ThomFork

4y

· edited

I said this before but I'll restate bc I think this closes Al's arc beautifully.

Woods - Al has to decide between living his true self and living up the celebrity life for fame. He has to decide quickly to give up things that matter to him most (being "real") to account for his rise in popularity. It ends with him deciding to leave the woods and posing for a fan's picture, even if it doesn't suit his current emotions/situation.

New Jazz - Al has new fame and has sacrificed his "real-ness," but as a result, has deep insecurities about those around him and whether they truly are his friends/family. He doesn't know if he's going to stick around or if he's a "tourist" to the life of celebrity - left alone with no one to watch out for, like the Goofy hat guy. The episode ends with Earn saving Al and showing that Earn truly has his back, and that fame does not always mean the people closest to you abandon you.

Alfred's World - Al finds the best of both worlds, distancing himself from the compromises that come with fame. He's figured out how to stay true to himself without compromising his image in the eyes of his fans - through solitude and a deeper understanding of privacy. The episode ends with Al succeeding with his struggles alone, while still connecting with Earn as family rather than just a work relationship.

IMO the best creatives and artists often learn that balance between fame/privacy, and I love that Al's "ending" is that he figured that out.

Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but it's art and I'm allowed to. Beautiful stuff.

Purrp

4y

Everytime Al tries to keep it real it goes horribly horribly wrong, wonder what they tryna say

ThomFork

4y

When you're a creative artist in the public eye, the ability to stay true to yourself becomes unbelievably challenging. My post last page goes into that more.

His entire arc in the three solo episodes feels like an artist exploring and discovering the best ways to stay true to himself while also not compromising his ability to create an image and gain more fame.

Oscar Winner

4y

What about BAN that’s an Al solo episode from S1

ThomFork

4y

I said this before but I'll restate bc I think this closes Al's arc beautifully.

Woods - Al has to decide between living his true self and living up the celebrity life for fame. He has to decide quickly to give up things that matter to him most (being "real") to account for his rise in popularity. It ends with him deciding to leave the woods and posing for a fan's picture, even if it doesn't suit his current emotions/situation.

New Jazz - Al has new fame and has sacrificed his "real-ness," but as a result, has deep insecurities about those around him and whether they truly are his friends/family. He doesn't know if he's going to stick around or if he's a "tourist" to the life of celebrity - left alone with no one to watch out for, like the Goofy hat guy. The episode ends with Earn saving Al and showing that Earn truly has his back, and that fame does not always mean the people closest to you abandon you.

Alfred's World - Al finds the best of both worlds, distancing himself from the compromises that come with fame. He's figured out how to stay true to himself without compromising his image in the eyes of his fans - through solitude and a deeper understanding of privacy. The episode ends with Al succeeding with his struggles alone, while still connecting with Earn as family rather than just a work relationship.

IMO the best creatives and artists often learn that balance between fame/privacy, and I love that Al's "ending" is that he figured that out.

Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but it's art and I'm allowed to. Beautiful stuff.

ThomFork

4y

That one doesn't really have as many parallels to the other three, but his whole arc through the show is his struggle of staying real while also having an influence to people he doesn't know. So that arc connects to that episode too.

crippin jimmy

4y

man, i had anxiety that whole episode until he talked to Earn, then it went to ease immediately.

mason marjella

4y

what a episode man wow

allmygirlsdoyoga

4y

Fantastic ep

dontworry

4y

Al got so sloppy in this one though

Ralo

4y

It's dope to see Al in this position but I wish we got to see the progression better. Season 3 should've picked up right where season 2 left of

Oscar Winner

4y

You don’t think what you’re saying connnects with ban also?

I mean look at how he tried to keep it real (in his mind) with his opinion on trans ppl and it had an influence on the black guy who thought he was white

PIMP

4y

It's fully out?

Cherrywine

4y

Wym

WAITING ON SILENT

4y

Black Panther 2 and Atlanta finale this week.. black excellence