This story was created in paid partnership with FX. 

After a four-year hiatus, FX’s acclaimed Emmy-winning series Atlanta is finally back — only this time, they’re not in Atlanta. For the Atlanta‘s highly anticipated penultimate season, the group has crossed the Atlantic: Earn (Donald Glover) and his cousin Alfred (Brian Tyree Henry) are traveling all over Europe to cement Alfred’s rising rap career as “Paper Boi” with the enigmatic Darius (LaKeith Stanfield) in tow. Van (Zazie Beetz) also meets up with the trio in Amsterdam — but with a very different itinerary — as she uses her trip to do some serious solo soul-searching.

Despite the change in setting, Atlanta’s main pillars remain the same. The witty series brings together Glover’s characteristic random humor, experimental surrealism and a generous dose of cutting cultural commentary. Exploring the “curse of whiteness” is at the core of season three — especially the many insidious ways white supremacy can show up and how performative allyship can sometimes be more harmful than direct racism.

Over 10 episodes, several bottle episodes directly tackle that subject — like the season opener “Three Slaps” and the hilarious “The Big Payback” — in America. But episodes like “Sinterklaas Is Coming to Town,” which is filled with Dutch people in blackface (to celebrate the racist holiday tradition of “Zwarte Piet”) unaware of the nastiness of their actions, also show how the characters come to terms with their identity on a global scale. But bottle episodes or not, Atlanta‘s ability to open up important conversations without losing its comedic appeal shone through every single episode of the season.

THR chatted with Henry, Stanfield and Beetz about filming Season 3.

How did it feel to come back together for season three after the four-year hiatus? 

ZAZIE BEETZ It felt wonderful, like a family reunion and like a homecoming. For me, this show baptized me into this industry in a way. It was my first huge project. And I think in some ways, it really was just a jump forward for all of us, and we have this almost sacred bond nothing else can really replace because of that. We all were a little bit nervous about reentering our characters, because we had taken a step back from them and were trying to remember who they were in the context of who we are now, because we’ve all changed. But I think we got there.

LAKEITH STANFIELD It felt like gold. Golden honey drizzled over a frank next to frites and mayo dip.

BRIAN TYREE HENRY Coming back was truly a homecoming event, especially since it was the first time many of us had left our homes in over a year due to the pandemic. Taking us out of the country was even more of an event because we were going into territory that was unknown to us, but I was pleasantly surprised by how viewers received taking our show to Europe. Massive support and love across the pond!

How do you feel your character grew and evolved over the course of the season?

HENRY I’d say Alfred’s evolution has many layers. At this point, he’s at the height of his career, headlining tours and selling out amphitheaters. His posters are on every wall. But he’s still worried about what his legacy is. What if he can’t produce another smash? Who will have his back? How many see him as an investment rather than a friend? We watch this evolution throughout the season, especially in his relationship with Earn, who’s elevated his responsibilities as Alfred’s manager. Earn’s risen to the challenge of taking care of every need that Alfred has, but the two have also lost the familial connection that brought them together in the first place along the way.

STANFIELD Darius is lost but finding his way. He has a fair bit of conflict around him at all times, but he’s just stoic, facing things head on but accepting that he doesn’t always have control. He trusts his instincts even when they may not lead to a desirable outcome. He has an internal chaos, and I think he just accepts that.

BEETZ For me, I really leaned into her sense of wanting to run away and escape life, wanting to inhabit a different story of yourself. I think of the song “The Weight of Lies” by The Avett Brothers. That song really resonated with me and it’s very much an anthem for Van, because I think I can be somebody who is flighty and doesn’t want to commit. And Van needed to have the space and room to explore those feelings. There was a theme of Van stealing different things, and I really interpreted that as her kleptomania for identities and wanting to try on different hats — and different people — until it ultimately culminated into this absurd existence.

What was the biggest challenge you overcame during filming?

BEETZ There was this balance to strike with Van — it’s so easy to play “crazy.” But there are varying levels to mania, right? You can be having a psychotic episode, or feel completely disconnected from the world, or have connectivity but be functioning with supreme confidence. Van is clearly having an experience like this at certain points [where she feels lost] but is also feeling so good and so confident that it’s unnerving. We were really trying to strike that balance of showing a realistic depiction of somebody who is just a bit out of touch at the moment, but also aware. That feeling when something’s clearly going on with someone, but they’re not communicating that anything’s wrong, and it feels a bit scary.

STANFIELD Myself.

HENRY Paper Boi’s newfound fame was very reflective of the challenges I faced in my personal life. Success can sometimes leave you exposed to places and spaces that are so unfamiliar yet pretend to be incredibly familiar at the same time. But this show gives us space to feel safe. To come together and marvel at the absurdity of present and past situations that affect us all in different ways. The most important part that we have learned throughout it all, is that regardless of how ridiculous and off-putting scenarios can seem, sometimes the shit is just funny. And you have to laugh. You just have to.

Interview has been edited for length and clarity.