Atlanta's Season 4 Episode 10 Wasn't Originally Meant To Be The Finale
After several far-out adventures overseas in Paris, "Atlanta" finally returns home to its peachy roots. In the final season, the series explores the main characters' growth and development over the four seasons in a nostalgic and stunning fashion. Director Hiro Murai has become synonymous with Donald Glover's unique work through his astounding vision and innovative techniques, which he brings to "Atlanta."
Outside of "Atlanta," Glover has also recruited Murai for his music videos under his alter ego counterpart, Childish Gambino. Murai directed the powerful "This Is America" and the heartwarming love song "Sober" displaying his astonishing range in the process. The versatile director has even lent his skills to other esteemed television series like "Barry" and "Legion," the latter of which is a standout achievement episode.
Murai's directorial talents delicately capture the sentimental moments over "Atlanta's" final run, culminating in a wild and memorable series finale. The esteemed director lends his signature flare to half the season, implementing shifting aspect ratios and unconventional shot types. From Earn (Donald Glover), Vanessa (Zazie Beetz), and Lottie's (Austin Elle Fisher) overnight trip in the woods to Darius' (LaKeith Stanfield) trippy sensory deprivation tank experiences, Murai's ability to illustrate immersive sequences is deeply inspiring. His artistic capabilities elevate "Atlanta" into the subversive story fans thoroughly enjoy on multiple thoughtful levels, even when things don't initially go as planned, as he indicates with the outline of the finale.
It Was All a Dream organically became the series finale
While some may find the series finale a little too contained, others were overjoyed by another misadventure reuniting our four core "Atlanta" cast members. Episode director Hiro Murai has a long-standing track record on "Atlanta," with 26 episodes under his belt, including the pilot and series finale. This circularity is fitting for the esteemed director, who shares his insights on wrapping up the series with Variety.
He shares that the final season serves as a multiple-episode finale that pays special attention to each character's story. This includes Alfred's aka "Paper Boi" (Brian Tyree Henry) soul-searching escape on his farm, Vanessa and Earn's heartfelt profession of love for each other, and Darius' spiritual antics in the finale. He also reveals the initial outline for the series' ending, which naturally grew as it was produced.
"This episode, originally, was not going to be the finale. Donald just started writing it, and it got more and more obvious as the way to leave things. Also, as a collective of people, we're little contrarians. So we leave the finale in a heartfelt, but also silly and flippant, way." The ambiguous ending allows viewers to interpret Darius' facial expression when he realizes he either is or isn't actually dreaming in his sensory deprivation tank. This choice fits with "Atlanta's" distinctive style ending the series on an appropriate note, even if it wasn't the original plan.