Van has been acting erratically and largely absent for much of the third season.
The script, penned by Stefani Robinson, uses the physical grossness of the historical Tarrare to mirror Van's psychological breakdown. 🎭 Identity as Consumption
He famously ate live animals, garbage, and was ultimately driven out of a military hospital under suspicion of eating a 14-month-old toddler. [S3E10] Tarrare
By age 17, he was capable of eating his own body weight in a single day.
In medical history, Tarrare represents the ultimate human embodiment of uncontrollable, destructive, and bottomless consumption. 📺 Narrative Summary of Atlanta S3E10 Van has been acting erratically and largely absent
When Candace finally forces Van to snap out of her character by bringing up her daughter, Lottie, Van breaks down in tears. She admits to feeling utterly lost and purposeless. Her violent eating habits and dangerous behavior in Paris were desperate attempts to feel something. The episode ends with her throwing away the wig and declaring it is time to go back home to Atlanta.
Van and her French culinary partner serve a high-class secret society of wealthy elites a "delicacy" consisting of deep-fried human hands. 🧠 Thematic Analysis & Interpretation By age 17, he was capable of eating
Van is fully integrated into the Parisian underworld. She beats a man with a baguette, blackmails actor Alexander Skarsgård, and acts as a drug mule.