Atlanta Recap: The Homies Learn About What Access Their Black Cards Grant Them

***While not a conventional recap for BNP as we discuss the impact of each episode, please note there are full spoilers for episode five, “Nobody Beats The Biebs” *** Season: 1 / Episode: 5 / FX Network William: My gawd. While not as surreal as last episode, this episode of Atlanta was just as delightfully weird. I mean, I think we know the one surprising revelation in a character that was shown, but I guess I first want to start with the idea of access. We see it on three levels: Paper Boi and who’s not interested in him, Earn getting entry above his reputation simply because he’s mistaken for someone else, and even Darius for what is acceptable behavior…in a shooting range of all places, as it leads to him being kicked out. Nicole: I just can’t stop staring at my screen, blinking, and shaking my head. I like what, for me (the not-avid comic reader), feels like the introduction of the idea that we are in a universe like ours, but not ours. But, oh dear god, how sadly similar it is to ours for all those issues of transgression that you mentioned. William: So in talking about Black Justin Bieber, I don’t know if it was intentional or not, but I thought Bieber was actually just the hype man for the white dude. It wasn’t until he sat down for the interview that it dawned on me that he was actually Bieber in this alternate universe. I thought it was brilliant though to show a Black Celebrity that was problematic as fuck, but not in the potentially violent way (say a Chris Brown…