Brian Tyree Henry as Alfred “Paper Boi” MilesPhotograph: Man D’Alema/FX
I ought to have recognized after final week’s wonderful mockumentary digression that there was no use of predicting what the previous few episodes of Atlanta would cowl. This present isn’t a fantasy epic or a linear drama the place there are plot threads and questions that need to be answered. As a substitute, Atlanta created characters who’ve fascinated followers by their day-to-day struggles. A plotless present like this wasn’t going to finish by giving viewers as a lot time as we wished with every of the characters; as a substitute, we’ll keep in mind to understand what we will get. Nonetheless, it’s a bit disappointing that this episode solely options Al, with a bit splash of Darius.
02:01
Advertisement
Tyler James Williams talks “Abbott Elementary” and “All people Hates Chris”
Yesterday 1:39PM
This week’s tagline, “They all the time making Paper Boi undergo one thing,” is an efficient categorization for the collection’ standalone Al episodes, together with his chase by the “Woods” and his unhealthy journey in “New Jazz.” Season 4 sees him escaping to a farm someplace north of Atlanta, the place he’s working towards his capturing, rising weed, and ignoring everybody’s calls. There have been hints that Al would make a life away from civilization all season, together with the point out of a house within the woods in “Born to Die” and his at-home develop setup in “Crank Dat Killer.” Although he’d by no means point out it out loud, the title card track, “Thoughts Taking part in Tips On Me” by Geto Boys, offers a touch of Al’s mindset after the mall shootout.
For many of this very quiet episode, Al is constructing a farm alone with little or no expertise. The property is much less beautiful than the panorama we noticed in “Snipe Hunt,” although Hiro Murai, returning to the director’s chair, nonetheless completely makes use of the panorama. This episode’s setting appears like a center floor between the dreaminess of “Snipe Hunt” and the menace of “Woods.” The similar seclusion which means Al can come upon an deserted tractor coated in wildflowers means there’s nobody round to listen to him scream. I don’t fuck with nature like that, not to mention nature with none civilization close by, so I appreciated this episode’s tightrope between the loveliness of solitude and little splashes of menace that present up even earlier than the feral hogs (primarily the Accomplice flag clock and the “We don’t name the cops” signal within the common retailer).
As soon as some hogs do break into Al’s shed and uncover his weed, the present performs a bit bit with the “30-50 feral hog” meme vs. the truth of the wild animals’ risk potential. Again in 2019, the jokes went extra viral than the warning articles, so Al’s incredulity is smart. In 2022, although, there have been far more articles about how these pigs can fuck up an individual and the surrounding property. Clyde on the common retailer (performed by She-Hulk’s boss Steve Coulter) says Al must take them down (with some very aggressive language), however he’s even averse to coping with a lifeless mouse, so he tries to feed them poison weed first to no avail.
Advertisement
G/O Media might get a fee
Farmer Al will get a win the subsequent day, when he will get the tractor up and operating. His temporary celebration and drive across the lake ends with him stalling on a slope. As quickly as he went downhill from the tractor, I used to be prepared for some 127 Hours shit, however fortunately his foot solely will get crushed and never caught. His journey again to the home units up a superb payoff of all of the random threads of the present, from the Amazon driver not listening to his screams to the hogs returning to his again patio for an additional nightly meal to the rapper lastly embracing his anger and going ham on the beast along with his new cast-iron skillet. It’s an ideal second of catharsis for the character, although I agree with Earn that the breakfast of bacon (from Kroger!) and whiskey is a bit a lot.
Brian Tyree Henry as Alfred “Paper Boi” Miles Photograph: Man D’Alema/FX
Talking of Earn, I used to be anxious that some struggle or deadlock between the cousins had occurred offscreen, since a lot of the calls Al was ignoring had been his. As a substitute, all the things appears chill between them, because the supervisor tells the rapper the identical factor I had been shouting on the display screen the entire episodes, that “farms are harmful as fuck.” The episode ends with the staff nonetheless making strikes and negotiating contracts, however now each of them are getting ready to maneuver on to new phases of their life, with Earn and the household in L.A. and Al most likely going between Atlanta and his Secure Farm. (He seems to be like a person right here to remain, posted up along with his ice pack and cane.)
Advertisement
Although this chill bottle episode is underwhelming as a penultimate outing, it does comply with the general Atlanta fashion. Strip away the unpredictability—shifting genres, impeccable needle drops, surrealist aptitude, and lovely filmmaking—and Atlanta’s a couple of group of individuals making their means from a lifetime of hustling to a way forward for some form of peace and calm. Everybody (moreover perhaps Darius, who’s nonetheless unusually underused this season) is simply working towards a time the place they don’t need to preserve paddling like a swan’s toes underwater. Earn discovered that driving away from the campsite with Sade enjoying, and Al’s having fun with it because the fog is available in off the lake in sluggish movement. Whether or not we prefer it or not, we solely have one episode left of the hustle. Not less than we’re getting glimpses of what peace will come after.
