Atlanta: Season 3/ Episode 9 “Rich Wigga, Poor Wigga” – Recap/ Review

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After living his life being thankful for being white-passing, a young man has to prove he is Black enough to get a full-ride scholarship.

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Aired (FX)	5/12/2022
Directed By	Donald Glover
Written By	Donald Glover
Introduced This Episode
Greg	George Wallace
Aaron	Tyriq Withers
Robert “Shea” Lee	Kevin Samuels
James	Don Woods
Kate	Rachel Resheff
Felix	Tireni Oyenusi

This content contains pertinent spoilers.

Recap

I Felt Privileged Until Today – James, Greg, Robert, Kate, Aaron

Aaron is biracial and white-passing. Alongside this, Aaron doesn’t have Black friends, and even his girlfriend, Kate, is white. However, breaking stereotypes, it seems Aaron is raised by his very Black father.

Which, for Aaron, is all well and good until a man named Robert “Shea” Lee reveals to all graduating seniors that he will give a full-ride scholarship to anyone’s that’s Black, and can prove it. For Aaron, this is a blessing since he’d like to go to ASC, but with James having no desire to put his name on any loans, this is Aaron’s only shot at going there and sticking with his crew.

I’m Not Black Enough? – Greg, Robert, Aaron, Felix

The problem is, between Robert and his crew, especially Greg, Aaron is determined to not be Black. They see him more as a Clarence Thomas Black or off-white. With the denial of his Blackness, Aaron pitches a fit and plans to burn down the school which has been renamed after Robert, due to a generous donation.

However, another student, Felix, who is African, and also was rejected, planned to burn down the school as well. Now, as for why Felix was rejected? Well, because he could trace his lineage to a specific country and was even partly raised in Africa.

But, with Felix and Aaron battling it on school grounds after Aaron makes a colorism joke, neither one burns down the school, but Felix does get shot in the head. Don’t worry, he lives, and after being shot by cops, when Robert shows up, he plans to pay Felix’s medical bills and determines that getting shot by the cops makes Felix Black. Thus, he gets a scholarship, and Aaron? He just gets a record.

It Was All Good About A Year Ago – Aaron, Kate

So, what ultimately happened to Aaron? Well, a year later, he is working at a tech store, trying to make some sales, and he is now Blacker than ever. Which catches a visiting Kate by surprise, and honestly, while she dumped him for not being able to go into ASC, this new look? She might be into it.

Things To Note

Question(s) Left Unanswered

1. Where was Aaron’s mother?

What Could Happen Next

1. The only guess that could be the least bit accurate is the season finale could see the end of Paperboi’s European tour

Review

Highlights

The Question of What and Who Is Black?

While Black people, American Black people specifically, aren’t a monolith, there is the question of what should be considered common traits? Would it be knowing what Hennessey goes with? Perhaps having a negative interaction with cops? Knowing what terms or phrases are used when not in mixed company?

It’s a complicated question, and while conversations about reparations have long died down, Robert’s desire to narrow down whose Blackness qualifies them, since being ADOS (American Descdenet of Slaves) doesn’t count present a future problem. At least if Black Americans were ever given a form of reparations, despite how many, like Aaron’s friends, think Black people are already given certain financial assistance for being Black, especially if you combine poor with that.

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