The city is struggling to find and maybe even redefine itself, with the eyes of the nation on it, as it wrestles with sky-high rent, the ongoing struggles with income disparity, and lightning-fast gentrification that’s pushed the city, once known as a cultural beacon and haven for Black folks, to decide what it is and what it wants to be. Within the realm of the show, four years can be a lifetime, and its four leads— Donald Glover, Zazie Beetz, Brian Tyree Henry, and LaKeith Stanfield— are now bonafide stars, and in Stanfield’s case, Oscar-nominated.  In that sense, it’s almost fitting that Atlanta, a groundbreaking show known for its surrealist, yet unflinchingly honest observations about life and culture, is returning now. 

The series is defined by its otherworldly, soulful, and even creepy observations about Atlanta (and more broadly, Black) life and culture, and the first episode “Three Slaps” pulls a surprise punch that serves as a glaring reminder that, when its at the top of its game, there’s simply nothing better on TV—still. 

Much in the same way the Season 2 opener, “Alligator Man,” served as a reminder of the show’s brilliance with an outstanding, Emmy-winning performance from Katt Williams, season 3’s opener, written by Donald and Stephen Glover and directed by Hiro Murai, should spark award consideration. Christopher Farrar and Lauren Halperin, in particular, turn in bone chilling, searing performances in the episode that’ll likely become a defining entry in the series— think the invisible car, Teddy Perkins, or the aforementioned Alligator Man.

But the show, as evidenced by the first two episodes, remains singularly inventive and fresh. And any question about the cast’s chemistry in light of their individual successes is laid to rest in the second episode, “Sinterklass Is Coming to Town,” when the gang gets together again, this time in Europe for a newly successful Paper Boi’s tour.

In this episode, the story is mostly focused on Earn, as he juggles his responsibilities as Paper Boi’s manager in a foreign country obsessed with blackface, and the mother of his child and on-and-off girlfriend, Van.  She unexpectedly finds herself teamed up with Darius to embark on a whimsical journey to self-discovery but hits a few bumps along way, including a mystical, abrupt encounter with a death doula and possibly Tupac? 

Like its previous two seasons, it’s next to impossible to predict where Atlanta will go from episode to episode. But Glover and his team have ensured that you’ll want to be along for the ride.