After watching this episode, I couldn't help but realize the MOM and DAD loves the COMMODITIES of black people; Just not black people as a WHOLE. The DAD listen to rap while he runs and the MOM has a TELFAR Bag. However, when they were around black people, they was sweating.
And by the end of the episode the Dad is kind of realizing and making steps towards trying to understand another culture while the mom wants to retreat further into her white bubble.
There are so many interesting themes and exploration of societal issues in this episode. Exploitation - rich white people who hire immigrant nannies to raise their kids. But they are completely disinterested in the lives and backgrounds of these caretakers. They know nothing about them up until they die. The vicious cycle of neglect - Parents who hire nannies to take care of their kids. But then become completely hands off and neglectful. And the nannies who work these jobs, mainly to bring money home or send it back to their native country. But in turn become neglectful of their kids. Generations of Black women pouring their love, devotion and efforts into white kids - from black wet nurses, to nursemaids, to nannies. There is a long history of our focus being diverted from raising our own kids. Instead it's channeled into taking care of white kids. White people being uncomfortable in black spaces or bearing witness to black grief (that they have contributed to). Immigrants who have impressive resume's and backgrounds being reduced to work menial jobs.
Flawed statement. Doesn’t matter if it was “black” grief or not. If it was a Armenian funeral the “traditional” white person wouldn’t understand it because it’s not their norm. Yeah the traditional white American may not have or make an effort to understand cultural traditions but it’s not a race thing
The “monkey butt-hole” picture was a reference to the arrogance that the father showed in rejecting the mail package (or spiritual "message" of love) from Sylvia as if she had never lived there (or been a key/positive part of their lives); when in fact, Sylvia was the only one actually "there" on "Family Picture Day" when they (the two parents) were NOT! There were several poses of Sylvia that ranged from "Dignified" to that of "Scolding/chiding" (of the PARENTS) while the child sits "lovingly" in her lap. In fact, in one pose, Bash himself displays a similar look of rebuke or ridicule of his parents in his facial expressions. Ironically, the parents were insulted by the school's “undignified” questioning of them not being there for "Family Picture Day" (which they interpreted as a “bash” on their reputation as parents, see more on the episode character names below). Remember that the photographs are primarily for the parents to look at/view. A key indicator was that the "butt-hole" picture was delivered via "AirDrop" (using wordplay "Air" means "heaven" or another “invisible” dimension, and "Drop" means that the “message” came from above or from a higher level of consciousness. Also, the act of informing someone who is ignorant is to "Drop Knowledge" in American/Black street slang). Remember too that they reside in a high-rise apartment (arrogantly looking down on the city/common folk) but it is still Sylvia who lives "above" them (or in a higher state of mind). Again, she is “dropping knowledge” on the family, who are re-awakened as parents as a result of Sylvia's death. Adding to this, the father looks around baffled by the fact that he received the message, much like anyone would be when receiving a message from the “Otherside". To tie this all together, it was a picture of a monkey's butt, and the Trinidadian saying is clearly being referenced in this scene. In short (too late), this is Sylvia calling the father an "Asshole" from heaven for being a hypocrite and rejecting her love for his family (remember that he listens to rap music, which is a black form of art but doesn’t welcome this music in his household - hence he removes his earpods when he arrives home)! NOTE: He could have taken the envelope to the family during the funeral but felt that Sylvia was unworthy of even this most minor effort/gesture of love/respect for Sylvia. This was reinforced by the way in which the mother handled Sylvia’s belongings left at the apartment, as if her things (a symbol of her spirit/love) were so contaminated or otherwise dirty that the mother barely wanted to touch those items. Their discussion about Silvia’s death is rather “cold-hearted” like a business transaction and the father cites the reason why she was hired to watch Bash was because she was “cheap”. At one point the father actually "steps" on the envelope (symbolic of his racial arrogance) but at the end when he finally "opens" or receives the message (of love) he is in the physical act of "bowing" on his "knees" a symbol of his respect and honor of Sylvia (the name Sylvia means mother/goddess, again see below). During the first few delivery attempts, he is standing in his doorway with a guarded or cynical demeanor, however, when he finally opens the package he steps outside into the hallway (or "common" area) and therefore he has to be forced to step outside of his racial/economical status "comfort zone" in order to truly receive Sylvia’s love and to understand the important role of Sylvia in his family! NOTE: Up to that point, he doesn’t even bring the package inside of his home (much like the rap music). Yet another nuance of this storyline, is that, while Sylvia’s spirit is still trying to communicate/express her love to the white family from beyond in the spiritual realm, she continues to leave “unanswered” questions for her own “true” family (hence, Princess, the daughter’s angry outburst). Even after death, Sylvia’s spirit provides “comfort” to Bash, while in contrast, her own family continues to suffer in trying to reconcile/deal with the “angst” of her emotional neglect of them (clearly Sylvia’s spirit has the power to communicate with people still living in the physical realm, so why not also use this power to communicate with her own family members in their desperate emotional state of need?). The white family is “united” in Sylvia’s death, while the black family is only further divided emotionally. Again, Sylvia was “there” for Bash’s “Family” picture day but was NOT “there” for her own children throughout their childhood lives. Hence, Princess’ question “Where were YOU!?!”. Note the uncanny wordplay again with the character names: “Princess” is the title for the female child of royalty (meaning that Sylvia was actually a “Queen”, metaphorically speaking). Historically, in Roman mythology, the name “Silvia” is derived from the name of the ancient Roman goddess of nature, who was the mother to the twin founders of Rome, Romulus, and Remus (Rome represents the first advanced white civilization). The name “Sebastian” means someone who is venerable or displays reverence (i.e., someone who pays respect). Perhaps the nickname “Bash” has some relevance too (as if to bash someone - deliver a “heavy blow” or “insult” someone’s character/spirit). Bash is also a word for a party or celebration (e.g., a "Birthday Bash") as the child is the only one who truly is celebrating Sylvia's life/spirit. This episode is also addressing the issue of how some black women, who live in a white supremacist society, suffer from a “Mammy Complex”, going out of their way to care/love for white people, while utterly emotionally neglecting/abandoning their own black families! Ultimately, this episode is actually about the hypocrisy of both black and white people and how we are all influenced (even unwittingly) by living in a white racist society. Were the parents hypocrites by the way that they “bashed” Sylvia in death -- yes?!? Was Sylvia also a hypocrite by the way she emotionally abandoned her family, yes there too?!?
Silvia wasn't a hypocrite towards her family. She was a product of her immigrant environment in America. Her daughter was an effect of an effect, but didn't have the proper language to describe her emotions in such a painful situation. Hence, acting like a princess who is owed by life, princess syndrome, Americanized, anglicized, white washed.
I'm Jamaican but I totally relate to this episode as well. Great to bring a Trini on to to help relay the message of the episode to non-islanders. This episode was literally perfect. Also having Chet Hanks in the episode to play that role was a masterstroke. He's always appropriating Jamaican culture in real life because he had a Jamaican girlfriend. The writer's attention to fine details like this is what's making these one off episodes sooooooo goood....
I have a take... The father was really more open to cultures in a way that is different from the wife... Throughout the episode we see the detached nature of the wife highlighted when she is looking for a nanny that speaks Mandarin, not because of the beauty and richness of Chinese culture, but because it has an economic benefit currently and is viewed as more socially acceptable. At the funeral I felt she was concerned after meeting what could be perceived as an "Older version of her own son", the change in accent and him aligning himself with the Trini's was something that could've happened to her own son if Sylvia had remained taking care of him. Her culture had seeped through shown in the way he already had picked up the lingo of the culture. For me this episode stuck out for showing the nature of knit picking desirable traits in certain cultures and the not so favourable, and the pain that comes with the immigrant experience. Having to choose between staying with your family in poverty or to be able to financially provide for them but not be as present in their lives.
