With the number of sitcoms to have come out within the last decade, it honestly doesn’t get much better than FX’s Atlanta. Very few shows have managed to find the perfect blend of comedy and drama, but this was one example that truly set the gold standard. Created by and co-starring Donald Glover, the show enjoyed a successful 4-season run, satirizing modern American life, the Black experience, and the rapidly changing music industry. While most episodes usually stuck to a familiar tone and sense of humor, there was one episode that stood out from all the rest in the most jarring way. “Teddy Perkins” had the chance to spin its story similarly to how the rest of the show operated on its own satirical surrealism, but instead plays out like a slow-burn horror film.
Drawing parallels to the abusive childhood endured by a certain world-renowned music icon, the episode’s story essentially turns Michael Jackson’s life into a horror movie. Its pacing and tone hold such a stark contrast to what so many other episodes had to offer that it has since sparked an ongoing conversation among the fans as to what exactly it was trying to say. With haunting performances from both Glover and LaKeith Stanfield, as well as direction and writing that rival even the most famous filmmakers in the horror genre, it stands as a shining example of top-notch filmmaking for the small screen. It has also since come to be considered one of the show’s greatest (albeit unusual) episodes, one that is still worth discussing and examining all these years later.
“Teddy Perkins” Isn’t Like Any Other Atlanta Episode
Donald Glover as Earn in Atlanta
Atlanta follows Earnest “Earn” Marks, a Princeton University dropout who reconnects with his cousin, Alfred (stage name “Paper Boi”), as he helps his cousin ascend the rap scene while trying to redeem himself in the eyes of both his parents and his ex-girlfriend. The show blends surrealist comedy with drama and social commentary, giving it an almost dreamlike quality. Looking at Seaason 2’s “Teddy Perkins,” even the most die-hard fans might have a hard time believing it was from the same show, as it leans more into dark comedy and horror.
Rather than Earn or Alfred, the episode instead places focus on their philosophical friend, Darius (played by LaKeith Stanfield), who goes on a pilgrimage to a mysterious mansion to procure a free-listed piano (completely against the advice of Alfred). At the mansion, he encounters a man named Teddy Perkins, whose demeanor is just as strange and unnerving as his appearance, and begins to uncover the dark history of both the man and his home. What results is one of the weirdest moments of the entire series and truly terrifying imagery.
In any normal episode of Atlanta, the audience can usually expect to have a good time with plenty of laughs while still being left with something to reflect on. With “Teddy Perkins” unexpectedly diving into psychological horror, however, the story is more about survival rather than leaving with an upbeat idea to reflect on. The only laughter that’s to be had with this episode is arguably due to the fact that the atmosphere is so uncomfortable and outside the realm of a normal Atlanta episode.
This sudden shift from its usual tone was clearly a deliberate choice, which is what initially caused so many fans to question with confusion and shock as to exactly what kind of message the episode was trying to get across with this particular story. Looking at the number of parallels between the Teddy Perkins character and that of Michael Jackson, it’s since been recognized as a horrifying critique of the destructive cycle caused by abusive parenting, as well as the notion that so many examples of great art are born from the artist’s suffering.
Donald Glover’s Performance as Teddy Perkins in Atlanta Gives the Audience Plenty to Think About
Donald Glover as Earnest “Earn” Marks, Brian Tyree Henry as Alfred “Paper Boi” Miles and LaKeith Stanfield as Darius from the FX series AtlantaImage via FX
The character of Teddy Perkins has quite a few immediately noticeable similarities to Michael Jackson. From having a difficult childhood as a musical prodigy to his timid, high-pitched voice and complexion, the parallels couldn’t be any more obvious. The pressure that came from Jackson’s abusive childhood has been a major topic of discussion in pop culture for decades, and will even be the focus of a new film, as well as his adult success. This even extends to the number of social and legal controversies later in his life that many have since argued occurred as a result of that upbringing. Seeing how Atlanta was a show partly about the music industry, that topic certainly wasn’t immune from being talked about or satirized in some way, shape, or form.
Although the makeup certainly helped Glover disappear into the character, the other aspects of his performance, from his unnatural physicality to the eeriness of his cadence and delivery of dialogue, arguably played a much bigger role in doing so. There’s an uncomfortable stillness in the way he plays Teddy, with his slow, stilted movement and uncomfortable lingering pauses between his dialogue being just as disturbing as they are admittedly humorous. It really highlights the fragility of his mental state and the kind of physical and emotional trauma he’s endured over the course of his life, and Glover even manages to evoke a sense of sympathy from the audience, despite the character’s malicious intent.
It has also led the audience to interpret many things about the character and his story for themselves, such as seeing the death he experienced at the hands of his brother, Benny, to be more of a mercy killing rather than a vengeful one. More than 7 years later, it still stands as one of the best performances of Glover’s career to date, and he helped deliver one of the most stressful episodes of TV ever. His performance as the character even earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy series, which truly speaks to the strength of the direction that he received from director Hiro Murai.
The Horror of Atlanta’s “Teddy Perkins” is One of TV’s Best
Image via FX
For a show that was never meant to delve into such a genre, the “Teddy Perkins” episode of Atlanta really is a true masterclass in horror, similar to surreal shows like Black Mirror. With all the ways in which Hiro Murai (a frequent collaborator of Donald Glover’s) managed to make 30 minutes of TV feel like the equivalent of a full-fledged horror film, it’s somewhat criminal how he never even received an Emmy nomination for his efforts on this episode in particular. With such carefully executed cinematography, especially with its use of long tracking shots and framing of the mansion, it creates an unnerving atmosphere and sense of entrapment, and it really does leave the viewers on the edge of their seat concerned for Darius’ safety.
There’s also due credit to be had for the way the cinematography also captures Glover’s performance, allowing the disturbing nature of his expressions and subtle nuances to fully command the screen. The fact that the actor allegedly stayed in character all throughout filming while covered in that prosthetic makeup is likely to have contributed heavily to creating that authentic sense of tension and unease on set. “Teddy Perkins” is by far one of the most bizarre and most unexpected examples of a series’ tonal shift in TV history. The impact that it has left behind, however, both in its message and in its horror, is something that certainly deserves to be celebrated and will no doubt go down as one of the greatest works of Donald Glover’s entire filmography.
Release Date
2016 – 2022-00-00
Network
FX
Showrunner
Donald Glover
Directors
Donald Glover
Writers
Donald Glover