S03.E03: The Old Man and the Tree

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Quote

Going to rich parties and meeting weirdos.

Original air date 2022.03.31

[JenE4]

“Do you like trees?”

”Does a frog bump his ass when he hops? Fuck yeah, I like trees!”

🤣🤣🤣

Paperboi has really made it big time! I was not expecting him to have all of those stacks of cash! (He had more than the $20K minus whatever he threw to the fans that he got in the Netherlands.) I was thinking how all of the actors have really become famous since the hiatus and they all look so much better—Hollywood polished. But perhaps it’s also an aesthetic choice to show that they all finally have some money. Quite the makeovers since the Bibby haircuts in season 2! I spoke too soon. That was obviously all of Alfred’s money. Whelp, Earn will make up for it with his 25% off the scammer artist!

I liked that this episode addressed the shift in culture since it was last on the air 4 years ago. At that time, this show was really unique in the way it spotlighted racism and microaggressions to the extent that this white lady right here learned a lot. I mean, of course, “woke” as a concept was around, and you could find the discourse—but racism wasn’t something the general populace of white people necessarily went out of their way to understand or address. And since the BLM movement over the last few years, we’re trying harder to be anti-racist—but those good intentions can get misguided, such as in the way they satirized Darius’s interaction with the Korean woman. Just because she acknowledged he’s black doesn’t mean she’s racist. Though she made a sweeping generalization on race, the crowd made it worse by being the ones to actually ignore the feelings of the black man in order to serve their own self-righteousness and congratulate themselves for smoking out the racists. Hmm. Well, finding out she’s the fiancée who wanted to keep this black artist around, there is another layer there. Earn was looking at the photo that appeared to be a slave in the background right before they’re talking about paying this kid more to live in their house. He seems to want to be there, and keep raking in that million plus, but like everything else in this episode is meant to feel a little uneasy—sex with a black ghost?!

That all escalated quickly! The wedding’s off and the tree’s cut down! Al got some Nando’s and knickknacks—and you can add to it the statuettes Van stuck in her pockets earlier.

Edited April 1, 2022 by JenE4

[aghst]

They have some strange experiences.

Al seemed skeptical about this party but he took stacks expecting to gamble it?

I don't recall the interactions they had in the previous seasons.  Van went to one of Drake's places, wanting to check out his bedroom and closet.

Now they're kind of blasé about wealth, wasn't too impressed by the shabby fake house below, liked the sheen and brightness above, with its own Nando's.

Van says she doesn't need anything yet she's apparently tagged along from Amsterdam to London.  Who's covering her expenses?  You'd think Alfred would want Earn to pay since it's his ex.

 

[Mr. R0b0t]

Was Van always this malicious or is she on drugs or what is going on there?

[AngieBee1]

Van was already in an existential crisis when she came to Amsterdam because she didn't get the job she wanted. I think that and seeing the assisted death and realizing life is fleeting she's relinquishing all social conventions. Of the group she was the responsible one. Now she's just indulging her every whim.

Loved the 21 Savage line and the entire Paper Boi v. Fernando saga.

 

[tennisgurl]

Things at that party certainly escalated quickly. I was relieved to see the woman at the end, even if she was sobbing her heart out, I was afraid they might have seriously hurt her. This trip through Europe has been really interesting, exploring the black experience from an international perspective. It seems like a major theme has been that, as much as many Europeans like to act like racism is an American/post colonial problem, or that their troubling racial history is more "innocent" than in America, like last week and the black face, they definitely have their own issues. Unless they sell Pepsi, then no racism in sight. 

Darius and the white guilt mob was really interesting. I didn't think that what the woman said was even really noticeable, Darius clearly didn't care, but then a bunch of white people decided that she was now the worst person ever, so now we have a whole circle of white people self righteously crying over racism and exaggerating the actual transgression while ignoring what the actual black person in the room is saying and making everything about them and how anti racist they are. Its an interesting look at how the discord on race has changed since the show was last on, its great that people are talking more about the issues surrounding racism, but it can also lead to some people being more interested in putting on a show about being anti racist and leading charges against anyone they think falls short (then congratulating themselves for being so awesome) than actually listening to people of color and trying to change things. I loved when Darius saw the woman again and tried to give her a "don't come over" nod, then was like "...we need to go." 

