Two weeks after an early teaser gave us a trip down memory lane (or, in this case, memory Peachtree Street), Atlanta is back with the first full trailer for season four.
We get a few glimpses of the situations the key characters find themselves in–including what appears to be Paper Boy performing at a Bat Mitzvah, Earn and Van taking their daughter, Lottie, on a fishing trip, and a scene of Paper Boy in the studio with a falsetto-voiced Mason Ramsey lookalike. We’re also shown what appears to be Earn in therapy, seeming irritated despite claiming that his work life is going well.
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As the trailer progresses, tension ratchets up considerably following a shot of Earn saying “and then all hell breaks loose.” Atlanta water boys are standing on Earn’s car rapping for him, refusing to leave, somebody shoots at Paper Boy in a jewelry store, and there’s a tease of a possible D’Angelo cameo. Most importantly, there’s a glimpse of Katt Williams, confirming his return as Earn and Al’s uncle following his Emmy-winning turn in season two. (No word yet on a reprise of Coach the alligator.)
The trailer also makes significant use of Cousteau’s “Last Good Day of the Year,” a dreamy throwback pop song about the ephemerality of time that feels well-suited to this culminating moment. The music is nostalgic, though this trailer doesn’t lean as heavily into the show’s history as the teaser did, which recalled “Teddy Perkins,” “The Club,” and “B.A.N.,” among other fan-favorite episodes. In an interview with The AV Club, Atlanta writer Stefani Robinson hinted at the return of characters from earlier seasons of the show, implying that it will be culling from its history for this concluding chapter.
Atlanta’s fourth season sees the cast return to the eponymous city after last season largely took place in Europe. Glover’s brother and co-producer Stephen told GQ earlier this year, that while he favors season 3, Glover and executive producer Hiro Murai are “have always said season 4 is going to be better. They’re really high on season 4.” As for what to expect from the season, in broad terms, the younger Glover said “Season 3 is the maximalist season. And then it’s like, all right, let’s go home to Atlanta now. Let’s go back to where we feel comfortable, or where we’re supposed to feel comfortable, anyway. So it’s this idea that you saw the world and your mind was expanded drastically. And now it’s time to come back [home].”
The final season begins airing September 15.