If the first episode promised anything for this new season, it was that it was going to more edge to it than the first one, and "Robbin' Season" has proved that its not afraid to make things real. The first episode had a very somber tone and didn't feel like the first season in the longrun, but I was prepared for that. I knew that this season was going to be something special, which is why I'm not going to give up on it, because I think it could become something as memorable as the first season. Besides, there are a lot of things from the first season still open, one of those things being the entire music business story that was never really finished. I was so happy to see that the second episode of this season continued on that storyline and actually gave us some more from that specific storyline, and I am so excited to see what the rest of the season has in store for everyone of these characters and to see how they are going to be affected by these tough times coming to Atlanta.
As I mentioned, one of the best things about this episode, is that is continues the music plotline from the first season. I very much like to see some progression there and I think that Stephen Glover came up with a good way of showing it. We see Earnest and Alfred going in to show there music to a studio, and the setting made for some genius moments that I found so funny. The episode makes it very clear that Al doesn't belong in this specific part of the industry, and I think that gave something more to his character; something that I didn't really see in the first season so much.
The comedic writing in this episode is truly subtle, and I loved it. There are a few lines that got the big laughs out for me, but for the most part, it was the small moments that I didn't realize were actually happening before they were past those moments. Those are my personal favorite comedic moments and they don't simply go for the big laughs. Glover made some clever decisions by going that route, instead of relying on funny lines.
Besides the entire thing with the music industry, there is also another part of the episode, which focuses more on showing the hard times for all of these characters. We see that in manifestation of Tracy who is a new character that lives in Al's crip along with him and Darius. I don't know what role Tracy is going to play yet, but I know that I loved his role in this particular episode, because he never tried to take over the screen, and it's easy to see that writers are approaching this character with ease, which is a good idea, because he is a new addition that we don't have a big relationship with.
There were also some great callbacks to Season One. Not just the thing with the music industry, but there was a very clear part of the episode that came from something that was never finished in the first season. I appreciated that they finished up that story, and kinda tied up some loose threads from the first season. I can think of a few other elements that they need to tie up that way, but after this episode, I think they'll definitely get to that.
I also loved the performances in the episode, especially Brian Tyree Henry who is constantly impressing me with his comedic ability. He gives such a subtle performance every time he's on screen, and it's never feels like he's trying to up-act anyone, because that's not what his performance calls for. I loved him in this episode, and I am excited to see where his character is going in the future episodes of this season.