I like how Sylvia being detached from her family to financially provide for them is juxtaposed with the white family that already has everything and is distant from their child because they're shallow and self absorbed. Two different worlds
I still felt like the husband's interest in the culture was like a tourist. He was willing to engage with it, but it wasn't going to have any real impact on his life.
To me the knocks at the door was the wake up call for the parents (the last knock actually woke them up), she didnt have the chance to be there for her children and if your not careful someone else will be in the picture hence the school photos.
My takeaway from this review is this. Thinking the influence of someone on the life of your child will be small is like expecting the pepper to be slight. In Trinidad when you ask for slight pepper even the vender believes they only added a small amount to your food. In the context of Sylvia, she probably died not know how big an impact she was having on Sebastian’s life whilst at the same time having a bland impact on the life of one of her own daughters.
I think it’s also very important to note Sylvia’s face and demeanor across the three pictures, the last one (the smirk) imo representing Sylvia kind of playing into the parents doubts about how involved they are in Sebastians life & knowing her place in his life is cemented even from the after life, and even in ghost form. Also kind of playing into the theme, where in, a white woman is usually seen caring for black children (think like celebs adopting immigrant children, “kids in Africa starving” , or the first episode with the free hugs story) but instead we have Sylvia who is basically a mother to Sebastian & she’s owning it
this episode was so accurate it was painful at points i was on the verge of tears although i’m not trini myself (🇯🇲🇦🇬) the moment the daughter came out and was speaking the language correct (and not some fake ass accent) like truly made my heart full and the funeral was so accurate too this might be my favorite episode not w/ the main cast
Honestly my favorite episode of S3. IDK if you guys noticed but the Dad started learning and becoming obsessed with Trinidadian culture. And its obvious that Sébastien (the son) is 25% Trini himself😂. All because of Ms.Silvia Hosanna 😭😭
The link between Trinidadian nature/nurture chat vs Darius' run in with Nigerian food gentrification is maybe a thread here. I feel like this season has a strong emphasis on intent, perspective and interpretation. As broad as this comment is I hope it adds something to the chat
The attention to detail is almost a hint at that in the same way the nandos/apartheid money tie in is seemingly a gag to begin with but later serves as a sort of foreshadowing. The Trinidadian references in this episode initially feel like they're a superficial mechanism or lense but quickly become the foundation and driving factor of the story as Sebastians experience is validated by the family and ultimately stops the chaos
This breakdown made me realize something that hadn't ever occurred to me before about Sebastion's mother, Bronwyn, and her issues in this episode. She's easy to hate, here, hard to empathize with, and it's easier to write off all of her antagonism as standard pearl-clutching racism and classism. But I only now see how humiliated she must've felt throughout. In terms of just traditional metrics, this crisis reveals how incompetent and insufficient she is as a mother. This is probably the first time her son has lost someone close to him, he needs comfort and guidance and care, but the person he relied on for all of that is the same person he lost. It wasn't just that Bronwyn and Miles needed a babysitter, they needed the emotional equivalent of a wet nurse because they couldn't bond profoundly with their son, the way children need to survive. What makes it worse is the more they find out about Silvia, the more intrigued Miles becomes. Their son needing Silvia is an insult to Bronwyn's performance as a mother. But Miles' interest is almost insulting to her performance as a wife. Silvia was the real matriarch of their family and deep down, Bronwyn knows it.
