Hot take: I think he's really awake at the end. All of them are in fact alive. He really did steal the car. And despite the sirens, it is Atlanta. They may not even be coming for him. They didn't say he drove them all the way home with the car. Just that he stole it from the sushi spot. I think while, the dream interpretation everyone keeps pushing is highly possible, everyone keeps comparing it to Inception. Remember how Inception possibly ended? I sure do. At the end, Darius believes he is still in the float tank. But he never smiled at Judge Judy in the previous scenes. He still has guilt over his parents and his brother being gone. But he has a 'family' of sorts that replaced them. He checks the TV to see if Judge Judy do got booty. We don't see it, but she doesn't. He knows he's awake now. It scares him a little. But he has a small grin of acceptance. He listened to his brother. He's where he needs to be. Everything will be fine.
Looked more like a smile accepting his situation. The whole end sequence of him having Popeyes under the seats, him saving them from a crazy sushi restaurant, and stealing a wild pink car was the most dreamlike sequence of events in the episode, everything happened perfectly. There were so many crazy things that happened in this show that would only happen in dreams. Justin Bieber being black, the trans racial guy being against transexuals, Earn waiting for days in a room to talk to a guy, Vanessa serving people hands, etc. Every episode has hints that it's all a dream.
The title of the episode, the smile of bliss on his face when he finally sees Judy standing up, the closing song. . . He's dreaming, most likely a croak dream. Earlier in the episode, when he wakes up in the tank a couple of times only to find out he's still dreaming, he wakes up turned over, face down in the water. He even says "I thought you said I couldn't turn over in here man!" to the onsight nurse. He's going deeper and deeper into a dream because he's dying, drowning inside that tank.
The dream interpretation among other ones where people consider Darius and the others dead are surely interesting theories that makes me real heartbroken but that interpretation where he's alive and he realizes that he's in the reality now is just what I've been feeling since I watched the show's finale
i love this take it reminds me if that scene with darius and his brother and his brother wanna make him a plate but he tryna get to the restaurant and his brother says “i dont want you in here,i want you out there with your friends man”
My mom had a take on the finale that I agree with. Consider how every person darius encounters in this episode while he is dreaming is someone he hasn't seen in a while. Like his brother or London. Consider the fact that this season we already know that Van and Earn are leaving Atlanta and Alfred seems to be spending more and more time on the farm that he got for himself. My mom's theory is that this episode takes place after Van, Earn and Alfred have all left Atlanta and Darius is the only one still left behind. Darius is dreaming about people that he misses. He is imagining a time when the people he cares about the most are all together again. He imagines a time where he brings joy to the people he cares about by giving them a crazy car ride and good food from popeyes. It's an episode about the passage of time and how we can start to lose our sense of place when the people we care about move on to different stages of their lives.
Yeah I think it was a bittersweet smile like he was happy he was no longer dreaming but also thinking “shit, I’m about to go to jail for stealing that car.”
I was thinking maybe so too. I think maybe that Alfred is retiring and Earn is moving to LA, Darius is finally getting ready to move on his own as well and is coping
I think the constant awakenings to being face down could be his true situation, he's realizing that's the only real thing in his dream world because it's the only constant. The sensory deprivation tank was the only thing he was really sure about the whole episode.
@@YinkThePinkInkDrinker And if you think about it. He’s always lived with Alfred. Never seen him go home anywhere. Wow man. That just made me love the guy more.
Everything that happened in Atlanta really happened, but from Darius perspective. Notice how he told the ladies at the spa that he does the tank “once a week”. A new episode of the show comes out once a week as well, so anytime we’re watching an episode, it’s a recollection of real events in the way Darius would perceive it. Even if he wasn’t present for events, I’m sure his friend tell him about them. This explains why he never seems worried, no matter how wierd the events of the show are. While Darius’ reality anchor is thick judge Judy, Darius is actually OUR anchor to the show. In the end, since we don’t see whether judge Judy was thick, we can interpret it as both since the show has realistic and magical aspects to it. In conclusion, it wasn’t ALL a dream.
I really like this. In this context how would you explain the Teddy Perkins episode because in that specific one he seemed genuinely disturbed by the whole ordeal.
DID YALL NOTICE how Darius said he has a “float sesh” weekly. The employee also said he was in there for “30 minooots” in the very first episode of Atlanta Darius said “wait, I had this dream before. Wheres the dog with Texas on it?” The title of this episode is “and it was all a dream.” I think every episode was just Darius float sesh/a little bit of reality but he can’t tell what’s real or isn’t real just like he said in the pharmacy 🤯
Yes and no. Every episode was an altered memory Darius had. They were real events, they were just altered in his head. We can't always control our dreams even if they're lucid. I think this scene shows either 2 things, it's the present Darius in the tank getting ready to move on since Alfred and Earn are going their separate ways leaving Darius alone, or these are all altered memories of an older Darius reliving his past
@@esquero The best theory I’ve heard and I’m taking it as my canon where theses are just memories he’s trying to re live because his friends have moved on, the most grounded episodes of this season didn’t have Darius, Earn’s ending episode was him with his family, and Al’s was him on the farm and from what I could tell that episode had no surrealism.
