‘Atlanta’ Recap: Earn Clashes with Paper Boi & Gets Handled By Tracy

Paper Boi’s angry he’s performing again for free.

The episode opens with Earn and Paper Boi packing up to ride up on I-75. Earn tells him that they need to get this show in Statesboro.

Paper Boi’s distant and angry with Earn because the show they’re doing in Statesboro will be for free.

But Earn assures him that this show at Statesboro will open the door for another show in the future for over $60,000.

“Hey man, If you want this money, we need this college fan base.” – Earn

Paper Boi didn’t budge from his cold mood, and Earn says, “You do realize I’m trying to make you more money?”

“Look, no shade but we both got different standards of living…” -Paper Boi

Suddenly, Tracy pops up in the kitchen, asking, “Where y’all going?”

Paper Boi pulls his revolver on Tracy, berating him for breaking into his apartment.

“But n****, you know I’m staying here.” – Tracy

Earn tries to deflect so Tracy doesn’t inquire about tagging along, but Paper tells him about the free show in Statesboro.

Tracy insists on tagging along and being security. Then he says all he needs is a floor to sleep on, Earn tells him they aren’t staying at a hotel. This news further angers Paper Boi, but Earn insists their arrangements will be better.

Earn pulls out his phone to show off the girl they’re staying with. Her Instagram handle is @ARoseNamedViolet.

Violet runs the event he will be performing and Earn says, “She loves you.”

“We can just stay with her and pocket the money from the hotel.” – Earn

Tracy is impressed but Paper Boi sees right through it.

“You stay trying to be slick.” – Paper Boi

“I am slick!” – Earn

He insists Violet’s roommate handles her group’s money so he can swing it to a major payday next year.

Meanwhile, Darius brings up women on IG with over 3,000 followers could have “an unrealistic worldview on how the world works.”

Earn replies that Violet has only 300 followers, and Darius says, “That’s even weirder.”

Paper Boi agrees with Darius.

Tracy gets hired as Paper Boi’s “security.”

As Darius, Earn and Paper Boi leave, Tracy tries to head out too. Earn tells him they don’t have enough room but Paper Boi overrules him. Paper Boi is gonna pay Tracy $200 for security.

This disappoints Earn.

While on the road, Earn is driving and everyone is silent. Tracy breaks the silence because he thinks someone is tailing them.

“Oh my bad, they turned.” – Tracy

The crew meets Violet and Paper Boi gets real uncomfortable.

They get down to Statesboro and they park in an apartment complex.

The place seems sketchy and Darius says, “This place kind of stinks.”

Earn walks up and Violet answers with her roommate. The roommate gives them all the side eye. Meanwhile, Violet seems really happy to see Paper Boi, saying hi to him.

Paper Boi, who’s angry about everything, distantly replies. Violet seems confused about having Earn bringing an extra person. Earn tries to say he isn’t staying but Tracy replies, “He’s playing. I’m staying here too.”

Violet says it’s cool and they’ll find space. She introduces them to her roommates Erika and Honey who answered the door. Violet tells Tracy he’s sleeping in the living room and Earn and Darius will sleep in Erika’s room.

Tracy asks, “Do you have cameras around the perimeter? I’m Paper Boi’s security.”

She then shows Paper Boi to her room and invites him to the bed.

“You can sleep on the bed with me.” – Violet

Paper Boi puts down his bags and sits next to Violet on the bed. They lay back and she begins to caress him. She tells him about a dream she had about him. The story weirds Paper Boi out.

“We were holding each other, naked by this river, and you were this beautiful white crane. And I was this magnificent crocodile. We were just laying there, holding each other for warmth. And then I ate you. There was blood everywhere. Then this, like, intense light just shot through my belly. And I knew that meant we were connected.“ – Violet

As if the story wasn’t weird enough for Paper Boi, he scowls at foot prints on the ceiling.

The crew meets Clark County after the concert.