Stray observations
I’m not that conversant in Andrew Wyeth’s work, however the NYT described the painter as “a reclusive linchpin in a colourful household dynasty of artists whose exact realist views of hardscrabble rural life…sparked limitless debates concerning the nature of contemporary artwork.”
I’d like to learn Taofik Kolade’s script for this one-man present of an episode. The factors of Al chuckling to himself, and speaking to the crops and animals, are so pure and well-placed.
Somebody within the writers’ room needs to be happy with “These Backhoes Ain’t Loyal.”
The assault on a girl outdoors Houston really occurred in November 2019, so it pans out if the episode was deliberate out someday in 2020.
This ep’s two different stellar needle drops are “Rollin’” by Dungeon Household and “Don’t Let The Solar Catch You Cryin’” by Ray Charles.
My precise notes for the moments when the hogs present up: “Completely all the fuck not nope nun huh fuck this no no no keep the fuck away from him Pumba.”
I all the time ponder whether forged iron is overrated when it goes on sale, and this episode is the perfect advert for Lodge that I’ve seen.
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — When Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Matthew Judon spoke publicly in mid-August for the first time since being traded from the New England Patriots, he said he didn’t expect a new contract because Atlanta didn’t know him yet.
Through the season’s first 10 games, the Falcons learned a shell of Judon.
The four-time Pro Bowl selection who arrived in Atlanta with 32 sacks in his previous 39 games before arrival found himself in an unfamiliar spot: incapable of terrorizing opposing quarterbacks.
Judon had 1.5 sacks in his first two games. Over the next eight weeks, he recorded zero sacks, zero tackles for loss and one quarterback hit. Falcons head coach Raheem Morris acknowledged that Judon hadn’t given Atlanta what it expected.
Advertisement
Suddenly, it flipped.
Once symbolic of the Falcons’ dismal pass rush, which had only 10 sacks in 11 games, Judon has been a steady contributor on a unit that leads the NFL in sacks over the past five weeks with 21.
The reason for the sudden switch? Judon, who has four sacks, five tackles for loss, six quarterback hits and a 27-yard pick-six in his past six games, thinks it’s about finishing.
“Just getting (quarterbacks) on the ground,” Judon told Atlanta Falcons on SI on Friday. “Kind of getting a little bit more opportunities and kind of getting more schemed up in the game plan.”
Judon had only three full weeks of practice between the time he was traded to Atlanta and the start of the regular season. He felt comfortable and confident quickly, which he attributed to outside linebackers coach Jacquies Smith, senior defensive assistant Dave Huxtable and his teammates.
Advertisement
As such, Judon said his recent uptick in production isn’t due to comfort — he’s long felt fine in Atlanta’s defense. He played a season-high 51 snaps in the Falcons’ 30-24 overtime loss to the Washington Commanders on Dec. 29, but the week before, he played a season-low 42% of defensive snaps.
His pure snap share hasn’t changed. It’s possible his role and responsibilities have.
“Just go watch the tape,” Judon said. “Y’all get the tape just like us, and y’all can determine that. I think we got to play the game plan. We got to play the play that’s called.”
That responsibility falls on defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake, who’s reinvented his stock since the bye week by leading his unit into the top 10 in several metrics, including yards allowed per game, both pass and run defense and, of course, sacks.
At the Week 12 bye, the Falcons did a thorough self-scout. Their coaches identified problems, and their players have helped fix them, Morris said.
Advertisement
Judon is perhaps the best example — and Morris said his four-tackle, two-tackle-for-loss, one-sack performance last time out against Washington was his best as a Falcon, an assessment that extends beyond his statistics.
“He’s done an amazing job the last couple of weeks,” Morris said Friday. “He’s given us some production, not only in the pass rush game, but also in his run fits and things of that nature, doing some really good football plays.
“Unfortunately for us, (Washington) was a tough loss. But yeah, he really stood up and did some really good things for us and was playing really well.”
Lake agreed with Morris that Judon is coming off his best game in Atlanta. It’s the culmination of daily hard work that Judon has put in since his first practice with the Falcons, and on a broader scale, proof of one of Lake’s personal slogans: work works.
“So proud of him,” Lake said Thursday. “You watch him just put in the hard work, put in the hard work. It’s just awesome to see the results for him. I’m excited to see what’s going to come next on Sunday. I know he’s playing with a lot of confidence and he’s just continuing to get better.
Advertisement
“His hard work is the reason why he’s played at a higher level as of late.”
Taken in a capsule, Judon’s season has been middle-of-the-road. He’s registered 25 total pressures and 16 hurries, according to Pro Football Focus, while ranking ninth league-wide with three passes batted at the line of scrimmage — one of which led to a pick-six for linebacker Troy Andersen in a Week 4 victory over the New Orleans Saints. He also has 20 run stops, which ranks 46th league wide.
But on a smaller scope, the 32-year-old Judon has been much better lately. He’s tied for 16th in the NFL with four sacks since the start of Week 11 — with a bye week mixed in. Among those who have played six or fewer games during that time, he’s tied for seventh.
