbian foster parents in "Three Slaps." Outwardly they're two loving hippies who adopt underprivileged black children out of kindess; a picture of their newest adoptee hugging a white cop paints them as wonderful parents. The harsh truth is they keep the kids living in squalor, change their names, and use them as cheap farming labor while giving them unhealthy food. It's heavily implied that they [[spoiler:murder a social worker who comes for a welfare check]].

** "Three Slaps", the opening episode of season 3 is a DreamEpisode about a young boy who acts up in school and eventually ends up with a white lesbian couple as foster parents, who are abusive and after murdering a social worker, eventually drive out into the countryside to commit familicide with the other adoptive kids in tow. While all the children get away with said boy returning home to his biological mother, sadly the real life murder-suicide of the Hart Family murders in 2018 that served as inspiration for the episode did not end has happily.

** "Three Slaps", the opening episode of season 3 is a DreamEpisode about a young boy who plays up in school and eventually ends up with a white lesbian couple who struggle to make ends meet and who eventually drive out into the countryside to abandon him and the other three foster children.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: Van gets her own focus episodes in season 2, but in terms of the overall season, she’s absent for more than half of it. Granted, underusing the character was probably a better option than shoehorning her into plots just for the sake of giving her more screen time. And despite being OutOfFocus that year, Creator/ZazieBeetz still manages to get nominated for supporting actress at the Emmys.

* AwardSnub: An example that’s both downplayed, but still noticeable. Despite being one of the most acclaimed programs of the year and garnering an impressive number of nominations, Atlanta’s second season lost every category it was nominated for at the UsefulNotes/EmmyAward'ss main ceremony, with ''Series/TheMarvelousMrsMaisel'' and ''{{Series/Barry}}'' dominating that year. While both Maisel and Barry's wins are very deserving, many fans were disappointed that such an acclaimed season went home empty handed.

* AwardSnub: An example that’s both downplayed, but still noticeable. Despite being one of the most acclaimed programs of the year and garnering an impressive number of nominations, Atlanta’s second season lost every category it was nominated for at the Emmy’s main ceremony, with ''Series/TheMarvelousMrsMaisel'' and ''{{Series/Barry}}'' dominating that year. While both Maisel and Barry’s wins are very deserving, many fans were disappointed that such an acclaimed season went home empty handed.

** The normally unflappable Darius is left shaken and terrified by his experience with Teddy Perkins, which all amounts to nothing. Kind of hard to not feel bad for him.

* AwardSnub: An example that’s both downplayed, but still noticeable. Despite being one of the most acclaimed programs of the year and garnering an impressive number of nominations, Atlanta’s second season lost every category it was nominated for at the Emmy’s main ceremony, with Series/TheMarvelousMrsMaisel and Series/Barry dominating that year. While both Maisel and Barry’s wins are very deserving, many fans were disappointed that such an acclaimed season went home empty handed.