SummaryThe decision to begin dating by Sam Gardner (Keir Gilchrist), a high school senior with autism worries his overprotective mother (Jennifer Jason Leigh) in this coming-of-age comedy series created by Robia Rashid.
SummaryThe decision to begin dating by Sam Gardner (Keir Gilchrist), a high school senior with autism worries his overprotective mother (Jennifer Jason Leigh) in this coming-of-age comedy series created by Robia Rashid.
Brilliant! This an entertaining, relatable and heartwarming series of a teenager with high functioning autism and his family. Thank you to the writers, cast and crew who nailed it! Looking forward to a third series.
There’s a very important, delicate line that a comedy like this can’t cross: the one where it could be seen as inviting viewers to laugh at Sam’s many quirks (his obsession with penguins and all other things Antarctic, for instance). Atypical never crosses it--Gilchrist’s performance is too sincere and vulnerable to allow it--but at times a lot of the whimsy is generated from how exasperated his loved ones are at dealing with him.
When Atypical keeps its focus on the teen characters, including Sam’s ready-to- leap-to-his-defense younger sister, Casey (an outstanding Brigette Lundy-Paine), the series is at its best if sometimes most familiar. The show turns more annoyingly soapy when it turns to Sam’s father, Doug (Michael Rappaport), and mother, Elsa (Jennifer Jason Leigh).
[Show creator Robia Rashid has] twisted characters and plot elements in service to message first and art or entertainment second. The last of the eight episodes sets up a second season with a completely artificial and manipulative story twist. Fortunately, Gilchrist and several supporting cast members hold our interest and justify a second season for the show in spite of its flaws.
This show desperately wants to get its depiction of autism right, and wants to pat itself on the back for doing so. All of which makes the uninspired characterization of Sam all the more infuriating.
There are a few funny moments here and there but this is more of a drama. I had to stop watching when they focused so much on the moms affair. I want to know about the kid and the situations he gets into not how his mom and dad have a hard time dealing with his issues.
There is something endearing about this show that made me binge watch the first season in two sittings. In the same breath I must admit that Sarah Jason Leigh's performance of the mother feels flat and forced. It seems like the casting was more focused on getting a 'name' in this show than actually caring about the believability or acting skills of it's female lead. Her obvious cat-like plastic surgery further adds to the implausibility of her portraying a middle-class mom.
So this show is a solid meh, kinda like moms really dumb in this show and just nothing really special here but 10 outta 10 would play again also no lag.
Atypical is a show that claims to be about an autistic lead character and how neurodiversity is a good thing, but in reality it is yet another glurge-ridden stereotypical "woe is me its so hard to raise autistic kids" spiel made by non-autistic people who don't care at all about what actually autistic people think.
The show straight up justifies abusive relationships and bigotry. Sam, the protagonist, is being abused by his mother, his therapist breaks confidentiality about his case and he have very unhealthy ideas about dating that nobody thinks to try and help him understand are wrong. Its one of those shows where "quirky" means "dysfunctional family on the brink of implosion", and cringe is the go-to tool of expression. It also peppers in a unhealthy amount of racist and sexist remarks and plays them off as cute too, which is not funny.
The show also constantly makes fun of Sam's autistic traits, and he is portrayed as a burden on his family that is somehow responsible for his mother's abusive behavior. This is not a positive portrayal, this is creating a caricature for cheap laughs and even cheaper tugs at the sympathy heart string for other abusive or neglectful parents so they will feel less bad about being horrible to their kids.
If you care at all about autistic people or want a show about how its okay to not fit into the usual definition of normal, stay far away from this. Also, please, listen to actually autistic people when they say something is not a accurate or positive portrayal. This is no more positive or accurate than Rain Man was 30 years ago.