Crank Dat Killer

In September 2022, FX announced that the sixth episode of the season would be titled "Crank Dat Killer" and that it would be written by executive producer Stephen Glover and directed by executive producer Hiro Murai. This was Glover's eleventh writing credit, and Murai's 23rd directing credit.[1]

Roberto trying to meet with Alfred was based on the assumption that meeting with popular rappers would elevate struggling rappers. Stephen Glover explained, "This idea that all it takes is for you to meet your idol, and it's all gonna work out. People put all these things onto celebrities. They treat celebrities like they're a part of their movie; their only purpose is to fulfill your dreams. I just thought it would be funny if this guy had this vision that this is going to happen, and he just picked the worst possible time."[2]

The mall shootout was based on many incidents in Atlanta, which has been reported to have many shootouts at malls. According to Glover, "It feels like everybody in Atlanta has a gun. I thought it was funny, this idea people have that guns are gonna make situations better, but here's a shootout in the mall and it just turns into chaos."[2] Alfred's near-death experiences were based on the idea that many rappers were killed in their hometowns, to indicate that the "specter of death" follows Alfred.[2] The writers also intended that by Alfred not revealing the events at the mall, it would mean that it is "another day in the life" for him.[2]

Soulja Boy guest stars in the episode as himself.

The episode featured a guest appearance by Soulja Boy playing himself, who agreed to appear after knowing that Donald Glover was involved. The writers intended for him to appear, with no backup plan in case he rejected the offer. Had Soulja Boy rejected the role, the crew considered having another actor to portray him or get Fabo in his place.[2]

The episode was watched by 0.253 million viewers, earning a 0.08 in the 18-49 rating demographics on the Nielson ratings scale. This means that 0.08 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode.[3] This was a massive 116% increase from the previous episode, which was watched by 0.117 million viewers with a 0.05 in the 18-49 demographics.[4]

"Crank Dat Killer" received critical acclaim. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating, based on 5 reviews with an average rating of 8/10.[5]

Quinci LeGardye of The A.V. Club gave the episode a "B+" and writing, "When considering the literal events of the episode, 'Crank Dat Killer' could've solidly fit in Robbin' Season, or even into a hypothetical run between the show's four hiatus years. It's a step away from timeless, thanks to Al's plot focus on viral Internet dances. The themes take on another layer of meaning when placing the events within the trio's come-up, especially when it's bookmarked by Al's gorgeous new house. There isn't a lot of character development, maybe Al considering buying a Safe Farm somewhere, and that's fine. Sometimes we just need to laugh our asses off and watch Donald Glover and LaKeith Stanfield kiss."[6]

Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone wrote, "It feels strange to describe an episode like this, built around an active shooter situation, as a relatively light one for Atlanta, yet dammit if 'Crank Dat Killer' doesn't feel exactly that. Yes, Al spends a good chunk of the episode running for his life, and Earn and Darius' new acquaintance Shoe Man suffers a violent and graphic on-camera death. But 'Crank Dat Killer' once again demonstrates the series' complete mastery of tone, in a way that makes the threat to Al seem real at the same time that the entire sequence is way more slapstick than thriller."[7]

Ile-Ife Okantah of Vulture gave the episode a 4 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "Now that we're past the midseason mark, I can confidently say this final season of Atlanta is outpacing the previous one by a mile. The critiques of modern-day culture are sharper, the comedy is increasingly on point, and Brian Tyree Henry's acting is such a pleasure to watch. Over the years, his portrayal of Al has created a fascinating, beautifully developed character arc that adds to the show's success. I feel that way about Zazie Beetz's, LaKeith Stanfield's, and Donald Glover's characters, too, but this episode is a showcase for Henry's talent."[8] Christian Hubbard of Full Circle Cinema gave the episode a perfect 10 out of 10 rating and wrote, "As it turns out, the Crank Dat Killer is some random person and none of the suspects above. However, the forty minutes of pure speculation and anxiety just prove why this series will stand the test of time when season four concludes its historic run. With only four episodes left, Atlanta is not taking their foot off the pedal and is well on its way to creating an iconic final season."[9]