Presented in our article on Netflix releases, Atypical is finally on Netflix since August 11. Is this eight-episode series a nugget? Answer in the article!
As a reminder, Atypical addresses the theme of autism through Sam (Keir Gilchrist), an 18-year-old young man with this disease. Sam wants to emancipate himself and fall in love and this transformation will upset the whole family.
A delicate subject?
Atypical tackles a theme that is too little exploited: autism. If in literature, the sick-bed becomes more and more important, this is not yet the case in the TV series. However, Sam was treated like Sheldon Cooper is in The Big Bang Theory : he does not understand the interactions between humans which results in offbeat and very funny scenes.Aside from a seizure, it doesn't feel like Sam is really any different. On the other hand, Atypical focuses on the impact of autism in a family, which is much more interesting.
The family around autism
Sam is very close to his mother Elsa (Jennifer Jason Leigh) who is present at every moment of Sam's life. Her life revolves around him and she rejects her son's desire for emancipation. Without telling you more, Elsa will go through phases that are difficult to forgive for the viewer. As for Doug (Michael Rapaport), his father, he struggles to form a relationship with his son, but this quest for emancipation will bring them closer together. Finally Casey (Brigette Lundy-Paine), his sister, shows us that she is transparent in the eyes of her parents. A landmark for Sam, it seems to exist only for that. This angle approached by Atypical is the innovative element in the television field.
A real comedy?
Atypical knows how to make herself hilarious, but she is much more than that. Indeed, it will move you by this family that remains united in front of others. The secondary characters will also have their card to play and if some are endearing, others are comic elements from beginning to end. In the end, Atypical turns out to be a real palette of emotions.
In conclusion, Atypical does not stand out for its shape, but for its substance. Rather than filming the disease, Atypical focuses instead on its impact on family and society. Real palette of emotion, it will make you spend a pleasant moment of binge-watching. However, it is not certain that it will remain in the memory for long.