Was the black person Earn saw in the picture the black ghost Fernando had sex with? I can totally see ghosts existing in this shows universe. 

I knew as soon as that giant tree was introduced, that it was going to go down. 

Edited April 1, 2022 by tennisgurl

[aghst]

Where does Paper Boi find a chain saw in someone else's place?

As for as the whole white guilt thing, they touched upon it in the first episode of season 3, with the crazy women who took in the black kids.

They are capable of abusive behavior in the name of being tolerant to POC.  It's kind of a new twist on the limousine liberals of previous generations, around or after the Civil Rights movements.  Back then it was hypocrisy of these people, they were fine supporting causes for black people but they didn't want them to move into their neighborhood.

I suppose Glover as a star has been exposed to some egregious behavior of this type.  But it's interesting that he sees their behavior as monstrous, not just hypocritical.

As far as how blacks have been received in Europe, well at least for jazz artists, they felt welcome, back in the ''60s and '70s.  Not that there wasn't racism back then or now.  But in some milieus they idolized black artists and athletes -- like track athletes could make a living over there compared to in the US.

 

[AimingforYoko]

7 hours ago, Mr. R0b0t said:

Was Van always this malicious or is she on drugs or what is going on there?

When we see her in the background of the 'Art Hallway' where Earn is talking to Will, she's staring pretty intently at something on the wall. I'm 99% positive it was the picture Earn was looking at near the end of the ep. The photo of Fernando's ancestors in Cape Town. I think she made up her mind to be malicious at that point.

[xaxat]

I have been to parties like that. The micro-aggressions turn into aggression (By all present, liquor is a hell of a drug.) and you and your boys have to decide if you are going to get the hell out or get ready to deliver and or take an ass whipping. And it really is that exhilarating when you push the line that close and manage to escape unscathed. 

They forgot Van.

Edited April 1, 2022 by xaxat

[DearEvette]

On 4/1/2022 at 3:47 PM, aghst said:

Where does Paper Boi find a chain saw in someone else's place?

You know, this was my first question after the episode ended.  My husband made a really good point after we watched the first two eps and said that it feels like this season the show has decided to dial the surrealism up to 10.  The show has always had an air of hyper-reality and a bit of the surreal (Teddy Perkins, the invisible car) but those felt like moments of indulgence.  This season it feels like the show is pushing to the forefront.  Even the key art for this season has them all looking like something out of a Dali painting.

So he told me that of course Paper Boi would just have access to a fully powered chain saw when he needed one because that is how the show is rolling this season so far.

As far as the woke mob, I 100% took that as a not-so-sly dig on the type of white allies who are so over-woke they'll take offense on behalf of a marginalized person (even when that person sees no offense) and talk over them, internalize their experiences and center themselves into the conversation  completely erasing the person who they are supposed to be an ally toward.  I've seen this play out in so many ways online and IRL. 

[cmfran]

Turns out Fernando is another typical petty grifting billionaire. He took Al's money with zero intention of paying him what he owed, just because he could. And everyone else at the table scattered since they knew what was coming. He's lucky he didn't get a beatdown, but the tree cutting might be worse for him.

[tljgator]

On 4/2/2022 at 4:27 PM, DearEvette said:

As far as the woke mob, I 100% took that as a not-so-sly dig on the type of white allies who are so over-woke they'll take offense on behalf of a marginalized person (even when that person sees no offense) and talk over them, internalize their experiences and center themselves into the conversation  completely erasing the person who they are supposed to be an ally toward. 

Another recurrent idea this season, I think...reminded me of episode 1 -- when the white guidance counselor pops in and speaks over the Black principal (who is, presumably, her boss).