Woods (Atlanta)
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Episode 8
- "Meditate" by EarthGang
| "Woods" | |
|---|---|
| Atlanta episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 8 |
| Directed by | Hiro Murai |
| Written by | Stefani Robinson |
| Featured music |
|
| Cinematography by | Christian Sprenger |
| Editing by | Isaac Hagy |
| Production code | XAA02008 |
| Original air date | April 19, 2018 |
| Running time | 27 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Woods" is the eighth episode of the second season of the American comedy-drama television series Atlanta. It is the 18th overall episode of the series and was written by producer Stefani Robinson, and directed by co-executive producer Hiro Murai. It was first broadcast on FX in the United States on April 19, 2018.
The series is set in Atlanta and follows Earnest "Earn" Marks, as he tries to redeem himself in the eyes of his ex-girlfriend Van, who is also the mother of his daughter Lottie; as well as his parents and his cousin Alfred, who raps under the stage name "Paper Boi"; and Darius, Alfred's eccentric right-hand man. In the episode, Alfred goes out with a female friend but he decides to abandon her when she questions his "real" persona. While going home on his own, he is mugged by three fans, forcing him to flee into the woods.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.595 million household viewers and gained a 0.3 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode was praised by critics for Brian Tyree Henry's performance, Murai's directing, and its cinematography, character development and emotional weight. For his performance in the episode, Henry received an Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series nomination at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards.
Alfred (Brian Tyree Henry) is half-asleep at his couch, where he imagines hearing his mother berating him for his room before she disappears. He later wakes up when Earn (Donald Glover) calls him to get him to sign a few forms. Then, Darius (Lakeith Stanfield) arrives to prepare pasta. Alfred then decides to leave with his friend, Sierra (Angela Wildflower), who picks him up in her car.
While shopping, Alfred tells Sierra that while Earn is his manager, he hasn't given him much benefits or "free" stuff. They then go to a nail salon, where Sierra expresses her concerns about her Instagram content, something Alfred is not fond of as he considers it "fake". She suggests they could have a fake relationship to boost their popularity, something that Alfred refuses. When Sierra takes a photo of both of them, Alfred tells her to delete it, and Sierra calls him out for saying his popularity does not make him "real". An angry Alfred leaves the salon and decides to walk home.
As he walks, he runs into three young men, all who claim to be fans of his work. Suddenly, they decide to mug him when they find that he is alone. Alfred fights back but is hurt in the process, losing his watch and necklace and two of them flee. The one remaining starts shooting with a gun, prompting Alfred to escape through the woods. The man's foot steps stop but Alfred feels lost in the woods. As he tries to wander through the woods, he finds himself taunted by an apparently mentally unstable man named Wiley (Reggie Green), who does not seem to help him in anything.
As the night falls, Alfred remains lost and is now nicknamed "deer guts" by Wiley after he stumbles on a dead deer. Tired, Alfred decides to sit near a log, where Wiley compares him to Alfred's mother, calling him out on insulting people and telling him to start thinking how to escape. Wiley then pulls out a knife, telling Alfred to stand up and find a way out of the woods or he will rob him. He then gives him to the count of 30 to run away or he will kill him, prompting him to flee. Suddenly, Alfred finds himself out of the woods and in front of a BP gas station, where he breaks down. He then enters the convenience store to tend his wounds. There, he is approached by a timid fan and Alfred offers him to take selfies, despite his distaste of them. He willingly takes pictures, telling the fan "be safe out here" before leaving.
Production
Development
"Why Paper Boi always got an attitude? He rich, right? That's why I can't feel bad for these celebrities."
In March 2018, FX announced that the eighth episode of the season would be titled "Woods" and that it would be written by producer Stefani Robinson, and directed by co-executive producer Hiro Murai. This was Robinson's fourth writing credit, and Murai's twelfth directing credit.[1]
The episode's credits start with the words "In loving memory of Willow Dean Kearse", actor Brian Tyree Henry's mother, who died in 2016.[2]
Writing
Stefani Robinson stated that Alfred's actions in the episode are a continuation of his role in the episode "Sportin' Waves, saying "The universe is trying to tell him something, God is trying to tell him something. So we see it again but more violent and scarier. He ignored the first warning and the second came harder and faster and spoke to him in a way where he was more able to look at the situation and make a decision about his life."[3] She viewed his story in the episode (particularly during the woods) as a metaphor for the Hero's journey.[3] According to Robinson, the ending of the episode is meant to indicate that Alfred is not "regular" anymore.[3]
Henry's mother's death was a huge influence on the episode, with Robinson saying "I think that was sort of one of the bigger thematic things that jumped out to Brian and I think he connected with the script obviously not a technical level but on a very emotional and personal level."[4] Henry commented on filming the episode, "It stuck with me, and it's really hard to watch, but I'm glad that I committed to it. I'm glad that Hiro guided that and moved that the way he did, and it came out in a way that I still can't believe. But it wasn't that easy to do." For the episode, Henry asked that he couldn't see the woman who played Alfred's mother in the episode.[5]
