According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.607 million household viewers and gained a 0.3 ratings share among adults aged 18–49.
Alfred (Brian Tyree Henry) is waiting at a barbershop seat, needing a haircut for an upcoming magazine photoshoot session.
Bibby also procrastinates with cutting his hair, like going to the bathroom and showing Alfred a video of an "invisible car" hitting people on a club's parking lot.
They leave, just as the house's energy power is cut off, as Bibby didn't pay the bill and then takes money from his girlfriend as payment for the haircut.
In February 2018, FX announced that the fifth episode of the season would be titled "Barbershop" and that it would be written by producer Stefani Robinson, and directed by series creator and main star Donald Glover.
Thinking he was just an extra, Powell fired his agent and cut ties with his talent agency for the "unprofessional" treatment, saying that instead of the script "what they had been sending me was this travel PDF.
[7] Matt Miller of Esquire wrote, "As has been a theme for Donald Glover's Atlanta, he's trying to show white audiences the black experience.
Some might watch the first 20 minutes of this episode and wonder why Paper Boi is going through all this, but a brilliant final scene doesn't need any words to communicate that, as Parham wrote, 'the relationship the barber has to his artwork, the client, is defined by these moments of tenderness and a genuine, knowing trust.
'"[8] Bryan Washington of Vulture gave the episode a 4 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "If 'Helen' excelled in character development, tension, and emotional resonance, 'Barbershop' proves to be a whole other thing.
The episode is an extended bit, which would be a pretty big gamble if the jokes were unfunny or dumb, but the paradox of the relationship between black guys and their barbers is a world unto itself, a premise the entire series could've been built on.
"[9] Leigh-Anne Jackson of The New York Times wrote, "The 'black barbershop as sacred space' trope isn't new; it's made the rounds in Hollywood, the art world, academia and beyond.
Unfortunately for Al, this week's visit to a no-frills strip mall spot is steeped in none of the barbershop's fabled camaraderie, current events catch-ups or stress release.
When he stops in to get 'the usual,' what he gets instead is all the worst barbershop experiences rolled into one, then exaggerated to Curb Your Enthusiasm proportions and spun through the signature Atlanta absurdist filter.
"[11] Miles Surrey of The Ringer wrote, "Though Atlanta's first season was showered with praise and awarded two Emmys, Henry was notably excluded; he wasn't even nominated.
The two are complete opposites: Bibby is a skinny, high-energy chatterbox, always working on his next hustle, while Alfred is a stoic mountain of a man, suffering in silence.