@Cracked Propane exactly and its what I'm taking as my canon as well. Also the end credits song fits with my theory because the song talks about living in the past when you're sad
Everything in this show was real and this finale changes nothing! The only truth this finale reveals is that Darius has been drowning himself in Drugs & Excessive Psychosis (DEP) to cope with his issues. Just listen to the end credits song, “The Song is Familiar” - by Funkadelic. The final shot of this show was Darius smiling at what he saw on tv… IN MY OPINION, Darius closes his eyes, to imagine/create his own reality (thick Judge Judy). When in actuality, it’s all in his head. This is actually very depressing. What a great damn show…
Was Darius dying the whole show? Every season seemed to get more and more surreal. His constant dreams of being face down, starting towards the end, seems like he's realizing his true situation. He's drowning, almost out of time, and is visiting his past and the people important to him. First kind strangers, then an old friend, then his only remaining family, and then his best friends. Every episode seems like it could be a lesson Darius has learned over the course of his life. The final smile looks like the smile of a person who's realized something huge, and their only reaction is to laugh at the gravity of the situation. It didn't look like relief, it looked like acceptance. Edit: The first episode is titled "The Big Bang". It's the day Darius created a universe in his dreams.
that’s what i believe as well. Although many people keep pushing for a “real universe” theory, i feel like it’s almost too optimistic and narrow. Good theory
@@joelv6605 it is a real universe. These are all memories and dreams of real life events Darius went through. But not every single episode in the series was in Darius's mind
This series is one of the greatest shows I've ever seen. Thank you to all of the people who made this show possible for us to see as you brought us entertainment since 2016 ♥
It was beautiful, hilarious, touching, horrifying, and insightful. Very few can make all of that work and come out as amazing as this show is. Will never forget it
Ponder this thought. Of the entire series, we have seen Al’s home, Vanessa’s home or the places she’s stayed, Earn’s home and his parents home. Heck, we’ve even seen Earn living in a storage unit, but we’ve NEVER seen Darius’ home or family. Not even a old friend of his that the rest of the crew know… He has been living like a ghost to us, observing the present and the past.
Our smoke sessions won't be the same IMMA miss u ATLANTA..best show on tv yo.. .my interpretation of this show is....life is no more than a hallucination...an my boy finally woke up...
I’m wondering - at first viewing I didn’t catch the faint sound of the poh-lice sirens in the background, just before the Funkadelic jawn “The Song Is Familiar” kicks in (AMAZING choice for the final scene of the series BTW) - but in the previous scene, Darius shows up JUST as Earn, Al and Van are about to be locked inside of the sushi spot and presumably forced to eat the “might could be poison” dish that the chef prepped. Darius basically appears in the nick of time to liberate and rescue his peeps - but what if Darius didn’t show up, and Earn an’ ‘em got strong-armed into eating that sus sushi and it was indeed poisoned…? Whatever the “real” ending, it’s truly just testament to the absolute genius of all involved that this achingly beautiful, unforgettable series left is with something that we will be looking for an answer to for however long. Thank you, Donald and co, for this gift that - though at an end - will truly keep on giving to all of us who loved and cherished every moment of it.
He seen judge judy wasnt thick which is why he smirked, but he stopped smirking because he realized hes not in the tank and everything that happened was real and he cant tell the difference between fantasy and reality
I started watching this show at 14, I’m 20 as of the airing of the last episode. It feels in a strange way that this show showed me different aspects of growing up in different contexts. Earn taught me to find a way, show people you can make a way wether a dropout or not, dedication is key. Alfred taught me that although it’s important to be down for that action when the moment calls, it’s equally as important to not need the big lavish lifestyle to be happy. Sometimes you just want some good weed, tasty food & peace to be happy. To seize the moment but never put yourself in dangerous situations. Be aware. Darius taught me that not everything must be taken at face value, there are different roads and interpretations you can take life situations as, sometimes thinking in these different avenues will save your life. Sometimes moments that call for emotional response don’t NEED the emotional response. It’s easier to process quietly and allow yourself to accept life as it comes. Stoicism basically. I’ve learned so much, thank you Donald, Steven & everyone involved.
that he looks he gives them over the back of the couch feels so real. taking a second in a normal moment to recognize distant between people you felt close to, because of something they’re unaware of separating you from them
It’s like the ending to inception. We see the thing keep spinning, and right before it cuts to black, you see it start to wobble. Implying he’s not dreaming. In here he doesn’t respond to judge Judy like he did earlier. With his brother it was like damn she thick. This time was like an amazement. Thinking he was dreaming, but found out it’s real.
Frrr, you know a story is so good when you want more of even just side characters who show up for a episode. Like Alligator Man, the boy from 1st episode of season 3, that girl London🤣we need to see more of them.
I think there’s too much pointing at the fact it’s a dream. Why even allude to it if it’s not? Plus you can hear sirens in the background towards the end signaling they’re coming for him and the fact Judy is about to get up and it’s gonna show her standing at all, plus the lyrics and meaning of the song that plays. I think they’ve all passed and Darius is trying to cope by mixing reality with escapism. Sad and real but so is the show. The thing that really pains me is as much as people wanna say Inception or Atlanta are up for interpretation, there is a definitive explained answer that the creators in their own mind have definitely chalked up to a conclusion and they’ll never share it for the sake of being “illusive” but that’s alright cuz i can connect the dots of this show for the next 20 years to the real answer or just watch it in a week in 30 years and walk away satisfied.
