"Atypical" review (S2) (Netflix): Will Sam take flight?

We were already talking about it here and there. Atypical is Sam's story. An 18-year-old boy with autism. For him, just going to a café is a real ordeal. Noise, light, others are all triggers of anxiety attacks. His life is totally different from that of ordinary mortals. It must constantly adapt. Through Sam, the series looks at autism disorders, but also on the consequences that it can have on those around him. We were quite convinced by this little nugget last year, let's see what this season 2 is worth!

It is with undisguised pleasure that we find the Gardner family and their daily worries. We had left our protagonists while the parental couple was seriously flapping. Elsa's infidelity will obviously leave terrible sequelae, pushing the father to leave the house for a while. For his part, Casey is preparing to return to a new school, a little too stilted for his taste. As for Sam, he who loves rules and order so much, he suddenly sees his world crumble under his feet…

A quest for identity

All these beautiful people see, in turn, their place within the family, even within society, completely shaken. Elsa, the mother control freak, is outright ejected from her throne of big boss. She, who has betrayed her family, pays dearly. Very very expensive. This rather unsympathetic character at first gains a lot of sympathy since she spends her time taking big blows in the face all day long. It's so violent that we totally empathize with this destitute mother who realizes that she is not so indispensable … 

This questioning of the role of the mother will force Doug to carve out a new place within the family. And we must say that he tears quite a bit in the role of the dad involved. Doug understands much better what his son's autism involves on a daily basis. And yet, that does not prevent him from taking a radically different direction from the one his wife had chosen until then. While Elsa was constantly incubating her son, Doug prefers to push his son to leave the nest, to gently detach himself from all these people on whom they rely daily for his own survival.

And on the side of the little badass sister, level quest for identity, we are not bad either. Casey is immersed in a new world, very different from the one she has known so far. Between rejection, desire to adapt and nostalgia for her life before, the high school student embarks on a real balancing act. Not easy at an age where you don't really know who you are.

Atypical, a message of hope above all

The first season aimed to introduce us to autism, a subject that is too little addressed in the current audiovisual landscape. This sequel gains consistency by digging a little deeper into the complexity of all the characters. Until now, we remained in the microcosm of the Gardner family. Now the protagonists evolve more independently.

Confrontation with the outside world is also a recurring topic. We realize that law enforcement or teachers are absolutely not trained to approach people with autism. Everyone is lost in the face of this disorder still too little known and it will be up to Sam to make decisions to make a place for himself in this unsuitable world.

This is ultimately the main message of the last episodes. Despite real handicaps, Sam shows incredible strength throughout the season, exceeding everyone's expectations, taking unexpected risks We think of this very touching scene where his mother confides to him that only a few years earlier, she prayed with all her strength that her son could not even communicate or have friends. Without hiding the difficulties he faces, Sam has already surpassed the dreams of those around him. And in this, the series delivers a sacred message of hope for all socially maladjusted people or just a little different.

Special mention for Zahid

Finally, how can we not mention the growing and touching importance of Zahid? Sam's colleague and pseudo seduction coach reveals himself a lot over the episodes. And that's good! This character, anecdotal during the first season, will actually prove to be a pillar for Sam. Through his wacky advice, we discover a very positive message. What if everyone, in our own way, could bring even a little to the others, however different they may be? 

In the end, Atypical continues its momentum. The series digs a little deeper into the subjects discussed so far, but this second season loses a little relief once the originality of the subject is overcome. It is very sad. However, not everything is to be thrown away. The series makes you think. On what autism implies yes, but also on the reactions that we can have, which are in the end, not so far from those of Sam. We hope that the rest will win by stinging. But at the same time, Sam is unpredictable enough that we eagerly await the rest of his adventures.