Halfway through its final season,Atlantabrings back Van to star in an episode with modern parenting as its central theme, but also framing the representation of Black culture by taking shots at one very well-known and successful Black artist, Tyler Perry.
Still,Atlanta’sown brand ofcomedyremains intact in this entry as “Work Ethic!” makes Van enter the world of Kirkwood Chocolate productions for a day’s worth of work she and Lottie won’t ever forget. The last time Zazie Beetz starred in her own solo episode was inseason 3’s spectacularAmélie-themed finale, whereas Lottie has been missing for much longer, and it’s fair to say Van is back in her mom role after the crisis she was going through in Paris.
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Onto Perry, it is well known that the prolific actor, screenwriter, playwright, director, and Atlanta resident opened up his own Tyler Perry Studios back in 2019 to continue making the type of films that have made him so famous, such as theMadeaseries orhis upcomingSister Act 3. Nevertheless, Perry is not exactly a unanimously revered figure by African Americans as many Black artists deride his particular style, including Spike Lee, or -apparently- this episode’s director Donald Glover and itswriter Janine Nabers (Watchmen).
See, even the episode’s title takes after an all caps 2020 tweet from Perry bragging about his “work ethic” for writing scripts, so subtlety is not on the table as Van enters the Kirkwood Chocolate studio complex completely bewildered by the scale of the man’s influence. Van represents that skepticism of Mr. Chocolate’s (and Perry’s) contributions to Black culture, she doesn’t care for the type of films he makes, and neither does her hair stylist, they both think they’re pretty dumb, but ultimately both agree that it’s both a decent way to make money and create opportunities for Black people.
Mr. Chocolate is a cult-like figure that watches over everything that goes on at his studio as he micromanages even the tiniest details of his productions from his own fortress of solitude, which includes swiftly casting Lottie for a role. While it’s one thing for Van to take the gig, Lottie is a whole different matter and here she becomes warier of her strange surroundings.
It’s certainly up to each parent to decide thesocial media exposure they allow their kids (E.g. TikTok), what music they listen to or what games they play, yet the instances of overbearing moms coaching their daughters all over the studio are a good reminder of how critical these issues are in modern society. Van is clearly less than excited about this unwanted opportunity, and her entire tour of the Kirkwood Chocolate studio looking for Lottie also shines a light on the many parodies of Tyler Perry movies the episode puts upfront for comedic purposes.
“Work Ethic!” is another way for Glover to express what has partly always beenAtlanta’sgoal: to expand the scope of Blackness by making one of the best television shows out there,one that can tackleSeinfeld-like comedyas well as it can adopt European surrealism — simply put,Atlantais the exact opposite of what Perry doeswith his work which mostly plays off Black stereotypes. There is no Black Midas touch, and no line in the episode drives home those ideas as well as Van’s conversation about O.J. Simpson.
All commentary aside, this entry packs enough Teddy Perkins vibes to be very entertaining, as all the eccentricity of Mr. Chocolate maintains the series' aura of surrealism, while also referencing Perry’s work in a way as seen in Van’s sole ally in the compound the gunslingingMadea-like religious lady she meets. Perhaps the closest similarity to Teddy Perkins is that the end credits show Mr. Chocolate as being played by none other than Kirkwood Chocolate to confirm it’s another extreme transformation from Donald Glover.
Towards the end, Van finally confronts Mr. Chocolate, who’s revealed to be just the type of person one would imagine with everything that’s happened, a reclusive creative or more of a “con man” from Van’s perspective, who treats the studio like his child and even kids like Lottie as property, and also quite the Perry lookalike. It’s funny to see Van toss some porridge at this awkward figure, who despite her leaving will continue churning out Mr. Chocolate movies nonstop.
In her journey, Van catches the eye of a couple of men who attempt to approach her, though the episode’s ending reveals nothing more than disappointment, even from her slightly more interesting suitor. Her drawing male attention is no wonder, and while it possibly comes down to the episode being a Van acting gig, Beetz looks absolutely stunning here as she commands every scene like the perplexed bystander and mother she’s supposed to be.
Teddy Perkins is one ofAtlanta’sbest episodes, and although this Tyler Perry satire may not exactly hit those heights, its on-the-nose humor and bizarre setting will make it a favorite for many. Now that Van is back, the only thingAtlanta’sfinal season is missing is another solo Darius episode.
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