"Atlanta" Helen (TV Episode 2018) Poster

(TV Series)

(2018)

User Reviews

Review this title
11 Reviews
Sort by:
Filter by Rating:
9/10
Underrated
chaitanyamaheshwari11 November 2020
This is the first Vanessa episode that I liked. And there's everything to love here. Amazing shots, intelligent dialogue, weirdly good premise, good music, all of which focus on Earn and Van's relationship, and gradually shift the atmosphere to focus on Van. Callback of Earn trying to lower now locked window was so subtly and brilliantly placed. Disappointing to see people not understanding the episode.
26 out of 31 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
Du you hate "the episode" or "Earn in the episode"?
dunderov10 January 2023
Yes, Earn acts like baby in this episode, and everybody hates it. But is it the reason to dislike the episode?

In this episode Earn´s got money, Van is between jobs. But really, it just a few moments (episodes) back since Earn was the loser, and Van was being nice single mom treating him well, even though he was not worth it. Now, Van is beautyful, intelligent, responsible cool, understanding since EP01,(maybe too much so) and Earn comes out as an asshole here forgetting all that really fast.

Personally I have experienced this in real life, back and forth, me and her, so I find this episode to be realistic, and hurting, I like it.

The exaggeration of the German Polka Party setting is a comic tribute to the great actress Zazie Beats. She is half german, and has grown up in Germany. I, for my part, love actors that speak several languages (or fake it well), and I think she is great, and deserves more space.

So, I think it is only supercool that producers/directors chose to make this episode. And I wish that others liked it too..
12 out of 14 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
Ern is trash in this episode
esmiget24 June 2019
Ern is acting like a baby I almost stopped watching the show all together because of this episode I would kill to have a woman like his baby mama only the trash dudes get amazing women.
27 out of 54 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
Lottie's Mom
dannylee-7808216 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
1. Earn and Van go to a German festival 2. Van fights with an old friend 3. Earn and Van play ping-pong

Great episode again. Van wants to be in a committed relationship with Earn but Earn is fine with the current "arrangement". Self-confidence of Van is tested as she is in between things and is described as "Lottie's mom" and not as "Vanessa". She wants at least one thing in her life to be a stable factor but Earn doesn't care too much about it. I wonder if he would have reacted differently had Earn not feel left out in the whole German festival.

I love that this episode actually incorporated Zazie's German background. Really nice choice by the show-runners. It delve heavily into the uncomfortable state of being mixed ethnicity where you feel like you have to chose one side or the other.

I find that Atlanta has a very effective way of storytelling. Not taking up a lot of time to say something. I find that quite captivating.
3 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
Everyone hating Earn?
ansharora-126386 July 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This episode was second weakest after 'Value'. Why everyone was hating on Earn? I think that's why these shows become popular in which they show evil women. Van here got jealous when Earn won fair and square and then told him to "Listen to her the next time" and then what she does? Goes to a German guy and practically flirts with him in German while Earn is just standing there.

Van is a competitive b word and she neglected every value here when Earn was just doing it just so she could be happy. Then when he saw what she really is doing, he bailed, like any sself respecting man. What's wrong here?
7 out of 53 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
4/10
Fastnacht is not Oktoberfest and this Episode doesn't show either
Miztor11 February 2023
I really like the show, but seeing this "Fastnacht" which is supposed to be carnival here getting confused with the Oktoberfest feels just so off. As a German it's normal that American shows and movies like to make us all seem like either Bavarians or Nazis but this episode is just wrong in so many ways.

F.e. I never heard of a blackfacing tradition in Germany or Bavarians having carnival in a Oktoberfest setting (Fastnacht is in February not October).

People don't like earn in this episode but I think that the viewer is supposed to feel uncomfortable (about him) all the time. So I think the episode is quite good apart from the setting.
7 out of 8 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
4/10
The "weak" episode in this series.
Wrighthead23 April 2018
While the rest of Atlanta is an entertaining black sitcom, this episode feels slightly out of place. While the need to push the subtle racism experienced by a black community is part of what makes Atlanta great, some instances in this episode (like a white Bavarian dressed American mistaking Daniel Glover for a minstrel) seem like the show was actually reaching with unrealistic acts of subtle racism.

Other small details, like Fasnacht actually being a predominantly Swiss form of carnival (see: Basel Fasnacht) or masks and costumes used in Fasnacht having a specific aesthetic (with a cultural significance) that a "scream mask" doesn't really cover, makes the whole episode feel off somehow.

The evening feels like an amalgamation of European folk law that made me feel like I was watching "white face".

As this episode is all about how out of place the protagonist feels, I too felt out of place in this episode unsure of what story was trying to be told which might have been the intention but it didn't pay off.
35 out of 66 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
5/10
That's not how Germany is just FYI
luckykeeper-4467623 July 2021
Really it's not. No masks or these games or blackfacing or mean spirits. Otherwise weird episode. Doesn't work as well as the rest of the episodes.
13 out of 22 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
3/10
Why?
jpCharm23 April 2018
I really disliked Ern in this episode. Why go to a party if you aren't going to enjoy yourself. Everyone there tried to make him a part of the festivities and he just wasn't having it.

A rare miss for this excellent series.
28 out of 61 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
3/10
Unbearable
CJPALLISTER200217 January 2022
Everyone in this episode is unbearable I get that's the point but it didn't even feel the same to me it felt like I was just waiting for this to end only good part was ping pong.
5 out of 10 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
5/10
Helen
Prismark1025 October 2018
This episode examines the nature of Earn 's and Van's complicated relationship.

Van uses Earn for sex when see needs to. They both have a daughter and he financially provides for her.

Van takes Earn to celebrate Fasnacht. A Bavarian festival she celebrated as a child. Van speaks fluent German.

Earn feels out of place with the peculiarities of the festivities. It is just all too silly for him. This agitates Van.

The episode was more dramatic, the comedy certainly more bleak. It certainly was a contrast from the previous episode of season 2.
9 out of 29 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

See also

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews


Recently Viewed