It’s the night of the event and everyone is dressed up in PJ’s. Paper Boi and his crew are hanging with Erika and Violet in the lobby. Clark County walks up with his manager and Tracy “stops” him.

Earn tells him they know him and Tracy backs off.

Afterwards, everyone daps each other up and give props on their sets. Clark invites Paper Boi to party afterwards but he declines. However, Paper Boi asks for weed. Clark County nor his manager have any. But, they do have bottles, and this entices Violet to hang.

As she and Erika run off with Clark County, Tracy “hits the field.” He tells Paper Boi to signal if they need him.

“This n**** really thinks he’s a bodyguard.” – Earn

“He’s just trying to earn his money. I can understand that.” – Paper Boi

Just then, two female students walk up to Paper Boi, impressed he actually showed up. He shakes their hands and they tell him one of them is writing a paper on him.

They tell him they appreciate how he is very “aware of his words.”

Darius asks Earn if they should stop him from talking to the girls who walked up to him. Earn says no.

“I haven’t seen him smile in a while. He needed that.” – Earn

However, Earn says he’s worried about Tracy causing trouble. Darius then brings up an interesting opinion about Clark County.

“You know that Clark County dude?” – Darius

“Yeah” – Earn

“Industry plant.” – Darius

“Yes! I’ve been saying that.” – Earn

Violet goes off on Paper Boi and Tracy makes things much worse.

Suddenly, a drink spills on Darius from above. He looks up in surprise and anger to see Violet is the one who poured the drink on him.

Tracy, who is the “security,” runs upstairs to confront Violet. Earn tries to keep Darius and Paper Boi calm. He walks up the stairs to see Tracy and Violet arguing about Paper Boi “talking” to other women.

Violet puts her hands on Tracy, calling him a “Broke-a** security guard.”

So Tracy mushes her down the stairs. It happens in slow motion, as Tracy palms her forehead, pushing her back first down the stairs.

As she falls, Earn runs up the stairs to catch just in time before she is harmed. Earn asks if she is okay but, she replies by slapping him. Paper Boi and Darius walk over to Earn and Paper Boy says, “See, I knew her a** was crazy.”

Just then, Violet’s “big brother” and three other guys rush towards them. Earn does his best to calm everyone down.

Earn says they are just trying to have a good time, “Non-violent.”

Just then, Tracy comes out of nowhere and sneak punches Violet’s brother. Tracy then yells out run and they all run off through the halls of an academic building on campus.

They eventually out run the crew chasing them, which became bigger than just 4 dudes.

Eventually, they all are outside walking down the street away from the Violet’s brother. But they don’t have their stuff. They left that behind over Violet’s apartment.

“All I know is Violet better not touch my weed.” – Paper Boi

Suddenly, a security guard on a golf cart drives by with a student on board. The foursome ducks out of the way to hide.

Earn thinks they need to get off campus but Paper Boi wants to find some weed to calm his nerves. Darius’ and his nose pick up a familiar smell.

He follows the smell to the frat house of Epsilon Theta Upsilon. He asks them about weed and they invite them in.

The frat shows their love of snap music.

They notice they have their pledges over naked with bags over their heads. Despite this, they all head inside to a room with a large confederate flag hanging inside. They’re sitting in a chair, staring at the pledges.

The pledges are kneeling in two single file lines facing each other. Their heads are covered and they are naked, with their hands behind their backs.

Tracy breaks the awkward silence saying, “Man, this s*** is bugged the f*** out, buh.”

“But I like what you’re doing here. You don’t give no f****.” – Tracy

One of the frat boys leans in and tells Paper Boi he’s one of his two favorite rappers, with the other being Post Malone.

“Yo, that “Postal” mixtape—that changed my s*** up, man.” – Frat boy

Darius, meanwhile, points out one of the elephant rifles on the wall and they’re told they have a bunch of guns gifted to them.

When told their alumni, who’re NRA members sent the guns, Darius replies, “I was thinking bout joining the NRA.”

The frat boys laugh and call Darius crazy.