This was so dope, man. I love the creative nature you guys took on this review. As a Guyanese, I laughed at every moment of the connections between American culture and Caribbean culture. I felt proud to see this fantastic representation
This episode parallels what happens in LA where most of the white rich kids are taken care of by Mexican nanny/house keepers and also absorb the Mexican American culture and lots of them grow up bilingual and consider their nannies more of a mother than their biological ones
Great break down from you both. I agree with this one off being a ghost and picture at the end was her ghost. The pic to me meant “this is my white baby and it will always be my baby” hence the smirks in the pic. Notice the father thought it was cool (notice pro ball player reference at funeral) that his nanny was so cultured but the mother was shook by it. She didn’t want that for her son which is her fear in this show. In my opinion any way. Also bring dion back for more breakdowns 🇹🇹
Thank you for taking time to get Caribbean representation for this. A lot of other reactions/breakdowns lacked because they didn’t understand the true meaning behind the culture
I’m in an Atlanta discussion group on FB and we have dubbed the one off episodes as the “White Mirror” episodes which is so fitting to me because they are surreal and seem to be turning the mirror towards white Americans to say “this is white America and it’s effed up, just take a look through our eyes”. It’s like two shows in one. It took me a while to catch on but I like it. The eps with Earn and nem are kinda aloof and incomplete to me. 2 & 3 really had me about to check out & come at the end of the season. But overall it’s still the best 30 mins of television since Chappelle Show. I think this episode should be selected for an Emmy, tho. It was great!! And it haunted me the way Sylvia’s ghost was ever so softly singing Sweet Sweet T&T down the hallway at the end as the dad looked at the school pictures. Chef’s kiss 😚👌
Im screamin, I had no clue that was actually chet hanks lmfaooo. I saw that scene and immediately remembered the memes but the fact they got him is hilarious
I loved this episode so much because I was working on park ave in NY the most wealthiest and all of the Nannie’s are Caribbean with heavy accents so realistically these rich kid are being raised by these women
I took an interest to the beginning of this episode; when the husband summoned his wife with his finger, he silenced her once she presented herself. I think it foretold how Slyvia was seen and not heard. Ironically, she would never be physically seen again, yet would be all they heard about. I think this episode was also strongly based on image more so than the previous episodes, there were plenty of Easter eggs to support that (the show Sebastian watched, the Facetime call the parents had while a makeup channel played in the background, the Paper Boi poster, the display of Slyvia's life, how the Trinis displayed themselves, and Slyvia's pics w/ Sebastian). How the parents presented themselves mattered, and yet, their legacy was basically adopted to be someone else's. The pics Sylvia took w/ Sebastian also reminded me of pics enslaved wet nurses/nannies took with those they care for. The last pic stuck with me the most because of the knowing looks, mainly Slyvia's, given.
That was dope of homie to break down the trinidadian culture to you. Definitely makes the video more understandable for viewers who have probably never heard of trinidad and tobago or even the West Indies. Some people just know bahamas barbados and jamaica. There are plenty more. Much respect definitely gonna subscribe now.
I went to school in Trinidad for four years and my cousins are also Trinidadian natives. I’m from Jamaica but trust me I got the jokes and the nuances of this episode so much so that anytime I’ve managed to see a Trinidadian person since I tell them to go and watch it. Trinidadian people are definitely underrepresented in the Caribbean and overshadowed by Jamaicans in anthology series so I was glad to see the representation in that Atlanta episode.
I appreciate the Trini interview! I’m from Bahamas and the scene resonated with ME! But literally have always said Trinidadians the closet to us in terms of island culture! 🇧🇸
i get so excited for atlanta every thursday night now, and i haven’t felt that in so long. and now i get excited for your breakdowns like a cherry on top to help me process things better. i’m glad to see your channel growing like it deserves.
Your breakdowns are always great. But I’m glad you were open to letting Dion provide so much input and background. A lot of video essayist would either present his thoughts as their own or not shared a video. Respect
I really loved how Trinidadian culture was represented in this episode, unlike in some shows (for ex. Luke Cage Season 2) where they cast literally anyone and end up making Caribbean culture into a gimmick.
I think all the Trinidad culture in this episode shows you have a choice you can either educate your self in different cultures or ignore different cultures the mother is a representation of that not wanting to know anything and just move on to another ethnic group while the husband seem to be open minded to explore Trinidad culture more and maybe continue with his son I believe the little boy telling Sylvia good bye was his way letting Sylvia go and him handling his grief and I believe Sylvia leaving the photos was her way of showing the little boy she will always be there for him
Really great episode . Also did you notice how Sebastian had the same smile as Sylvia in the school pictures? I love how this season is going, giving the writers the opportunity to go off the grid and make these specialized episodes like how would reparations really work and how would that change this world. I dig these reviews as well and like your guest said I hope you can set aside your preconceived ideas how a tv series moves and enjoy this very special show as it is .
