The Club (Atlanta)

In September 2016, FX announced that the eighth episode of the season would be titled "The Club" and that it would be written by Jamal Olori, and directed by producer Hiro Murai. This was Olori's first writing credit, and Murai's sixth directing credit.[1]

The episode drew attention for the "invisible car", which starts as a joke made by Darius when describing Marcus Miles. In the episode's climax, as the bystanders flee from the shooting, Marcus drives the car through the parking lot. TheWrap interpreted the use of the invisible car as to how "people, mostly stars, flaunt their money in the club. After seeing how much larger and more exciting Miles' VIP section was, Paper Boi was a little bothered by it so he bought some more drinks and invited more people into his section, which was countered by Miles buying the entire club. Miles' invisible car at the end could be a testament to the extent some people will go to in order to show off how rich they are. Like, you know buying an invisible car."[2]

The episode was watched by 0.948 million viewers, earning a 0.4 in the 18-49 rating demographics on the Nielson ratings scale. This means that 0.4 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode.[3] This was a 23% increase from the previous episode, which was watched by 0.770 million viewers with a 0.4 in the 18-49 demographics.[4]

"The Club" received critical acclaim. Joshua Alston of The A.V. Club gave the episode an "A-" and wrote, "As an episode of a loosely structured anthology, 'The Club' is another terrific installment in an excellent, exhilarating debut season. Darius, who I've missed dearly, is back in fine form and Brian Tyree Henry turns in yet another terrific performance. He's as good at playing abject frustration as anyone outside the cast of Veep. The single setting lends the episode a sense of structure, but it's ultimately like the rest of Atlanta's episodes, a candy bowl full of hilarious, absurd, keenly observed moments."[5]

Alan Sepinwall of HitFix wrote, "After a couple of experimental episodes in a row, 'The Club' is a pretty straightforward outing. The guys hang out, Earn and Alfred each brush up against the limits of Paper Boi's modest celebrity, and there are a few surreal touches, Darius is mostly off marching to the beat of his own drummer, and the cops may have to get involved again. If a show so determined to defy expectations could be said to have a formula, 'The Club' is a clear – and entertaining – example of that formula."[6]

Michael Arceneaux of Vulture gave the episode a 4 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "Slow-moving or not, what's happening on Atlanta is long overdue. I've had some critiques, but as a whole, this is such an impressive first season. It reminds me of a really good first album — with little tweaks here and there, it'd be a true masterpiece."[7] Michael Snydel of Paste wrote, "After last week's form-breaking, politically urgent episode, it was always going to be difficult for Atlanta to reach the same heights this week. 'The Club' is much more in line with the rest of the season, but even as it's less ambitious, it's still a pretty strong episode."[8]

The episode's use of "Knuck If You Buck" received attention by some audience viewers, with some criticizing the subdued nature of clubgoers depicted when the song played. TheWrap wrote, "Unlike most TV shows or movies, the club scene in Atlanta wasn't depicted as a ritzy place where everyone was beautiful and dressed to the nines, having the time of their lives. Primal, a nightclub in Atlanta and on Atlanta, depicted the real club experience: Earn doesn't drink, Darius left early to eat cereal and play video games and Paper Boi was bored out of his mind. So when 'Knuck If You Buck' came on during the episode, most people were naturally expecting the show to stay true to its roots and have the proper response to such a monumental song. But then again, we should have all learned by now to not expect anything normal from Donald Glover."[9]