* * * * *At the moment, when flicking through Netflix, I find myself drawn to the light-hearted sitcoms and comedy series. I binge watched nine series of How I Met Your Mother last year and my January of 2020 was racing through two seasons of Sex Education. When life is heavy, or busy, or stressful, I don't want to jump into a complex, hard-to-follow and emotionally harrowing thriller or drama- I want the fuzzy comedies that will make my heart warm and give me all the feels.
Atypical 100% achieved this.
I was so pleasantly impressed with this show. It had humour, it had heart and it had a certain charm that makes it so easy to fall into and binge. While the storyline itself revolves around Sam, a teenager on the autistic spectrum trying to navigate love and dating, it also delves deep into the lives and relationships of those around him. I found myself instantly invested with all the characters and their growth throughout the series.
I'd definitely recommend Atypical for people who want a heart-warming and funny watch but also like a bit of drama and 'gasp' moments and reveals.
Obviously, the show explores a lot into the sensitive subject of autism and how it can affect an individual as well as the lives of their family, but I thought this show handled the topic really well and I found it eye-opening and insightful.
spoilers ahead | spoilers ahead | spoilers ahead | spoilers ahead | spoilers ahead | spoilers ahead
This show had me feeling all the feels. I was gasping, laughing out loud and feeling a lot of love for all the characters (...minus Elsa). They're such a diverse and interesting group of people and it was easy to get invested in their lives and all the trials and tribulations they go through.
My favourite plot thread of the entire series had to be Sam's relationship with his dad, Doug. From the beginning, it's clear that Doug doesn't feel that much of a connection with Sam. They don't share any common interests and Sam's dad feels like all his efforts to bridge that gap between them in the past have been thrown back in his face. So, throughout this season, it was so heart-warming to see Sam start to confide in his dad and to see Doug grow more comfortable around talking to Sam. They grew a lovely bond and Sam has developed the ability to trust and rely on his dad which was a pleasure to watch. Their relationship growth and development was definitely the best part of this show. It filled me with warmth and I had a huge smile during every interaction of theirs.
I loved how she would tease and treat Sam like any other sibling but would fiercely care, defend and protect him from anyone else. She doesn't tiptoe around him or treat him any differently because of his autism. I love how she's not afraid to speak her mind or shoot sarcastic comments in everyone's direction. But, most of all, I love how selfless and resilient she is.
All her life, she has loved track and running and manages to get a life-changing scholarship to a prestigious school. But all throughout the series, she is prepared to give it up and not go in case Sam needs her help and support at school. When she breaks a track record and none of her family saw because Sam had trouble, she didn't rage at how unfair it was or blame Sam for being the way he is. She kept her head high and accepted it with a shaky smile and strong resilience.
I think that's why I warmed to Evan so much. He saw how strong she was, how she'd built such high barriers to keep her safe and persevered in knocking them down. He defended her and her dream when she couldn't and has always supported her- even if moving school would meant they're further apart. We stan supportive boyfriends!
I also thought Casey's relationship with her mother was a bittersweet journey throughout the series. At the beginning, the two did not get along at all. Casey doesn't open up to her mother and they don't have any sort of mother-daughter relationship. But slowly, just as Sam develops a trust with his dad, Casey begins to confide in Elsa a bit more. It was such a lovely moment when Casey opened up to her mum a bit more about her relationship with Evan and that she wasn't ready for sex yet. It marked the beginning of them cracking and melting their icy relationship. And then... Casey discovers her mother's affair and all that progress is gone in an instant. It's heart-breaking!
But I think it was absolutely brilliant that Casey wrote to stop banging the bartender on Elsa's to-do list. It was an "oh shit" moment for sure and the perfect way to end the season.
Elsa was probably my least favourite character out of everyone. I think she was a bit obsessive and controlling and, obviously, having an affair isn't a shining quality in anyone, is it? I hated that she cheated- especially as patching things up with Doug was a parallel journey this season. It was so nice to see them finally address their differences and become a solid unit that worked together and trusted and loved each other. It was a beautiful arc of their marriage... that Elsa had to ruin.
And yet, we can all understand exactly why she cheated. Elsa has lived a tough life and has sacrificed so much for her family. Doug left her for eight months back when Sam was first diagnosed. Her entire life is scheduled and organised and stressful and she's lost every element of fun or adventure that she yearns for. It's understandable that she'd maybe want to escape for a little while but... she should've just stuck with bowling.
The main plot of Sam finding a girlfriend and dealing with his love for Julia was an easy and entertaining watch. Paige was okay but I would never be friends with her in real life- she's a bit too OTT and loud for me. I really liked Julia, though- I thought she was a great therapist for Sam.
But, aside from Casey, Zahid was hands down my favourite character! He made me laugh more than anyone else and he's just awesome! I think his friendship with Sam was really sweet and I loved how Zahid didn't treat Sam any differently because of his autism. He didn't treat him like he was fragile or a science experiment- he treated him like he would anyone else. Zahid is so sweet and such an underrated character of this show!
Overall, I fell in love with this show and I will definitely be binge watching all the other seasons immediately!
Thanks for reading and feel free to comment your thoughts. Stay amazing!
Chloe
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