Atlanta's Third Season Will Feature More Stories About Women
EntertainmentGood news for Zazie Beetz fans: Season 3 of Atlanta will likely feature more stories specifically focused around women.
According to Atlanta writer and producer Stephen Glover (Donald Glover’s brother), the writers plan to devote more attention to the women of Atlanta next season. “I think we have some cool ideas in Season 3 that’ll put some more women on screen,” Glover told The Hollywood Reporter. “There’s a very specific perspective from the Atlanta woman that I think we’re gonna explore.”
Beetz, the only woman who’s a regular castmember, also said she’d like more episodes like Season 2’s “Champagne Papi,” in which her character Van goes on a girls’ night out to Drake’s alleged mansion, partly in search of a good Instagram pic for her lackluster feed. “There’s no lack of women on the set, but I think in terms of storytelling, it is different just like bonding with a woman and playing with that energy in terms of Van’s character,” Beetz told THR.
Beyond “Champagne Papi,” Atlanta: Robbin’ Season featured women other than Van more prominently, from Paper Boi’s social media savvy girlfriend to clingy fangirls at a college show, but it’s worth pointing out that the show’s women-centric episodes tend to be met with mixed reviews, and that Atlanta’s writers room has one woman on staff, Stefani Robinson.
In an interview with The Wrap this May, Robinson talked about the pressures of being the lone woman in the room (and the misconception that she is “Van’s voice”), saying:
“I just see my name get thrown around, like, ‘Well she’s the only one, so she’s responsible. Is that how she thinks of all women?’ I become the lightning rod for the females’ perspective…I’m just one person, and I’m here, and it’s a different perspective and I’m championing this and I’m happy to be in this space. But I think when you are the only one of anything you are suddenly the voice for everyone. And it’s such a hard place to be in and, I think, not a fair place to be in. There need to be more women everywhere, to be honest.”
Perhaps Atlanta’s forthcoming focus on Atlanta women will mean having more women in the room to write them—or at least more episodes where Van takes Earn to creepy German locales.