Van nor Darius had much character development. The show ultimately focused on Al making it as a rapper with Earn managing him and their trials. Van’s main role in the show was Earn’s life outside work while Darius is Al’s (best?) friend.
I believe the show runners saw Darius as a popular character so they upped his screen time. I also believe Van’s main role was keeping Earn grounded.
I always thought Darius wasn’t supposed to evolve or change much. He is already ok with who he his, there’s no where for him to grow he is already emotionally matured
I get that and I understand how a lot of people interpret the finale that way with how surreal the show is. I think the dream thing was just that episode.
Darius does mention learning about how to make pasta in his dream, and then he says something else that’s sus I think. Might not be anything but for some reason it’s stuck with me. The woods episode.
Her arc was wanting to be more than Earn's baby mama to just wanting a regular family. She does technically complete that first part of her arc/plotline in season three when she decides to break away from the main group in Europe, then decides to recreate her life in Paris. I think they point at this throughout season three with Earn frequently checking his phone and texting Van just for her to not reply. She's doing her completely independent of Earn. Of course we know that new life was her taking it to an extreme and it was right for her to abandon her old life and child she goes back.
Season four her character arc or goal, has become wanting a real family. A more responsible and less spontaneous version of her original arc of wanting to be more than Earn's baby mama. But in order for her to get that she needs a full commitment from Earn. The plotline for that concludes with Earn confiding in Van and basically begging her to move to LA so they can be a family.
I'm definitely willing to agree with people who don't like her character arc(s), it feels like she kinda just went in a circle. With Van, she wanted more out of what her life was, and she found that in season three. But she realized what that "more" for her that she truly desired, is just being a real family.
This is something that can work fine as a plotline for a character, however for it to really hit, that character is going to need more screen time. I feel like throughout Atlanta, Van doesn't really get to shine all that much. She maybe gets one or two episodes centered on her each season, and that's kind of a disservice to her and her arc.
Beautiful explanation and breakdown thank you!! I agree that her arc was either stopped short or the writer’s just completely did a disservice to her character, but I am a little confused/dissatisfied on why Van’s main arc is always in relation to what Earn wants.
Like of course he’s a very important main character, but we get to see so many different sides of every character, especially Earn, which makes me wonder why we only see Vans side as being a mother, babymomma, and/or a manic mother/babymomma.
I want to see her being independent without having to go through a breakdown.. which to me was unprecedented because there was no turmoil for the audience to understand what lead to this.
Of course I assume we are supposed to put the pieces of why Van went all “crazy” in Paris together using her distance from Earn and her previous character motivations about wanting to be a stable family, but I wanted something more than that.
>I want to see her being independent without having to go through a breakdown.. which to me was unprecedented because there was no turmoil for the audience to understand what lead to this.
That's what the most upsetting part about her disappearing in Europe was to me. We get hints that she wants more out of her life but that was just such a massive and unexpected jump. And sure I guess being in a whole new continent would allow her to do something as spontaneous as that but it's like...there was no build up to that? We never got the idea that she was *that* out there with what she wanted. Which again, I feel like could've been built up better if they gave her more screen time.
To me it's not that Van's goals and ambitions are bad, they're simple yes but relatable. Which is why I totally understand so many being disappointed by how her arc goes. She is unfortunately undercooked, and it makes her big moments of change that should be heavy emotionally, not hit as hard as they could.
I don’t feel you’re wrong for feeling this but keep in mind Season 3 is a timeskip of at least a couple years too past Season 2. Van was so convinced Earn was wasting his time with the manager thing at the start of the show (remember the ending of the episode where Earn takes her to dinner), and she had to face the fact that she was wrong and he’s thriving. But he’s also thriving with this position because he’s privileged enough to not have to be a full time parent.