I love your film break downs of Atlanta u think you can do other movies and tv shows I really do like your takes on them keep up the good work bro 100k subs in no time 💯🙏
Strongly agree with Dion there, one-off episodes add so much more colour to the series which might otherwise become pretty narrow and eventually too used. In fact, I think Atlanta has a perfect "flow" between the main story and the one-offs. As much surreal as the main story is, some of the topics the one-offs discuss cannot simply happen in the main story in an impactful manner. With this episode, I read the mother as a typical "culture-blind" (if that's even a word) person. Her suggestion on the Chinese maid was purely based on how that is going to help Sebastian learn Mandarin, which is poised to become the next trade language. It's not out of being open-minded, but very much rooted in her idea of using others, specially underprivileged, to keep the hegemony up and healthy.
I am writing to you from Uruguay, thank you for the video and for giving us good information and other points of view about this episode. Atlanta is pure gold, if we see it from a single crystal, we miss the rest. Best regards
I was hyped when I seen Chet Hanks …I remember watching a interview with Chet while he was making music and while he was busy his friend kept it 💯 and said IF I WERE CHET I WOULDN’T BE RAPPING I WOULD FOLLOW MY DADS CARRIER..HE DOESN’T UNDERSTAND HOW LUCKY HE IS🤔
This discussion really opened my eyes to a lot & completely flipped my opinion on this episode. Like you, I've grown tired of the one offs but this episode in particularly felt off but its a genius way of getting one of the messages of this episode "Be more open minded to other cultures". I was ready to write this episode off partly because I didn't get it but I admire this episode's bravery to expose it's audience to another culture without the usual "Amerification" to help make US viewers more comfortable and easier to digest. This definitely made me check myself about dismissing something because I did not immediately get it at first watch
Now it makes sense why it took so long for this video to upload, and I appreciate you putting this together. I shared this on another reviewers video, but I thought I'd also share it here as well. I related to this episode deeply. My mom, a Dominican immigrant was also a housekeeper/nanny to a Jewish family in NYC, I always remember her talking about the little white boy she looked after and the antics he would get into. She even used to bring his hand-me-down clothes to me to see if I liked any and because they were rich, it was always name-brand stuff so I happily took it. I never met the kid, but 30 years later I hear that he calls my mom often, send her letters over the years and even took her to dinner a few times. Finally, one year ago I met him for the first time. This 44 year old white man, myself, my mom and my sister went to dinner. My mom, much older and not as great of a memory as she used to have couldn't remember every situation that he mentioned, but looking at this guy, I can see the tremendous impact my mom had on him. The way he looked at her with admiration and love, it was the way I look at her. The only difference between myself and the one sibling on the episode is that my mom was definitely there for me and my sisters greatest moments and I thank her for that. Also hearing deeper insight from a Trinidadian's perspective adds more insight to this episode. I also love at his outlook on the one-off episodes. Super interesting.
I love the one-offs - they're beyond educational, heart breaking, eye opening, motivating, and may just be some of the most important parts of this series in and for years to come. Just MHO, and love this show.
I luv what the guest podcaster said about the one-offs... Lots of people push back on this aspect... but JUST WATCH what will happen over time, and see what HISTORY does (which is the ultimate decider and word on things): S3 will continue to age VERY WELL over time. These one-offs will only make Atlanta greatER, again - especially historically, BECAUSE OF these one-offs and expanding the world view (not despite them).