I disagree. Writers can definitely make ambiguity the point of the ending. In inception, the point of that ambiguity is that Leo finally accepts his life, real or not. If you have that ambiguity baked into a plot, it kind of doesn’t matter what the writer says imo
im glad this show ended because as high as the quality stayed for every single episode, you can see a decline in the writing quality around the middle of season 3 and all of season 4. somehow all the comedy disappeared and much of season 3 and 4 circles around being creepy and dread filled. why? or did covid screw this show up entirely?
He was dying: as you "watch your life before your own eyes" he imagined a perfect life, with good friends and a place where he can be accepted for who he is, that's why he woke up several times. Sirens and thick Judge Judy gave it all away. Liked how they interpreted the cliché "and then he woke up" finale. There's this anime called Captain Tsubasa that had this as a meme years before memes were popular where the main character, a footballer kid achieved his dream of winning the World cup, only to wake up and see he was on a coma this whole time and without legs. I'm watching it again and again. Atlanta is up there with Sopranos.
I believe Atlanta (the city in this series) is an allegory for purgatory and this show as a whole has been Darius’s simulated purgatory and, as the audience, we follow his perceived remembrance of his real life and the lives of his best friends before he went into his own purgatory (whether the purgatory is because he’s in a tank, he’s sleep, he’s dead, or neither is up for interpretation still). Revisit season 1 episode 1, the scene with Earn on the bus talking to Ahmad White. Earn: “Are there people on earth that are just here to make it easier for the winners?” Ahmad: “Actual victory belongs to those that simply do not see failure. Let the path push you like a broken branch in a river's current” is this not the same philosophy we’ve seen Darius follow the entire show? Especially the final scene of that finale, the face Darius makes isn’t one of relief or fear, it’s acceptance. Whether real or fake, he perceives that moment no different and sees neither option as a bad thing. This makes him the victor and the broken branch yet thru the whole show we’re seeing the POV trials and tribulations of characters (Earn, Al, Van) whose entire existences in essence are to provide comfort or joyful experiences for Darius (the winner in this situation) in his own earth/purgatory simulation. Shidd in the first scene of the episode Darius had Deja Vu of Ahmad White’s dog and this the same Ahmad White you only know from your dreams lol (iykyk). Rewatching the series is great for connecting certain dots to the finale (or completely reaching which is still fun too lmaooo)
The interpretation is up to our view, but this ending feels bittersweet. Darius felt that his weird zen disciple began to crumble and he getting accept the reality around him - he'll be alone for long time. Whether it was a dream or not, the last shot he gave to us was a sign - we leaving Atlanta now, maybe forever or not. But still, this Atlanta will be what we missed most.
The music choices tell me,the crew left an he stayed….,maybe he’s alone an missing them!!! 1st song“There’s a place In my head I go when I’m feeling low”🎶 2nd ”there’s a quite place, there’s a song,,that I sing whenever, I’m sad,,,feeling bad🎶
I just realized that when Darius is in the tank, there’s no significant passage of time. Maybe an hour or two in his dreams/visions. But the ending has them going from dinner, to full blown night. It’s probably real life
Atlanta thrived in this limbo between reality and fantasy, most questions about what was real never being explained or even being asked in the first place, things just happened and the characters accept it. So having the finale of the show finally give a clear answer on what's reality and what's fantasy, and then showing it to one character and not the audience is just perfect. Plus showing it to the character who provides the most mystery just to top it all off, the main character who'd had maybe a few sideplots of his own, getting the full final episode and answer to the series biggest question. Couldn't think of a more fitting ending for the show
This had to be a dream. How would Darrius know exactly where they were and that they were in danger. He was thinking about them. Just like he was thinking about his brother and having a conversation with them. Maybe parts are true maybe he did steal the Maserati but he was in the car by himself and just imagined himself saving his friends.
Darius knew where they were because he was ALSO supposed to be there. Earn even texts him to check and make sure he's going to be there. As for them being in danger, Darius is the most empathetic character in the show. He likely saw how tense things appeared through the windows and acted how he felt was appropriate to the situation.
@@joshuawilliams8252 I want to agree with your comment but there’s no way in hell that Darius knew something crazy was going on in the sushi shop. I agree he did know where they were going to be but how would he know to get them Popeyes that they had been craving. And also again how did he actually know they were in trouble. Only a dream explains it because it’s his own conscience so he’s aware of what is going on everywhere. I’ve been thinking lately that the title “ it was all a dream “ might be only referring to this one episode and that every thing going on is part of Darrius’ Dep Sesh. In the beginning of the episode he’s in his own world relaxing on the couch and judge Judy is on but we never get to see him wake up out of that dream. He never gets to confirm if she’s thick or not because Earn gets his attention and Darrius turns away from the TV. And everything that is happening is odd situations everyone he encounters on the day is either dead or no longer in his life. His friend in the car, his brother, Earn , Van, and Al are not dead but they have moved on with their lives and Darrius is just reminiscing and thinking of the people he once had in his life that are no longer there. It’s really a sad episode
I think the whole show was a dream for all the obvious reasons everyone has pointed out plus, Darius told the ladies at the tea room that he goes to the tank once a week. And we of course get episodes of this show once a week
Darius sees Judge Judy is not thick because if she is then its all a dream so when Darius sees she isnt thick that means this isnt a dream and his friends are real
This ending will always have in like WHAT 😮......MAN was it in his head..or we juss smoke to much weed .lol.....i love how it ended......Atlanta will always be in my top in shows ... behind the sopranos....but member waht he said he was out of it.....IF JUDGE JUDY WAS THICK AF...shit we will never know😮
I think ep.9 was the ‘true’ ending. just watch the ending with the song and Al sitting on his porch talking to earn. I really think this WHOLE ep is a dream it started with judge Judy and ended with her.