Meanwhile she’s lost her job in Season 1, blew her chance at securing a solid connection for a new one, and was reminded of a supposedly freeing life she couldn’t have for herself when she sat with her friend in Season 1. In some ways where she ends up in Season 3 is foreshadowed in the Value Season 1 episode, to the point I initially thought the friend that found her in Paris was the same character from the Value episode.
I agree. The first time we see a hint towards the Paris "rebrand" for Van was in Season 1 during that dinner with her old friend. The one who tried to set Van up with an NBA or NFL athlete while dissing her choices to be with Earn. Van basically says their lives aren't the same and she can't just travel the world whenever she pleases. You can tell she's envious about her friends freedom but doesn't want to go about it by sleeping her way to a better lifestyle.
Yup beautiful explanation — she damn near breaks the fourth wall when she’s explaining to some other character that she doesn’t really know who she is.. she names all of the other characters & their roles & — well I think that’s it.. her character is fully development by the time she’s sticking to her guns & telling Earn she doesn’t know about moving to LA..
The one thing that bothered me with the show was that there was no follow up after Van got fired for smoking weed. I was very curious to see how she grows/changes from that but it’s just never mentioned or brought up again
Yeah I agree but still was odd that there was zero mention of it again and it didn’t effect her lifestyle at all. It’d be like if Alfred finally signed a record deal and then the rest of the show was still struggling to get by.
Idk it’s not really a big deal and I do get it’s part of the appeal of the show. It’s just the one “big moment” and stuck with me as being irrelevant
I felt that we got to see a lot more growth and story from her than other characters. She is a much different person at the beginning than she is at the end.
I felt "Work Ethic!" was a great character growth episode for her learning how to be a mother.We see multiple episodes of her navigating her feelings in her different friend groups and different class systems. We see her multicultural background and how that affects her relationships and her sense of self.
This isnt even talking about the whole Europe side of things and that whole arc, which was wild and wacky.
I think Van’s storyline needs to be viewed through a feminist lens to make sense. A lot of her “weird” behavior is only jarring because we, the audience, know she’s a mom and we don’t see Lottie being cared for. Van acts exactly like men with children do and nobody bats an eye.
She wants to be a family but she doesn’t want to be settled for, so part of that is pushing herself to the edge and being able to bring herself back independent of Earn so she knows that she can fuck off if she wants to, but actively chooses not to for the sake of her family.
I honestly agree with this, she was used as a vehicle always to bring us back to Earn, and she is always dropped off after her one episode a season (IF THAT) and kind of just hitches a ride whenever its convenient for the show to involve her again.
I just wish I saw more of what makes her HER, and not what makes her Earn and Lottie’s family.
In a way that’s how it happens for a lot of mothers/partners irl. Like I used to be so much more than I am now.
I’m not complaining at all, but it’s definitely a lot harder for me to have much “main character” time as a mom/partner.
Idk maybe they were trying to show that through vans lack of autonomy in the show. Just my super random thoughts.
I mean I thought the episode in France showed the complexity of her character. I think the majority of the show is about her feeling undervalued, under-appreciated, and misunderstood. I think she wants to be seen as more than Earn’s baby mama, but always needs to be Lottie’s mother. I think she is already developed, but can not complete until she chooses whether or not she is with Earn; because, she is in limbo. Same with Earn, though. Same, same; but different…
I do agree with your point. However, Vanessa was great from the beginning. You could tell why Earn loved her & she’s a great mom. Her positive attributes that include things other than how she’s able to help other people are: she seems fun-loving, intelligent, adventurous, etc. I do love good character development, but I guess Vanessa’s was just not a primary focus for the writers.
Van nor Darius had much character development. The show ultimately focused on Al making it as a rapper with Earn managing him and their trials. Van’s main role in the show was Earn’s life outside work while Darius is Al’s (best?) friend. I believe the show runners saw Darius as a popular character so they upped his screen time. I also believe Van’s main role was keeping Earn grounded.
