Stars: 4/5
In keeping with its name, “Atypical” is much more than your typical feel-good teenage drama series. Being told from the perspective of a teenage boy with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it allows for a brand new insight on the high school experience.
The Netflix original series “Atypical” released its second season Sept. 7, immediately hitting on some major problems in the Gardner family. Season one left off with the main character in need of a new therapist in the midst of his mother’s cheating scandal. There is a distinct difference in Sam and his family dynamic during season two. Sam is a little more confident in who he is and how he handles situations, and you get to see more of the struggles his family members go through.
The show offers insight into the everyday life of a teenager on the spectrum, something few shows have had success in doing. While the problems Sam faces may seem like simple everyday problems to the majority of people, Sam experiences them differently, making him sometimes react in extreme or “atypical” ways.
Seeing how Sam is affected by everyday life puts things into perspective for those who don’t have experience with people with ASD. It definitely helps that the show is extremely engaging and entertaining to audiences of all ages. Sam is funny and relatable and going through the same things that we all went through while in high school, including first loves, friendship drama and family problems.
“Atypical” may be told from the perspective of a teenage boy, but it shows the lives of everyone in his family. You see how his father struggles with his son’s diagnosis, how his mother handles trying to make a life outside of Sam’s ASD and how Sam’s younger sister deals with feeling as though she always comes second to her brother.
This show could change how people view those on the spectrum because through Sam, they can spot the similarities they share rather than focus on the differences.
The show is well done and different while being so mundane. The writers don’t throw in a bunch of excess drama just for the sake of it. Everything has a purpose and clearly benefits the each character’s progression throughout each season. Season two is definitely the better of the two because it’s had that first season to develop a solid storyline around Sam and his ASD without solely being focused on that one thing.
People with ASD all have different life experiences and “Atypical” shows just one case and does it well. The writers created a show meant for people of all backgrounds, and they perfected storylines to relate to everyone while highlighting the real and prevalent lives of people with ASD. The show may be called “Atypical,” but the writers allow everyone to see that ASD doesn’t stop someone from living a happy and fulfilling life.