I loved Atlanta, the first couple of seasons, I followed, then the show changed networks, and I missed the other episodes I hope they would come to Netflix, so I could catch up.
It just hit while watching this ending for the millionth time...Darius smiles because Judge Judy is her normal size, and he's not in the tank. I noticed this time around that when Darius takes that last long look at Al, Earn, and Van, he has a look in his face that seems to read, "I wish this was real. I wish they were really here." Then he looks at Judge Judy, studies her, and smiles, and it's a genuine smile of happiness. All this is real. He's really with his friends, which are now his other family. Of course, that means the cops may be coming for them (we hear the sirens in the background), but I'm sure they'll all be okay. 😀😀❤️❤️
This! ☝🏼 Darius wakes up screaming in the tank after the “30 minooooots” dream bc he can’t seem to wake up. Him smiling in the end was relief and content that this present moment with him and his friends wasn’t a dream. It was real. And going by Inception logic, every time he’s with Al, Earn, and Van, he’s not dreaming. Let’s not forget, Al and Earn beat a murder charge just after the first episode 😅 given where they all are now I’m sure a stolen car is nothing LoL Darius will be fine
@The Introverted Beauty Van, Lottie, Earn died during the camping trip, the boar killed Paper Boi, Darius drowned in the tank also Paper Boi and Earn possibly died during the first episode during the shooting they didn’t go to jail that was purgatory
Here is some fn truth for yall...... 1.) Darius stole the car and he's going to jail/prison. 2.) A Goofy Movie is NOT a BLACK MOVIE. 3.) The third season SUCKED. 4.) I Loved the fact that Earn got his life together.
*Gone be funny watching people try they HARDEST to flip what was not a series finale into this oh ohhhh shit this was the plan the whole time.* *It wasn’t, they tapped out cause they all got famous and they schedule got too busy. The top falls in inception. STOP. MAKING SHIT THAT AINT DEEP, DEEP.*
![ลองสั่งของจากแอพ temu ถูกจริงหรอ?? [โกงไหมครับ ep.88 ] | DOM](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RTcZSQTiDZw/mqdefault.jpg)
Hot take: I think he's really awake at the end. All of them are in fact alive. He really did steal the car. And despite the sirens, it is Atlanta. They may not even be coming for him. They didn't say he drove them all the way home with the car. Just that he stole it from the sushi spot. I think while, the dream interpretation everyone keeps pushing is highly possible, everyone keeps comparing it to Inception. Remember how Inception possibly ended? I sure do. At the end, Darius believes he is still in the float tank. But he never smiled at Judge Judy in the previous scenes.
He still has guilt over his parents and his brother being gone. But he has a 'family' of sorts that replaced them. He checks the TV to see if Judge Judy do got booty. We don't see it, but she doesn't. He knows he's awake now. It scares him a little. But he has a small grin of acceptance. He listened to his brother. He's where he needs to be. Everything will be fine.
Looked more like a smile accepting his situation. The whole end sequence of him having Popeyes under the seats, him saving them from a crazy sushi restaurant, and stealing a wild pink car was the most dreamlike sequence of events in the episode, everything happened perfectly. There were so many crazy things that happened in this show that would only happen in dreams. Justin Bieber being black, the trans racial guy being against transexuals, Earn waiting for days in a room to talk to a guy, Vanessa serving people hands, etc. Every episode has hints that it's all a dream.
The title of the episode, the smile of bliss on his face when he finally sees Judy standing up, the closing song. . . He's dreaming, most likely a croak dream. Earlier in the episode, when he wakes up in the tank a couple of times only to find out he's still dreaming, he wakes up turned over, face down in the water. He even says "I thought you said I couldn't turn over in here man!" to the onsight nurse. He's going deeper and deeper into a dream because he's dying, drowning inside that tank.
The dream interpretation among other ones where people consider Darius and the others dead are surely interesting theories that makes me real heartbroken but that interpretation where he's alive and he realizes that he's in the reality now is just what I've been feeling since I watched the show's finale
i love this take it reminds me if that scene with darius and his brother and his brother wanna make him a plate but he tryna get to the restaurant and his brother says “i dont want you in here,i want you out there with your friends man”
These are my thoughts as well.
My mom had a take on the finale that I agree with. Consider how every person darius encounters in this episode while he is dreaming is someone he hasn't seen in a while. Like his brother or London. Consider the fact that this season we already know that Van and Earn are leaving Atlanta and Alfred seems to be spending more and more time on the farm that he got for himself. My mom's theory is that this episode takes place after Van, Earn and Alfred have all left Atlanta and Darius is the only one still left behind. Darius is dreaming about people that he misses. He is imagining a time when the people he cares about the most are all together again. He imagines a time where he brings joy to the people he cares about by giving them a crazy car ride and good food from popeyes. It's an episode about the passage of time and how we can start to lose our sense of place when the people we care about move on to different stages of their lives.
oh thats perfect
big fan of this theory
That’s a good theory
Might be the best theory I’ve read so far.
Theory so good it’s making me cry 😭😭😭
He definitely saw that judge Judy wasn’t thicc. I think he took his brothers words to heart and realized he needed to be outside the tank.
Yeah I think it was a bittersweet smile like he was happy he was no longer dreaming but also thinking “shit, I’m about to go to jail for stealing that car.”
