The penultimate episode of Atlanta, “Andrew Wyeth. Alfred’s World.” follows Alfred (“Al”), played by Brian Tyree Henry (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, If Beale Street Could Talk), and his time at his “safe farm,” which was recommended to him in episode six “Crank Dat Killer.” Farm life is less safe than advertised. 

Al practices shooting at targets with a pistol and with an automatic firearm, presumably still horrified by the happenings in the sixth episode. He checks on the marijuana he is growing in a shed but finds a hole in the door. In response, he heads to a local shop and gets some supplies. He asks the shopkeeper for a skillet and animal repellent. They have neither. The shopkeeper asks Al if he will order it on Amazon; Al notices the ominous signs in the shop and says he won’t. 

Back on the farm, Al tries to fix a tractor and ignores messages from Earn, played by the show’s creator Donald Glover (Solo: A Star Wars Story, Community). He hasn’t secured the wheels and only realizes how critical this is while listening to an instructional video under the tractor. He gets out quickly, and the tractor rolls threateningly. Later that night, while cooking, Al hears suspicious noises from the shed. The door slams eerily. The invader is gone when he opens the door, and he steps with his Gucci slides into manure. He brings photo evidence to the shopkeeper, who informs him that he has feral hogs. After more unwanted conversation about the manure, the shopkeeper advises Al to shoot the hog. Al is reluctant. The shopkeeper then warns him of how lethal the hogs are. Al can’t take him seriously and laughs it off. 

After spending more time on the tractor, Al tries to start it, but the engine fails. He then finds a dead rodent jammed into the tractor and removes it by hand in a disgusting and hilarious sequence. He starts becoming a true farmer. Based on the advice from the shopkeeper, he sets a trap for the hog and passes out while watching a nature documentary. Al wakes from the sound of the hog outside. He goes out to shoot it, but it has already consumed his marijuana and left. 

Al eventually gets the tractor to start and is overcome with joy. He rides it around, happy as can be. Al accidentally drives the tractor slightly off the edge of a hill. He hops off and tries to push it out, but it then falls and he dives out of the way to try to avoid it. When he regains consciousness, Al finds his head is bloody, he is alone on the ground, and his foot is badly wounded under the tractor. He forces it out painfully. He limps towards his isolated house in the distance and groans in agony. Eventually, he crawls as the sun sets. A van pulls up to his house. He screams for help, but the delivery person doesn’t hear him because of her headphones. 

Finally, Al makes it to his front doorstep. He opens the Amazon package and finds the skillet, which he drops to the ground. That’s when he hears snorting nearby. The feral hog has returned to where Al laid the trap and, after seeing Al, attacks the wounded man. The hog is terrifying in its aggression and size. They wrestle, and Al reaches for the skillet to beat the hog to death. He is once again disturbed and shaken by the experience. His phone vibrates inside, and he struggles to get it. He plays it cool on the phone and lies—typical Al.  

Recovering, Al makes bacon (from a package, not the hog he killed). He calls Earn, lies more about his day, and Earn ironically warns him about the dangers of being out alone on a farm. Al then learns that he got sunburnt, which he didn’t know was possible. 

“Andrew Wyeth. Alfred’s World.” was just another example of how Atlanta can take a simple concept and craft it masterfully. Most of the episode was spent watching Al perform menial tasks on a farm, but that didn’t stop the engagement for a second. Watching the rapper in his new environment, which ironically hosts many dangers despite the label associated with it (“safe farm”), was fascinating and compelling. Even after being shot at in a mall, Al displays new levels of fear, and his character becomes even more likable. 

Rating: 9.0/10