Reviews by:
@thefilmobservatory
RATE THIS SERIES
6
5
4
3
Rating: 4/5
Dramedy/Coming-of-Age
A Connecticut teenager with ASD, Sam Gardner (Keir Gilchrist), prepares to leave the nest of his supportive but protective family, as he is thrust into the world of relationships, higher education, and deciding how he’ll shape his future.
While not a perfect series, Atypical is probably my favourite family dramedy. It tackles many issues in a sincere and sensitive manner, and it displays good representation and messaging. Atypical mostly achieves what it sets out to do and is positively subversive. The choice to centre a series around somebody with autism was a much-needed one, and the show helps in educating viewers about those who live with it, tackling common misconceptions that have sadly alienated people with ASD, in the past. However, Sam isn’t the only one portrayed as ‘atypical’, linking to the effective theme that nobody is really normal. Filled with great, likeable, and human performances, and heartfelt storylines and character arcs, Atypical is bound to leave even the most cold-hearted of viewers with a smile on their face.
Gilchrist is very good in the role of Sam but I’d like to be careful to not overstate the accuracy of his performance, as he is a neurotypical, which has raised some eyebrows as to the authenticity and correct representation in the series. However, he seems to capture the emotions and characteristics of Sam very well, and the commitment to the role feels genuine, and shows that there had been a lot of research into how people with autism feel and about how they view the world. For example, Sam isn’t presented to simply be dismissive with no filter, rather that he feels just as much empathy and love as anybody else but struggles to read how other people are feeling. His ASD causes him to possess a very literal way of thinking, which is sometimes played to comedic effect but I don’t think this is a demonstration of ignorance. It’s rather to make the audience sympathise with him and realise how confusing the world can be for people that struggle to understand the abstract and the ambiguous, and since things in life are often unclear and indefinite, it’s then more obvious why things can become overwhelming for people with ASD. Overall, Sam’s character arc is done sensitively, as his ASD is depicted to not be a hindrance but just something that makes him different, like everybody else; normality doesn’t really exist since everybody is unique. The four seasons of Atypical display a brilliant character arc for Sam, as he grows more independent and confident in himself, despite the frighteningly overwhelming odds that people with ASD face, regarding chances of success and career paths that neurotypicals naturally have an advantage with. Sam’s love of Antarctica smartly comes in as important for many episodes, as his facts about the freezing landscape and its inhabitants often link into the storylines of the episode.
For example, when he wants to start dating, he thinks about it like he’s presenting himself as a ‘mate’ and therefore needs to do things like find his chosen partner something special to give them as a gift, as a penguin would give a nice pebble to its chosen partner. However, these ideas of animals and nature also apply to other characters in each episode. When Sam’s sister Casey (Brigette Lundy-Paine) is doing a race for her track team, he describes how in nature, animals sprint as fast as they can to escape predators and that he doesn’t understand why Casey does it. He then explains how the deadliest animal isn’t a “large beast like a lion or a tiger or a cheetah”, but rather a “small, annoying one, that’s impossible to outrun: the mosquito”. This dialogue mirrors in the scene how, in the crowd at the stadium, a person’s ponytail keeps flicking and brushing against Sam’s face, which would likely be frustrating and uncomfortable for a person with autism.
Obviously, this thought trail has gone away from the original subject, which was Casey’s race, which cleverly demonstrates how Sam’s mind can drift. Themes of the natural world, such as home and what’s essential for survival come into play for whole episodes too, as well as solely scenes. Another good example is when Sam gives an explanation about a major hole developing in Antarctica, despite the assumedly sufficiently solid foundation of the continent. This mirrors the disrupt and metaphoric ‘hole’ developing in the originally strong Gardner family dynamic, after a difficult turn of events from Season 1 to Season 2. It’s a smart storytelling device that helps portray how Sam’s mind works, and shows that this difference isn’t bad, rather that it’s unique. Sam’s passion for the South Pole and the wildlife there is wonderfully paid off by the end of the series and watching him achieve his dream is simply delightful: his character’s development and arcs seamlessly culminate by the end of Season 4, and he gets the most satisfying conclusion out of the characters in Atypical.
Sam’s inner circle includes his mum and dad, Elsa (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and Doug (Michael Rapaport), his sister Casey, his girlfriend Paige (Jenna Boyd) and his co-worker and neurotypical best friend Zahid (Nik Dodani). By the end, Elsa and Doug’s relationship has gone through a lot and is brilliantly nuanced. Season 1 sees the especially over-protective Elsa struggling to know what to do, as Sam is growing more independent, removing her full-time job as a mother. This leads to some… I’ll say complications, to avoid spoilers. However, Doug also faces a major past mistake and works hard for redemption for it. Leigh and Rapaport give excellent performances as flawed but caring parents and their journey as a couple is also an integral, and interesting part of the show. Their storylines as a couple and as individuals deal with grounded subjects such as marital issues, miscommunication and forgiveness, dealing with grief, reconnecting with estranged family members, and obviously overcoming the challenges of raising two teenagers. They feel like real people and help expand Atypical’s target audience, as there are things for adult viewers to especially relate to and understand.