I was thinking maybe so too. I think maybe that Alfred is retiring and Earn is moving to LA, Darius is finally getting ready to move on his own as well and is coping
I think the constant awakenings to being face down could be his true situation, he's realizing that's the only real thing in his dream world because it's the only constant. The sensory deprivation tank was the only thing he was really sure about the whole episode.
Judge Judy is thickkkk irl on tv so his way to find out if he was in the tank does not work🤣😭
@@esquero Well, Al's still making music and touring as Earn said in his call on the farm. He's just preferring life away from Atlanta.
I love how the show started with Earn, focused on Alfred and ended with Darius..best send off I've seen in some time😔💯
Anybody notice that little backstory about Darius’ family. I think he might’ve lost everyone before the show started.
Man I thought that was just a friend until I heard “how’s mom?” And when we seen that photo, man :(
@@YinkThePinkInkDrinker And if you think about it. He’s always lived with Alfred. Never seen him go home anywhere. Wow man. That just made me love the guy more.
Yeah his family but the entire show was his altered memory of probably an older Darius. He's finally ready to move on from the past
@@YinkThePinkInkDrinker I noticed when he asked that his brother never answered.
i think earn vanessa and alfred represent Darius' lost family
Everything that happened in Atlanta really happened, but from Darius perspective. Notice how he told the ladies at the spa that he does the tank “once a week”. A new episode of the show comes out once a week as well, so anytime we’re watching an episode, it’s a recollection of real events in the way Darius would perceive it. Even if he wasn’t present for events, I’m sure his friend tell him about them. This explains why he never seems worried, no matter how wierd the events of the show are. While Darius’ reality anchor is thick judge Judy, Darius is actually OUR anchor to the show.
In the end, since we don’t see whether judge Judy was thick, we can interpret it as both since the show has realistic and magical aspects to it. In conclusion, it wasn’t ALL a dream.
I really like this. In this context how would you explain the Teddy Perkins episode because in that specific one he seemed genuinely disturbed by the whole ordeal.
@@LeonGotGrahams Good point, they need to give us answers! lol
would explain why everything is so surreal and more often than not everything feels _off_
Of course it was a dream... There was an invisible car from the first episode 🧐
that would also explain his deja vu in the first episode with the dog and the gun shot
Just like in Inception, Darius doesn’t care if he’s in a dream or not, he’s got a family in his friends and that is all that matters
DID YALL NOTICE how Darius said he has a “float sesh” weekly. The employee also said he was in there for “30 minooots” in the very first episode of Atlanta Darius said “wait, I had this dream before. Wheres the dog with Texas on it?” The title of this episode is “and it was all a dream.”
I think every episode was just Darius float sesh/a little bit of reality but he can’t tell what’s real or isn’t real just like he said in the pharmacy 🤯
Yes and no. Every episode was an altered memory Darius had. They were real events, they were just altered in his head. We can't always control our dreams even if they're lucid. I think this scene shows either 2 things, it's the present Darius in the tank getting ready to move on since Alfred and Earn are going their separate ways leaving Darius alone, or these are all altered memories of an older Darius reliving his past
@@esquero The best theory I’ve heard and I’m taking it as my canon where theses are just memories he’s trying to re live because his friends have moved on, the most grounded episodes of this season didn’t have Darius, Earn’s ending episode was him with his family, and Al’s was him on the farm and from what I could tell that episode had no surrealism.
@Cracked Propane exactly and its what I'm taking as my canon as well. Also the end credits song fits with my theory because the song talks about living in the past when you're sad
That’s explained the invisible car
My canon
Everything in this show was real and this finale changes nothing!
The only truth this finale reveals is that Darius has been drowning himself in Drugs & Excessive Psychosis (DEP) to cope with his issues. Just listen to the end credits song, “The Song is Familiar” - by Funkadelic.
The final shot of this show was Darius smiling at what he saw on tv…
IN MY OPINION, Darius closes his eyes, to imagine/create his own reality (thick Judge Judy). When in actuality, it’s all in his head. This is actually very depressing. What a great damn show…
Agree
Was Darius dying the whole show? Every season seemed to get more and more surreal. His constant dreams of being face down, starting towards the end, seems like he's realizing his true situation. He's drowning, almost out of time, and is visiting his past and the people important to him. First kind strangers, then an old friend, then his only remaining family, and then his best friends. Every episode seems like it could be a lesson Darius has learned over the course of his life. The final smile looks like the smile of a person who's realized something huge, and their only reaction is to laugh at the gravity of the situation. It didn't look like relief, it looked like acceptance.
Edit: The first episode is titled "The Big Bang". It's the day Darius created a universe in his dreams.
very interesting theory
that’s what i believe as well. Although many people keep pushing for a “real universe” theory, i feel like it’s almost too optimistic and narrow. Good theory
And in that first episode he has weird deja vu with the dog
@@joelv6605 it is a real universe. These are all memories and dreams of real life events Darius went through. But not every single episode in the series was in Darius's mind
We're all dying, slowly
This series is one of the greatest shows I've ever seen. Thank you to all of the people who made this show possible for us to see as you brought us entertainment since 2016 ♥
It was beautiful, hilarious, touching, horrifying, and insightful.