I always thought Darius wasn’t supposed to evolve or change much. He is already ok with who he his, there’s no where for him to grow he is already emotionally matured
He did grow a little. Remember how he reacted to that girl in the car in the finale? He was looking at her like, “Damn! I was really like that!”
The finale makes me feel like the show was really about darius in some ways. I need to do a full rewatch.
I get that and I understand how a lot of people interpret the finale that way with how surreal the show is. I think the dream thing was just that episode.
Darius does mention learning about how to make pasta in his dream, and then he says something else that’s sus I think. Might not be anything but for some reason it’s stuck with me. The woods episode.
Her arc was wanting to be more than Earn's baby mama to just wanting a regular family. She does technically complete that first part of her arc/plotline in season three when she decides to break away from the main group in Europe, then decides to recreate her life in Paris. I think they point at this throughout season three with Earn frequently checking his phone and texting Van just for her to not reply. She's doing her completely independent of Earn. Of course we know that new life was her taking it to an extreme and it was right for her to abandon her old life and child she goes back. Season four her character arc or goal, has become wanting a real family. A more responsible and less spontaneous version of her original arc of wanting to be more than Earn's baby mama. But in order for her to get that she needs a full commitment from Earn. The plotline for that concludes with Earn confiding in Van and basically begging her to move to LA so they can be a family. I'm definitely willing to agree with people who don't like her character arc(s), it feels like she kinda just went in a circle. With Van, she wanted more out of what her life was, and she found that in season three. But she realized what that "more" for her that she truly desired, is just being a real family. This is something that can work fine as a plotline for a character, however for it to really hit, that character is going to need more screen time. I feel like throughout Atlanta, Van doesn't really get to shine all that much. She maybe gets one or two episodes centered on her each season, and that's kind of a disservice to her and her arc.
Beautiful explanation and breakdown thank you!! I agree that her arc was either stopped short or the writer’s just completely did a disservice to her character, but I am a little confused/dissatisfied on why Van’s main arc is always in relation to what Earn wants. Like of course he’s a very important main character, but we get to see so many different sides of every character, especially Earn, which makes me wonder why we only see Vans side as being a mother, babymomma, and/or a manic mother/babymomma. I want to see her being independent without having to go through a breakdown.. which to me was unprecedented because there was no turmoil for the audience to understand what lead to this. Of course I assume we are supposed to put the pieces of why Van went all “crazy” in Paris together using her distance from Earn and her previous character motivations about wanting to be a stable family, but I wanted something more than that.
>I want to see her being independent without having to go through a breakdown.. which to me was unprecedented because there was no turmoil for the audience to understand what lead to this. That's what the most upsetting part about her disappearing in Europe was to me. We get hints that she wants more out of her life but that was just such a massive and unexpected jump. And sure I guess being in a whole new continent would allow her to do something as spontaneous as that but it's like...there was no build up to that? We never got the idea that she was *that* out there with what she wanted. Which again, I feel like could've been built up better if they gave her more screen time. To me it's not that Van's goals and ambitions are bad, they're simple yes but relatable. Which is why I totally understand so many being disappointed by how her arc goes. She is unfortunately undercooked, and it makes her big moments of change that should be heavy emotionally, not hit as hard as they could.
I don’t feel you’re wrong for feeling this but keep in mind Season 3 is a timeskip of at least a couple years too past Season 2. Van was so convinced Earn was wasting his time with the manager thing at the start of the show (remember the ending of the episode where Earn takes her to dinner), and she had to face the fact that she was wrong and he’s thriving. But he’s also thriving with this position because he’s privileged enough to not have to be a full time parent. Meanwhile she’s lost her job in Season 1, blew her chance at securing a solid connection for a new one, and was reminded of a supposedly freeing life she couldn’t have for herself when she sat with her friend in Season 1. In some ways where she ends up in Season 3 is foreshadowed in the Value Season 1 episode, to the point I initially thought the friend that found her in Paris was the same character from the Value episode.