Other than Sam, Casey is the best character in the show. Lundy-Paine is phenomenal in the role, and they perfectly convey the nuances of the complicated character. Sam and Casey’s sibling dynamic is refreshingly realistic, as the two constantly fight but have just enough moments to show just a little bit of care for each other. Casey gets the best lines in the show, as she is constantly wise-cracking and annoying her mum, but also has the most heartfelt storyline overall. Her early relationship with Evan (Graham Rogers) is very important for the story and Casey’s character, as she learns about love, and the complications that come with it (side note: everybody loves Evan, he’s the best, and the show does him criminally dirty later on, and this was unfortunately something that didn’t work for me as the seasons went on). The two support each other, especially in each of their family issues, and their love feels real: it’s so nice to see an onscreen teenage relationship depicted maturely. As the show progresses, it sincerely tackles relevant themes for Casey, as her coming-of-age years show her exploring her sexuality, while also struggling with the mounting pressure for her to be successful at track.
Mental health issues, such as anxiety, are increasingly common for teenagers, so this representation of it makes viewers realise that many people struggle and it’s important to take a break from what’s causing stress and to lean on those that you love, when everything is becoming too much. Casey’s relationship with her classmate and fellow member of the Clayton Prep track team, Izzie (Fivel Stewart), also naturally evolves, and is mostly executed with sensitivity and heart. Like Evan, Izzie doesn’t generally take centre stage but her many issues with family present a side to the character that many others don’t think about. While other characters might think that Izzie is just a mess because she sometimes doesn’t show up to school without explanation, the show offers a very different perspective, as it spends time to present how difficult her home life is, and how she is truly a kind and caring person. Apart from some occasional jarring plot points and slightly illogical character moments, their chemistry feels genuine, and the progression of their story is effective.
Paige and Zahid round out the main cast, the two being supporting characters but also fan-favourites. Boyd and Dodani each serve vital roles, as Sam’s girlfriend and best friend respectively. The former is an enthusiastic overachiever, and can annoy characters like Casey, however she purely sees Sam’s mind as beautiful, is incredibly defensive for him if anybody tries to hurt him, and she understands and adapts to his preferences and needs, making Paige ultimately a very likable, and kind-hearted side character. She teaches Sam a lot about relationships but does come into her own, as the show progresses, and her subversive storyline displays positive messaging of coping with failure and disappointment. While she has some funny moments, there’s an emotional core to Paige, as with many of the characters in Atypical, that takes the series to another level as a dramedy and coming-of-age story. And then there is the fantastic Zahid, perfectly brought to life by the brilliant Nik Dodani. One of the best things about Sam’s best friend is that he treats him normally, moving away from the overdone tropes of alienation for people with ASD. While he isn’t always the most ethically sound person, he really cares about Sam and offers him much advice, that often comes into storylines, such as one where Sam is wondering about dating language, which he completely lacks experience in, so Zahid becomes his translator. They have each other’s backs and Atypical displays a warm, delightful friendship between the two. Season 4 was also a highlight for Zahid’s character development, as he starts to become a better person, although the arc felt a little rushed towards the end, which is unfortunately where some of my criticisms of this mostly very good show come in.
The ending of Atypical is not a dealbreaker, in that it doesn’t definitively make or break the show. Most characters had a satisfying conclusion to their story, others felt slightly rushed, and some got the short end of the stick and partly got forgotten about. The final season focuses in on Sam and Casey, and both characters’ storylines are excellently done. However, I felt that the series was a little ignorant of the fact that Atypical possessed an ensemble cast. Elsa and Doug don’t have much to do in Season 4, largely because their main story as a couple had mostly concluded by the end of Season 3, leading to a lack of direction in what to do with their characters towards the end. However, the worst instance was one of my favourite characters, Evan, essentially having around 5-10 minutes of screen-time in Season 4. For people who have seen the series and know what happens, it’s not surprising that his time in the show gets massively reduced but I found it a shame that he was only really important in relation to a main character in the series (Casey). A similar thing happens to Izzie, specifically in the final episode.
She’s in a major scene at the beginning of it but then doesn’t really show up after that. I don’t know whether the creators and crew of the series wanted to end it at this point, or if the series got cancelled, but it felt like they could have done with some more episodes to round out the storylines for each of their characters more effectively. Season 4 of Atypical is good TV overall but there were some aspects that I felt could have been handled better. As for other issues, I have heard differing opinions on the accuracy of the representation of people living on the spectrum, and I do think that the series should have included more people with autism in its creation, so as to be privy to the personal opinions and advice of those from the community it strives to be offering positive representation of. The extent to which I can comment on this is limited, as I don’t know enough about life for people with autism, and their exact experiences, but ultimately, I hope that Atypical’s efforts in representation worked for the most part and weren’t upsetting for any viewers. Season 1 in particular does lean into some stereotyping too much for various kinds of representation but the series improves on avoiding that, moving forward from there.
While the series reuses a lot of motifs and doesn’t appear to offer any new music for the score beyond the first season, it nicely conveys character moments and emulates their emotions well. And the theme song is quite catchy. As for camerawork, it’s all done in a pretty standard way for this niche of TV, so there’s nothing particularly adventurous but it’s all executed professionally. While the show’s storylines are often relevant and grounded, the show presents them well in a funny, more family-friendly manner, and the script is very consistent. I’m interested to see what also the creative team behind Atypical can do because of the display of immense talent at brilliantly balancing the comedy and drama in the show.
Despite some of its limits, Atypical is a show that’s mostly pretty good and is sometimes pretty great. It’s one of the best Netflix series that I’ve seen and it’s a heart-warming story about likable, relatable characters that also presents mature themes for audiences to connect with. Atypical is very underrated, and I recommend it to fans of family dramedies and/or coming-of-age stories, those looking for a heartfelt comfort show, and anybody who likes these kinds of relatable, human TV series.
RATE THIS REVIEW
6
5
4
3
Comments