Very few can make all of that work and come out as amazing as this show is. Will never forget it
Ponder this thought. Of the entire series, we have seen Al’s home, Vanessa’s home or the places she’s stayed, Earn’s home and his parents home. Heck, we’ve even seen Earn living in a storage unit, but we’ve NEVER seen Darius’ home or family. Not even a old friend of his that the rest of the crew know… He has been living like a ghost to us, observing the present and the past.
Considering Darius' family are all dead, he may not even have a home--Al's home IS his home
Darius character reminds me of the vampire on the AMC show preacher
This show made me grow up, and it was amazing.
Our smoke sessions won't be the same IMMA miss u ATLANTA..best show on tv yo.. .my interpretation of this show is....life is no more than a hallucination...an my boy finally woke up...
I’m gonna miss this show so badly
That’s a smile of relief at the end. He’s awake
God I fuckin hope so man
Or its a smile of relief as he didn't steal a car and its a dream 🤷
@@1992munsteri don’t think darius would give af and at the and u can hear police sirens at the end
Can't Lie Would've start crying if just started playing 3005 in the background
That would’ve been perfect.
What a series. Bravo. Encore. The whole nine.
The song at the end broke me down had me thinking about my Mom who passed this year....
Keep y'all head up don't look back!
🌬️💖🌠🙏
Been watching this for 30 minoots
What an inception ending
I’m wondering - at first viewing I didn’t catch the faint sound of the poh-lice sirens in the background, just before the Funkadelic jawn “The Song Is Familiar” kicks in (AMAZING choice for the final scene of the series BTW) - but in the previous scene, Darius shows up JUST as Earn, Al and Van are about to be locked inside of the sushi spot and presumably forced to eat the “might could be poison” dish that the chef prepped.
Darius basically appears in the nick of time to liberate and rescue his peeps - but what if Darius didn’t show up, and Earn an’ ‘em got strong-armed into eating that sus sushi and it was indeed poisoned…?
Whatever the “real” ending, it’s truly just testament to the absolute genius of all involved that this achingly beautiful, unforgettable series left is with something that we will be looking for an answer to for however long. Thank you, Donald and co, for this gift that - though at an end - will truly keep on giving to all of us who loved and cherished every moment of it.
He seen judge judy wasnt thick which is why he smirked, but he stopped smirking because he realized hes not in the tank and everything that happened was real and he cant tell the difference between fantasy and reality
本当に大好き
“We are all inside a simulation.”
-Darius Epps, Season 2
Of course it was a dream... There was an invisible car from the first episode 🧐
@@juniorrhinoxThat was hillarious😂😂😂😂
I started watching this show at 14, I’m 20 as of the airing of the last episode. It feels in a strange way that this show showed me different aspects of growing up in different contexts. Earn taught me to find a way, show people you can make a way wether a dropout or not, dedication is key.
Alfred taught me that although it’s important to be down for that action when the moment calls, it’s equally as important to not need the big lavish lifestyle to be happy. Sometimes you just want some good weed, tasty food & peace to be happy. To seize the moment but never put yourself in dangerous situations. Be aware.
Darius taught me that not everything must be taken at face value, there are different roads and interpretations you can take life situations as, sometimes thinking in these different avenues will save your life. Sometimes moments that call for emotional response don’t NEED the emotional response. It’s easier to process quietly and allow yourself to accept life as it comes. Stoicism basically.
I’ve learned so much, thank you Donald, Steven & everyone involved.
Same here man
Darius. 😭😔 him and Al were my favorites. This show was an absolute gem. Never seen anything like it. Can't wait to see what Donald Glover does next.
This is pure art right here. This is what the world needs more of.
Get ready for SWARM my friend seems like it’ll be another wild ass ride.
Lakeith killed this scene
that he looks he gives them over the back of the couch feels so real. taking a second in a normal moment to recognize distant between people you felt close to, because of something they’re unaware of separating you from them
Popeyes do be good
It’s like the ending to inception. We see the thing keep spinning, and right before it cuts to black, you see it start to wobble. Implying he’s not dreaming. In here he doesn’t respond to judge Judy like he did earlier. With his brother it was like damn she thick. This time was like an amazement. Thinking he was dreaming, but found out it’s real.
Same! Going with Inception logic, everytime he’s with his friends, he’s not dreaming
We need a spin off of Darius or a anthology Atlanta series similar to what they was doing in season 3 with episodes of other characters
Frrr, you know a story is so good when you want more of even just side characters who show up for a episode.
Like Alligator Man, the boy from 1st episode of season 3, that girl London🤣we need to see more of them.
Damn it’s actually pretty great how plausible all these different theories are
I think there’s too much pointing at the fact it’s a dream. Why even allude to it if it’s not? Plus you can hear sirens in the background towards the end signaling they’re coming for him and the fact Judy is about to get up and it’s gonna show her standing at all, plus the lyrics and meaning of the song that plays. I think they’ve all passed and Darius is trying to cope by mixing reality with escapism. Sad and real but so is the show. The thing that really pains me is as much as people wanna say Inception or Atlanta are up for interpretation, there is a definitive explained answer that the creators in their own mind have definitely chalked up to a conclusion and they’ll never share it for the sake of being “illusive” but that’s alright cuz i can connect the dots of this show for the next 20 years to the real answer or just watch it in a week in 30 years and walk away satisfied.
As long as you’re happy shit
I disagree. Writers can definitely make ambiguity the point of the ending. In inception, the point of that ambiguity is that Leo finally accepts his life, real or not. If you have that ambiguity baked into a plot, it kind of doesn’t matter what the writer says imo
The Song is Familiar - Funkadelic - your welcome!
