The Netflix original show Atypical follows a teen boy with autism named Sam.
The season opens with Sam talking to his therapist about how well he’s adapting to school, and Sam brings up that he wants to have a girlfriend to fit in.
There are also other characters who are apart of Sam’s life such as his younger overprotective sister, Casey, who is being recruited by a private high school for track. His mom, who has always taken care of him, is having trouble getting around the fact that he is growing up and doesn’t need much of her help. As a consequence of these emotions, she starts having an affair.
Sam’s dad has always had trouble having a relationship with Sam because of his autism. Though, they start to build a better relationship when Sam starts to go to his dad for advice on girls. Sam’s coworker and best friend Zahid also gives him a lot of advice on life and girls.
What really stood out in the show was that they really go into detail about things that people with autism do and how they think. The show gives us an insight into things they like or dislike. For example, it tells us a few things that Sam, in particular, doesn’t like, which happens to be loud noises, certain clothes materials and places he has never been to before. In one episode, Sam is supposed to go on a date at Olive Garden, but has never been there before. He says that he does not like going to new places because they make him nervous. In order to make Olive Garden seem like a normal place and make Sam feel calmer, Sam’s parents take him before his date, which they have done for him in the past.
The show gets a 4/5 rating. Although I did like it, it took me a few episodes to really get into wanting to watch the next episode. Something that I really liked about the show is that the main character does have autism, since there are not too many shows where the main character has a disability. I really like that the show includes how Sam interacts with people and how he is not different despite his autism. We also get to see how his family has learned to adapt to this which is another thing I liked about the show.
This first season did end on a cliffhanger; Casey found out about her mom’s affair and writes about it on their kitchen whiteboard for both of her parents to see. As for Sam, the season ends with him making amends with a girl he dated in the show, and his sister also hints to him about how their parents might not be together.
A second season has been confirmed.
Jessica Castillo can be reached at [email protected] or @_itzjess on Twitter.
