Warning: major spoilers for “Atypical” Season 1 and 2 below!
Netflix original show Atypical, created by Robia Rashid, quickly became one of my favourite shows almost immediately into watching Season 1 (released in 2017). It presented itself as a world that you can both escape to as well as relate to, which is something I always enjoy. Atypical balances real, raw content with quirky fun, all wrapped up into half-hour episodes in relatively short seasons; a tactic that always leaves you wanting more.
Of course, the main reason why I love this show is because of the representation. Focusing on character Sam Gardner (played by Keir Gilchrist, who also starred in the incredible show United States of Tara), Sam is on the autism spectrum, a fact that does not necessarily dominate the show but instead acts as a main and important contribution to the premise. Sam’s sardonic sister Casey (Brigette Lundy-Paine), helicopter mom Elsa (Jennifer Jason Leigh), and slightly detached father Doug (Michael Rapaport) are presented as main characters as well.
Season 1 also puts Sam’s sessions with his psychiatrist, Julia, at the forefront – and his crush on her is what drives the basis for Season 1, where Sam is motivated to become more independent and explores romantic relationships for the first time. What makes this show so lovely is that, at its heart, it is a coming-of-age show that maintains all the elements that anyone can relate to; on being an outsider, figuring out love, awkward teenage encounters, relationships, friendships, and familial relationships. It shows representation within the “coming-of-age” genre – that anyone can experience the same highs and lows of self-discovery.
But it is also about Sam, specifically – an intelligent, artistic, funny soul. In one aspect, yes, the show zeroes in on his autism as well as the way others perceive those on the spectrum. Oftentimes, it outlines the bullies who fail to make the effort to understand him, and a society that is still not educated enough about those on the spectrum, as well as the challenges he and his family face surrounding these aspects. We also gain insight into each member of the Gardner family deal with their own problems and personal relationships.
By the end of Season 1, we see a full fledge affair between Elsa and a bartender. The affair is found out about by Casey, who then reveals the affair to her father. Season 2 kicks off almost immediately after this moment, setting up a foundation for a more individually exploratory season, seeing how the family deals in the aftermath of the affair.
One of the show’s main criticism after Season 1 was that – though creator Robia Rashid has made sure to represent ASD as accurately as possible in Sam’s character – Keir Gilchrist is not actually on the spectrum, and there were no actors on the spectrum cast in the show. Season 2’s first major highlight for me was eight actors who are on the spectrum were cast, whose characters make up Sam’s support group at school (read more about it on this Bustle article). While these characters are not necessarily at the forefront of the show, it is important that Atypical continues to expand its cast in ways that will truly benefit what the show stands for. And having the support group, which effectively becomes Sam’s new therapy, successfully demonstrates a step in the right direction in the way of accurate and diverse representation.
Another highlight of the show was the way the affair had an impact on the Gardner family, and works on finding out how to navigate something that could potentially break the family apart. Understandably, both Casey and Sam are upset by the news of the affair, and both handling it differently. Where Casey makes it her mission to be actively cold and mouthy to her mother (whom she starts calling “Elsa”), Sam becomes distant from his mother. Doug and Elsa take the time to figure out how to co-parent despite their broken marriage, and though Elsa is arguably the most annoying character in the show, we actually see a realistic attempt on her part to rectify the situation. Affairs and cheating are not glamourized in this season – in fact, we see the consequences manifest physically in Doug, who begins suffering from heart-attack-like panic attacks multiple times throughout. The show truly emphasizes the devastating impact that an affair can create on a family, and while it shows the negatives, it also outlines the various ways in which to move forward.
My favourite storyline by this season was Casey’s, a storyline that ultimately explored her romantic relationships and her character’s queerness. In Season 1 we see a relationship between her and a boy named Evan bloom, and by Season 2 they are still going strong. At this point, however, Casey has transferred to a new private school on track scholarship, where she deals with bullies of her own – specifically, a girl named Izzie. Izzie initially begins as a typical mean girl, especially picking on Casey. Soon enough, though, a fight between the girls leads to detention where they end up bonding. Izzie and Casey become best friends; and a chemistry that transcends friendship reveals itself to the audience.
They share intimate details with each other, build blanket forts, and provide emotional support – figuring out that they are much more alike than initially thought. However, when Izzie’s boyfriend Nate tries to kiss Casey, Casey – shocked – tells Izzie. Izzie doesn’t take it well though, effectively transforming back into the mean girl again, which affects Casey deeply. It becomes apparent that we are meant to question why exactly Izzie is so extreme with Casey, especially after admitting to Casey that she is her “new favourite person”. This factor coupled with the clear spark between the two transforms into an intriguing storyline, perhaps one of the strongest of the show so far.
Eventually, at a surprise party thrown for Casey, the two talk privately and we find out that Izzie lashed out because she was afraid of losing Casey – someone she actually values and admittedly loves more than she does Nate. The chemistry comes to a climax when the two almost share a kiss before being walked in on by Elsa. Casey avoids Izzie for a while after the event, reacting by initiating more physicality with Evan. But in the final scene of the show, we see them sitting in a car side by side. Casey tells Izzie how well things are with Evan – but doesn’t seem entirely convinced. The two then slowly hold hands, and Casey ignores a phone call from Evan. It is clear that Casey and Izzie have feelings for each other.
The subtlety of the burgeoning romance in this storyline is what makes me love it so much. Like we’ve mentioned in various posts before, it’s amazing to see shows and films now that handle queerness more fluidly, nor are as obsessed with labelling a character’s sexuality. It is truly set up in a way that makes me incredibly excited to see what happens in Season 3.
Ultimately, this show brings awareness to those on the spectrum – and of course, it is not perfect. Rightfully so, shows like Atypical are put under intense scrutiny because if it’s a show about accurate representation, it needs to live up to this promise. I think that as Atypical moves forward, it needs to continue doing thorough research and making sure this translates successfully onto the screen. Season 2 has been a step in the right direction, and more importantly, it paves a pathway that will hopefully lead to more shows that bring actors and characters on the spectrum to the forefront. And while I don’t know as much about ASD as I should, shows like Atypical contribute to the information and motivate me to do more research to better understand.
~ Z ~
Title photo by Grant on Unsplash
Other photos provided by IMDb, W3LiveNews, and YouTube