Thank ya
Thanks!
✊🏿
This is such a fucking Phenomenal end to a Show. Goddamn Donald.
Anyone else break down crying when they heard the song and the smile on Darius face?
im glad this show ended because as high as the quality stayed for every single episode, you can see a decline in the writing quality around the middle of season 3 and all of season 4. somehow all the comedy disappeared and much of season 3 and 4 circles around being creepy and dread filled. why? or did covid screw this show up entirely?
I don’t think he’s in the tank because paper boy leg in a cast
He was dying: as you "watch your life before your own eyes" he imagined a perfect life, with good friends and a place where he can be accepted for who he is, that's why he woke up several times. Sirens and thick Judge Judy gave it all away.
Liked how they interpreted the cliché "and then he woke up" finale. There's this anime called Captain Tsubasa that had this as a meme years before memes were popular where the main character, a footballer kid achieved his dream of winning the World cup, only to wake up and see he was on a coma this whole time and without legs.
I'm watching it again and again. Atlanta is up there with Sopranos.
The part when the song start always gives me chills, it's so perfect
This show was absolutely amazing. Best finale I’ve seen and that song at the end (The song is familiar- Funkadelic) is like my new favorite song
I think he definitely sees she isn't thick, which is the only reason why he'd appear nervous at the end.
I believe Atlanta (the city in this series) is an allegory for purgatory and this show as a whole has been Darius’s simulated purgatory and, as the audience, we follow his perceived remembrance of his real life and the lives of his best friends before he went into his own purgatory (whether the purgatory is because he’s in a tank, he’s sleep, he’s dead, or neither is up for interpretation still). Revisit season 1 episode 1, the scene with Earn on the bus talking to Ahmad White. Earn: “Are there people on earth that are just here to make it easier for the winners?” Ahmad: “Actual victory belongs to those that simply do not see failure. Let the path push you like a broken branch in a river's current” is this not the same philosophy we’ve seen Darius follow the entire show? Especially the final scene of that finale, the face Darius makes isn’t one of relief or fear, it’s acceptance. Whether real or fake, he perceives that moment no different and sees neither option as a bad thing. This makes him the victor and the broken branch yet thru the whole show we’re seeing the POV trials and tribulations of characters (Earn, Al, Van) whose entire existences in essence are to provide comfort or joyful experiences for Darius (the winner in this situation) in his own earth/purgatory simulation. Shidd in the first scene of the episode Darius had Deja Vu of Ahmad White’s dog and this the same Ahmad White you only know from your dreams lol (iykyk). Rewatching the series is great for connecting certain dots to the finale (or completely reaching which is still fun too lmaooo)
The interpretation is up to our view, but this ending feels bittersweet. Darius felt that his weird zen disciple began to crumble and he getting accept the reality around him - he'll be alone for long time. Whether it was a dream or not, the last shot he gave to us was a sign - we leaving Atlanta now, maybe forever or not. But still, this Atlanta will be what we missed most.
Inception like ending, was he really awake or dreaming we will never know
El viaje de #Atlanta ha terminado y al mismo tiempo inicia para otros viajeros que verán este comentario más adelante. ""It Was All a Dream"
I don't think it matters if it's a dream, Darius is happy and so are the rest of the gang.
1:06 I love how they threw that line in just to make everybody question the reality of the entire show
The music choices tell me,the crew left an he stayed….,maybe he’s alone an missing them!!! 1st song“There’s a place In my head I go when I’m feeling low”🎶 2nd ”there’s a quite place, there’s a song,,that I sing whenever, I’m sad,,,feeling bad🎶
“It was all a dream” is hella appropriate for the title.
Was it?
When he realized Judge Judy wasn’t thick he knew it was real and he wasn’t dreaming
Atlanta choice of music is perfect.
G.o.a.T show 💯💯💯
I just realized that when Darius is in the tank, there’s no significant passage of time. Maybe an hour or two in his dreams/visions. But the ending has them going from dinner, to full blown night. It’s probably real life
Atlanta thrived in this limbo between reality and fantasy, most questions about what was real never being explained or even being asked in the first place, things just happened and the characters accept it. So having the finale of the show finally give a clear answer on what's reality and what's fantasy, and then showing it to one character and not the audience is just perfect. Plus showing it to the character who provides the most mystery just to top it all off, the main character who'd had maybe a few sideplots of his own, getting the full final episode and answer to the series biggest question. Couldn't think of a more fitting ending for the show
Paperboys reaction is like the true best friend of an aloof person.
like “i’m not even doing this today.” 😂
I think he was dreaming still because how else would he know to punch that sushi chef
Judge Judy was thick at the end...it was all a dream
Y'all remember in thr first episode when he had deja vu and looked for that dog? I feel like he definitely in the tank
I'm surprised Glove never made an episode in White Water. White Water is such a thing that all Atlanta kids know growing up.
This had to be a dream. How would Darrius know exactly where they were and that they were in danger. He was thinking about them. Just like he was thinking about his brother and having a conversation with them. Maybe parts are true maybe he did steal the Maserati but he was in the car by himself and just imagined himself saving his friends.
Darius knew where they were because he was ALSO supposed to be there. Earn even texts him to check and make sure he's going to be there. As for them being in danger, Darius is the most empathetic character in the show. He likely saw how tense things appeared through the windows and acted how he felt was appropriate to the situation.