This really did make me change my mind about the episode and truly appreciate it. At first I thought it was cool to watch but not my favorite outta the one offs but now definitely change it
honestly one of my favorite channels cause you give a much better understanding of each episode when I’m left confused even after a couple views hahahaha
I can see how you thought the chair scene was creepy, and I kinda do too the more I think about it. It was also really sweet. Bash felt her presence, even with him knowing she's dead, he can feel her spirit there looking over him with love and protection. Something many others believe in order to take solace in losing a loved one; that those who have died are still with us looking over us after death.
On God this episode was freakin’ heat I’m from the culture and I’m from New York so this episode was gold so as new subscriber to get this kind of content is great, definitely looking forward to your future content keep working that algorithm and striving brother 🙏🏽
Bro I’m surprised your channel doesn’t have more subs I love these video break downs, the moment I finished watching this episode I went looking for your video on it, but I am very glad you got his point of view in order to break it down with more knowledge in your corner, something that really resonated with me was his explanation of how how people never get the chance to visit again bc of their status, I come from a family of immigrants so I felt the sadness when Silvia didn’t get the chance to revisit her homeland. Anyways keep it up!!
Before tapping on the episode, something told me that Chet Hanks was in it. Knowing the type of comedy in Atlanta and all about “Shabba Hanks”, & I believe he is married to a Trini woman.
I haven't completed the video yet but want to applaud you for acknowledging the help you got to do this review! Update: Great commentary from the both of you. Thank you to your guess! I see all the episodes this season look at "whiteness" from a black perspective - Atlanta viewpoint.
In our culture as a kid, they used to make finishing your food like a race😂. Like between you and your siblings and all your cousins your age, whenever you were around them. When someone finishes their food, parents would taunt you and encourage you like "LOOK! you're cousin finished theirs, you should at least finish your plate and win too." Paraphrasing cause it doesn't translate well💀
Enjoyed the commentary and observations. ..I had to watch this episode three times...was funny seeing Bash watching The Proud Family on his tablet... loved that...
This episode was so real I showed it to my daughter ( 21 year's old half Welsh half Black). It's almost my favorite ( Trini 2 da Bone is my favorite). These black-surrealism episodes are brilliant! when I was a teen I had Two close friends that are mixed ( half black and half white), my boy Chris was more militant than me , he was light skimmed but he made up for it. My other boy Todd would hide his black mother , wore his hair in a mullet and wouldn't listen to black music ( I introduced him to the Beastie Boys and changed his life lol). So I like how it was written and the characters felt like people I either grew up with or know now. And the ending?? Talk about hitting the landing, perfection. It said essays with one smile at the camera. I dig your from Zimbabwe and identified so closely with the brother from Nigeria. My African friends deal with more problems than I do sometimes for real.
As someone who grew up around Caribbean/West Indian culture all my life, I appreciated this ep so much BUT I was disappointed with most of the commentary on the ep because the ignorance showed.....until now. thank you for this.
I love this and feel the ghost theme is perfect for the Carribbean being a place where alot of the culture around death is vastly different from the western ideal.
I binge watched Atlanta and finished it last week..and this episode fucked me up..I started to cry alot..this episode was just so beautiful..I love the one shot episodes..this show also reminds me of master of none if you haven't seen it I 100%recommend
@@NineNerdYards fuck yeahhh dude I'd love to hear your analysis on it! Ik it's old and season 3 ain't really the same but it kinda is and it's different at the same time haha
I was born in Trinidad but I was raised here but my roots are so deep and so strong my mother made sure that I knew everything you know I went back and forth there but watching that episode touched me so deeply it's something that you have to come from Trinidad to understand, the things that trinidadians do that comes like second nature this little baby absorbed that and that became his way of life parents weren't paying attention to him but he had Sylvia there are moments where you laugh when you hear the little boy say certain things but it's sad it has such a gloomy feel because when you realize from the very beginning that this lady is never coming back and he's stuck with these two idiots it just makes you feel so sad.... 🙏🏾🤎
It seems the creators are well aware about Atlanta, hip hop culture and its relationship with its white audience. It feels this season they really wanted to take that proximity and push in their faces the way no other content has except maybe like a Django. The absurdity and comedy in racism
