FX has produced some impressive comedy series over the past several years, from the humorously warm Better Things to the dark and delightful What We Do in the Shadows. Two other shows that deserve their fair share of praise are Atlanta and Reservation Dogs. They mirror each other in more than a few ways and, in my eyes, they’re almost like kindred spirits. It’s for that reason that I’ve long believed they could take place in the same fictional universe. In fact, I’m so passionate about that theory that I gauged Rez Dogs’ editors for their thoughts, and it turns out they have some strong thoughts on the idea as well.
As the final episodes of Reservation Dogs continue to air, I had the opportunity to speak with editors Varun Viswanath and Patrick Tuck about their work on the show. And it was during our fun chat that I presented my shared continuity theory with them. Delightfully enough, they’re also big fans of Donald Glover’s surreal, slow-burn comedy and even explained to me that the show was a huge influence on their work here. As for whether the two shows could co-exist in the same world, Viswanath can picture that as well:
It's so amazing. I feel like, yes, these characters could exist in the same universe. And I feel like, both these stories, they don't venture very far from their homes on purpose, because that's kind of the people in the community, the relationships they want to focus on, right? In that, they feel very similar. But weirdly, that's also the same, like strength that keeps them away from each other in canon, right? And it would be quite good. Maybe we should get Donald Glover and [RD creator] Sterlin Harjo together to write something.
The editor brings up a good point regarding the key factor that would keep both sets of characters from cross-pollinating. Atlanta focuses on a group of friends, as they navigate the hip hop scene within a somewhat heightened version of the titular city. Rez Dogs, on the other hand, centers on four teens who deal with growing pains and cultural norms while living on an Oklahoma-based reservation. Because both shows mostly tell stories set in those two places (which is part of their charm), it would be challenging to form some kind of crossover. Still, I’m pumped by the fact that Varun Viswanath believes they could share continuity.
What makes these dramedies feel so similar is that they feature eclectic, yet relatable, characters and place them in incredibly surreal situations. At the same time, however, they also feel incredibly grounded and personal. And later during our Zoom interview, Patrick Tuck mentioned that fact as a key reason why the shows feel so similar:
I think the reason they feel like they're from the same universe, too, is that they feel real, and they feel like they're a part of our world. And it's a credit to both shows. It's such phenomenal writing, such phenomenal acting across the board that allows a show to feel like it's a part of your own world within [being] able to do everything that it does on top of it, like we talked about earlier with surrealism and everything. So yeah, I see it as a huge compliment for sure, and I think they could absolutely exist in the same world.
The notion of Donald Glover’s Earnest Marks chopping it up with Devery Jacobs’ Elora or Lane Factor’s Cheese having a deep convo with LaKeith Stanfield’s Darius is just too exciting to me. The characters are all so unique in their own rights, and I can’t even imagine what kind of hilarious (and deep) scenes a writer could devise for them. The humor aside though, what sets these shows apart from many of their peers is that they tell stories from unique perspectives. Glover’s show sheds light on various facets of the Black experience, while Sterlin Harjo’s does the same for the Indigenous community. There’s wonderful storytelling at play in both productions, which is all the more reason why they should collide at some point.
Though the chances of that happening are probably slim now, since Atlanta concluded with a perfect and “dream-like” series finale back in 2022 after four seasons. And Rez Dogs only has a few episodes left in its third and final season. Anything could happen though yet, if something doesn’t come to fruition, I’m satisfied knowing I’m not the only one who believes these outstanding series could take place in the same world.
New episodes of Reservation Dogs are streamable for Hulu subscription holders on Wednesdays as part of the 2023 TV schedule. Anyone with that same streaming membership can also access all four seasons of Atlanta.