@@joshuawilliams8252 I want to agree with your comment but there’s no way in hell that Darius knew something crazy was going on in the sushi shop. I agree he did know where they were going to be but how would he know to get them Popeyes that they had been craving. And also again how did he actually know they were in trouble. Only a dream explains it because it’s his own conscience so he’s aware of what is going on everywhere. I’ve been thinking lately that the title “ it was all a dream “ might be only referring to this one episode and that every thing going on is part of Darrius’ Dep Sesh. In the beginning of the episode he’s in his own world relaxing on the couch and judge Judy is on but we never get to see him wake up out of that dream. He never gets to confirm if she’s thick or not because Earn gets his attention and Darrius turns away from the TV. And everything that is happening is odd situations everyone he encounters on the day is either dead or no longer in his life. His friend in the car, his brother, Earn , Van, and Al are not dead but they have moved on with their lives and Darrius is just reminiscing and thinking of the people he once had in his life that are no longer there. It’s really a sad episode
I think the whole show was a dream for all the obvious reasons everyone has pointed out plus, Darius told the ladies at the tea room that he goes to the tank once a week. And we of course get episodes of this show once a week
Perhaps they died during the covid years and he is coping.
Darius sees Judge Judy is not thick because if she is then its all a dream so when Darius sees she isnt thick that means this isnt a dream and his friends are real
This ending will always have in like WHAT 😮......MAN was it in his head..or we juss smoke to much weed .lol.....i love how it ended......Atlanta will always be in my top in shows ... behind the sopranos....but member waht he said he was out of it.....IF JUDGE JUDY WAS THICK AF...shit we will never know😮
The use of "The Song is Familiar" by Funkadelic is genius (and for Donald Glover, on brand)
Darius is smiling because he's finally awake
thanks to this episode, I have strong floating phobia now) I mean, can something like this happen in sensory deprivation tank?)
Well I'm pretty sure this happened while he was in there m.th-cam.com/video/1feD3ODp2M0/w-d-xo.html
I think ep.9 was the ‘true’ ending. just watch the ending with the song and Al sitting on his porch talking to earn. I really think this WHOLE ep is a dream it started with judge Judy and ended with her.
What it is music name?
The Song is Familiar - Funkadelic
30 minooooooooots.......
I’m still in the tank..😂
take theres nothing more to the story other then all of the charecters being a figment of each others dream's and nightmare's
He's been in the tank too long now he thinks he's in a new movie for Disney's Haunted Mansion with Danny Devito
I loved Atlanta, the first couple of seasons, I followed, then the show changed networks, and I missed the other episodes I hope they would come to Netflix, so I could catch up.
Of course it was a dream... There was an invisible car from the first episode 🧐
It just hit while watching this ending for the millionth time...Darius smiles because Judge Judy is her normal size, and he's not in the tank.
I noticed this time around that when Darius takes that last long look at Al, Earn, and Van, he has a look in his face that seems to read, "I wish this was real. I wish they were really here." Then he looks at Judge Judy, studies her, and smiles, and it's a genuine smile of happiness. All this is real. He's really with his friends, which are now his other family. Of course, that means the cops may be coming for them (we hear the sirens in the background), but I'm sure they'll all be okay. 😀😀❤️❤️
This! ☝🏼 Darius wakes up screaming in the tank after the “30 minooooots” dream bc he can’t seem to wake up. Him smiling in the end was relief and content that this present moment with him and his friends wasn’t a dream. It was real. And going by Inception logic, every time he’s with Al, Earn, and Van, he’s not dreaming. Let’s not forget, Al and Earn beat a murder charge just after the first episode 😅 given where they all are now I’m sure a stolen car is nothing LoL Darius will be fine
What is the name of this song anyone?
1:34 van is soooooooo fine bro
Dream or not Van is HER 😍
clean, without a pistol...
What is the song?
You can hear police sirens for the car
Great❤❤❤
What is the name of the song at the end
What is the song that was playing at the end
Dont mean to be this guy but isnt this from Season 5?
There is no season 5.
:D
They all died
Why do you think they all died?
@@terricmoss6612 he has no evidence but i believe him anyway tbh i think they all died too
@The Introverted Beauty Van, Lottie, Earn died during the camping trip, the boar killed Paper Boi, Darius drowned in the tank also Paper Boi and Earn possibly died during the first episode during the shooting they didn’t go to jail that was purgatory
@@Ramen_HibachiI think his crew died from the poison sushi
@@Ramen_Hibachi nah not enough evidence buddy
I've done the 1:17 reaction before so many times lmao
No he's in the tank
I don’t know, at 1:43 I hear a banging noise in the background and it’s making me wonder if that’s Darius in the tank. It’s so weird!
It’s from Alfred’s cast. Remember he injured his foot in the farm episode before this one?
@@kevinmandujano5639 OHHHHH yeahhhhhh
👎🏿🗑️
Here is some fn truth for yall......
1.) Darius stole the car and he's going to jail/prison.
2.) A Goofy Movie is NOT a BLACK MOVIE.
3.) The third season SUCKED.
4.) I Loved the fact that Earn got his life together.
*Gone be funny watching people try they HARDEST to flip what was not a series finale into this oh ohhhh shit this was the plan the whole time.*
*It wasn’t, they tapped out cause they all got famous and they schedule got too busy. The top falls in inception. STOP. MAKING SHIT THAT AINT DEEP, DEEP.*