Yet somewhat contrary to Judon’s statement, the Falcons haven’t necessarily altered his role schematically within the defense. Morris said he’s unsure whether Judon meant him specifically being schemed up, or rather the Falcons’ scheme being better suited for the pass rushers overall.
Because, as Morris noted, the rest of Atlanta’s defensive front has produced well since the bye week, too. Outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie leads the NFL with five sacks since Week 13. Inside linebacker Kaden Elliss is tied for third with four sacks. Rookie linebacker JD Bertrand recorded his first sack on a blitz against Washington.
Advertisement
Morris used Judon’s sack against the Commanders as an example. The 6-foot-3-inch, 265-pounder came unblocked off the edge, which happened due to the left side of Washington’s offensive line sliding to its right in preparation for additional pressure.
So, as much as Judon’s play has improved, the recent gains made in Atlanta’s defensive scheme and personnel utilization have also been central to his late-season leap.
“To say you schemed up some things, I think it’s more just the coaches doing a really good job of finding holes in people’s protection and finding ways for us to get out there and win,” Morris said.
Judon has won lots lately. He’s also enjoyed himself in the process, eavesdropping on safety Jessie Bates III’s postgame press conference after a 34-7 win over the New York Giants on Dec. 22 and embracing something of a big brother-little brother relationship with Ebiketie.
Perhaps now, more than ever, the true Judon has arrived in Atlanta.
Advertisement
“Judon, he’s got a lot of criticism,” Bates said. “And he’s been the same guy since he walked in this building. And just to see him continue to go to work every single day, just excited for him.”
So, the contract? Judon’s deal expires after the 2024 season. Lake deferred any and all contract discussions to Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot, who has stressed in the past he won’t negotiate within the media.
Both parties remain focused on finishing this season strong. The Falcons (8-8) are still alive for the postseason, but they’ll need to beat the Carolina Panthers (4-12) at 1 p.m. Sunday inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium and hope the Saints (5-11) upset the NFC South-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7) at the same time.
The odds currently aren’t in Atlanta’s favor — The Athletic‘s playoff projection model gives the Falcons a 13% chance to make the playoffs.
In essence, Sunday’s game may be Judon’s last in Atlanta, which could end a brief stint capped by a mission he’s still unsure if he fulfilled.
Advertisement
“Shit, a little bit, I feel like,” Judon said when asked what he proved about himself to the Falcons. “I just feel like, kind of, the season is the season. I wish we could have been in the playoffs and accomplished more.”
There’s still, though mathematically improbable, a chance the Falcons do that. It’s possible the same can be said for Judon’s future in Atlanta.
Atlanta Hawks (18-16, seventh in the Eastern Conference) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (18-14, sixth in the Western Conference)
Los Angeles; Friday, 10:30 p.m. EST
Advertisement
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Lakers -4; over/under is 231.5
BOTTOM LINE: Atlanta takes on Los Angeles for a non-conference matchup.
The Lakers have gone 11-5 in home games. Los Angeles gives up 114.1 points and has been outscored by 2.1 points per game.
The Hawks are 8-9 on the road. Atlanta is the Eastern Conference leader with 45.8 rebounds per game led by Jalen Johnson averaging 10.2.
The Lakers are shooting 47.2% from the field this season, 0.1 percentage points lower than the 47.3% the Hawks allow to opponents. The Hawks average 13.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.4 fewer makes per game than the Lakers allow.
Advertisement
TOP PERFORMERS: Anthony Davis is averaging 26.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and two blocks for the Lakers.
Trae Young is averaging 22.3 points and 12 assists for the Hawks.
LAST 10 GAMES: Lakers: 6-3, averaging 111.1 points, 43.6 rebounds, 25.7 assists, 8.2 steals and 5.2 blocks per game while shooting 46.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.4 points per game.
Hawks: 5-5, averaging 119.3 points, 45.4 rebounds, 29.4 assists, 10.8 steals and 5.3 blocks per game while shooting 46.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 120.5 points.
INJURIES: Lakers: Jarred Vanderbilt: out (knee), Gabe Vincent: day to day (oblique), Christian Wood: out (knee), Anthony Davis: day to day (ankle), Jalen Hood-Schifino: day to day (hamstring).
Advertisement
Hawks: Jalen Johnson: day to day (shoulder), Bogdan Bogdanovic: day to day (leg), Kobe Bufkin: out for season (shoulder), Larry Nance Jr.: out (hand), Cody Zeller: out (personal), Trae Young: day to day (hand).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Federal law enforcement says the man who drove through the French Quarter killing 14 and injured dozens acted alone. The city of New Orleans making safety a top priority as the Sugar Bowl gets underway at the Superdome.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23951501/VRG_Illo_STK170_L_Normand_TimCook_Positive.jpg "Tim Cook is donating million to Trump’s inauguration, too")
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24982514/Quest_3_dock.jpg "Meta’s ‘software update issue’ has been breaking Quest headsets for weeks")