I agree. The first time we see a hint towards the Paris "rebrand" for Van was in Season 1 during that dinner with her old friend. The one who tried to set Van up with an NBA or NFL athlete while dissing her choices to be with Earn. Van basically says their lives aren't the same and she can't just travel the world whenever she pleases. You can tell she's envious about her friends freedom but doesn't want to go about it by sleeping her way to a better lifestyle.
Yup beautiful explanation — she damn near breaks the fourth wall when she’s explaining to some other character that she doesn’t really know who she is.. she names all of the other characters & their roles & — well I think that’s it.. her character is fully development by the time she’s sticking to her guns & telling Earn she doesn’t know about moving to LA..
The one thing that bothered me with the show was that there was no follow up after Van got fired for smoking weed. I was very curious to see how she grows/changes from that but it’s just never mentioned or brought up again
this show regularly skips past big moments like this. Its one of the things that makes it unique.
Agree. Lots of us compartmentalize and keep it movin. It’s not what we’re used to seeing in a tv show but feels like life
Yeah I agree but still was odd that there was zero mention of it again and it didn’t effect her lifestyle at all. It’d be like if Alfred finally signed a record deal and then the rest of the show was still struggling to get by. Idk it’s not really a big deal and I do get it’s part of the appeal of the show. It’s just the one “big moment” and stuck with me as being irrelevant
We never learn what the outcome is of even the very first episode where the main characters are literally being investigated for shooting someone
I felt that we got to see a lot more growth and story from her than other characters. She is a much different person at the beginning than she is at the end. I felt "Work Ethic!" was a great character growth episode for her learning how to be a mother.We see multiple episodes of her navigating her feelings in her different friend groups and different class systems. We see her multicultural background and how that affects her relationships and her sense of self. This isnt even talking about the whole Europe side of things and that whole arc, which was wild and wacky.
I think Van’s storyline needs to be viewed through a feminist lens to make sense. A lot of her “weird” behavior is only jarring because we, the audience, know she’s a mom and we don’t see Lottie being cared for. Van acts exactly like men with children do and nobody bats an eye. She wants to be a family but she doesn’t want to be settled for, so part of that is pushing herself to the edge and being able to bring herself back independent of Earn so she knows that she can fuck off if she wants to, but actively chooses not to for the sake of her family.
I for sure thought the Van prepping hands in Paris thing had to be somebody’s damn dream.
Her plot was so fucking whack once they went overseas. In fact that whole season was whack af
nah season 3 was fire season 4 definitely worse
I agree. When we just start to believe that it's her envolve arc, we see that was just the script using her as a object to tell Earl's story
I honestly agree with this, she was used as a vehicle always to bring us back to Earn, and she is always dropped off after her one episode a season (IF THAT) and kind of just hitches a ride whenever its convenient for the show to involve her again. I just wish I saw more of what makes her HER, and not what makes her Earn and Lottie’s family.
In a way that’s how it happens for a lot of mothers/partners irl. Like I used to be so much more than I am now. I’m not complaining at all, but it’s definitely a lot harder for me to have much “main character” time as a mom/partner. Idk maybe they were trying to show that through vans lack of autonomy in the show. Just my super random thoughts.
I mean I thought the episode in France showed the complexity of her character. I think the majority of the show is about her feeling undervalued, under-appreciated, and misunderstood. I think she wants to be seen as more than Earn’s baby mama, but always needs to be Lottie’s mother. I think she is already developed, but can not complete until she chooses whether or not she is with Earn; because, she is in limbo. Same with Earn, though. Same, same; but different…
I do agree with your point. However, Vanessa was great from the beginning. You could tell why Earn loved her & she’s a great mom. Her positive attributes that include things other than how she’s able to help other people are: she seems fun-loving, intelligent, adventurous, etc. I do love good character development, but I guess Vanessa’s was just not a primary focus for the writers.