Darius and Tracy go off with another frat member to their gun room. This leaves Paper Boi and Earn with the frat boy who calls Pimp C one of “the last real prophets.”

He also praises Crime Mob, Maceo and D4L. Paper Boi says, “So you’re into snap music.”

The frat boy says yeah and asks if they remember D4L’s “Laffy Taffy.”

He then has his pledges get up while still bagged and naked to snap dance to “Laffy Taffy.”

Paper Boi fires Earn.

Afterwards, he takes the pledges off to another room, and Earn and Paper Boi laugh at what just happened.

Then Paper Boi says, “Tonight was some bulls***.”

“I think we need to talk about the real problem.” Paper Boi then says while taking a hit of his blunt.

Earn says they do and he feels Tracy needs to go. But, Paper Boi wasn’t referring to Tracy as the “problem.”

“I’m talking about your a**.” – Paper Boi

Earn looks at him surprisingly asking what he means.

“Man, you gonna act like tonight wasn’t a bunch of your bad decisions?” – Paper Boi

“Did yo not see Tracy throw a girl down a flight of steps?” – Earn

“I saw it. And it happened after she threw a cup at me for talking to another broad, man.” – Paper Boi

He then tells Earn that Violet “was crazy from the start.”

“And you knew that. But you put me in the same room as her so you could save the same amount of money I would have made in an hour or less off the block.” – Paper Boi

Despite Earn still hung up on Tracy, he doesn’t see the bigger picture Paper Boi refers to. Paper Boi tells Earn he’s been talking to Clark County’s manager and Earn asks what for.

“Actually managing me, man. S***I could be getting, s*** I should be getting out here. Look, I know you’re family man, and I’m trying to ride with you, but sometimes, that s*** ain’t enough…Cause money is important” – Paper Boi

At this point, Paper Boi fires Earn as his manager. He tells Earn, “I don’t think you’re cut out for it.”

Earn, who’s stunned, gets up and walks out of the room in silence.

An angry Earn confronts Tracy only to get beat up.

The next morning, the foursome leaves the frat house, walking back to Violet’s apartment. When they get back, they see all of their stuff thrown about the courtyard. Violet and her roommates cut up everything, and took their valuables. This includes Paper Boi’s weed and Earn’s laptop.

Earn gets furious and storms over to Violets apartment trying to get back his laptop. He bangs on the door but no one answers. He then pulls the fire alarm, which alerts the whole complex. Paper Boi and Darius get Earn away from the door and they run to their car with their damaged items.

In the car, everyone is silent once more. Tracy breaks the silence, telling Earn he’s crazy for pulling the fire alarm and kicking Violet’s door.

Earnest replies, “Could you do me a favor and stop talking?”

Tracy just laughs at the request, clowning Earn for his “not in the mood.” request.

“Yo cousin gotta little temper, man. You need to watch out for that one.” – Tracy

“You got to watch out for me? N****, this is your fault.” – Earn

Paper Boi tells them both to chill, and they quiet down for the moment. Tracy then pulls out a hand gun he took from the frat house.

“Did you steal that?” – Earn

“Yo, Godd***! Yo, is you the campus police? Let me see yo badge?” – Tracy

He then points the gun at Earn, and screams bang. Everyone laughs, including Darius who turned his pants into a head wrap.

While angry from the laughter, Earn asks Paper Boi to pull the car over. He wants to fight Tracy.

Tracy warns him, “If this car stops, I’ma give you these f***ing hands, bruh.”

“N****, I wish it would stop.” – Earn

He manages to convince Paper to pull the car over, and when they do, he and a giddy Tracy get out.

Darius and Paper hop out next and sit on the hood. Earn tries to swing on Tracy and Tracy hits him as a warning. But Earn keeps coming at him. Tracy proceeds to beat Earn up, telling Paper to “come get his cousin.”

This includes Tracy slamming him to the asphalt.

The episode ends with Earn getting back in the car with a swollen eye and multiple knots on his face.

What do you think of the episode?