‘Atypical’ means well — probably too well
Tale of a teenage boy who has autism veers into mawkishness
The lead of Netflix’s Atypical isn’t normal. But neither is anyone else. And the series would really like you to know that.
The new series (streaming Friday, eegE out of four), created by Robia Rashid ( The Goldbergs), follows Sam (Keir Gilchrist), a teenage boy with autism, coming of age and dealing with the same challenges as his peers: fears about dating and growing up. His mother, Elsa (Jennifer Jason Leigh), has trouble stepping back and letting Sam take more control of his life, while his father, Doug (Michael Rapaport), finds new ways to connect with his son. His sister, Casey (Brigette Lundy-Paine), tries to carve out her own life apart from the family’s focus on Sam.
Atypical is at its strongest when it focuses on Sam and his unique view of the world. Gil- christ is strong and appealing in the role, offering voice-over narration that explains Sam’s actions and words, leading the viewer to take his point of view when the rest of the world sees only its own. At one point, Sam asks a girl who gave him a Valentine in elementary school (which he saved) on a date. She can’t figure out why he’s so persistent, but we know it’s because she once was kind and expressed an interest.
As strong as the Sam-focused story is, the series has trouble in the first few episodes developing the story lines of his family members. Elsa starts the series on a selfdestructive path because Sam has begun to outgrow her, which makes sense on the surface, but the series hasn’t provided enough backstory to make it interesting. Doug is a clueless husband, with not much dimension. Casey’s rebellious and protective nature isn’t fully fleshed out right away, so when she punches a classmate in defense of a bullied peer, it’s more random than charming. Despite Leigh’s appeal, Elsa — who’s the most knowledgeable about autism and has done the most to help Sam — is unlikable, while her husband, who is mostly just winging it, is a more heroic and sympathetic figure.
The other problem with Atypical is its schmaltzy tone, which becomes far too saccharine as it goes along. The series has trouble letting the story and characters stand on their own and is too often focused on its “importance.” The moral of the story — that nobody is “normal” — is spoken out loud in moments that make it feel like an after-school special.
Atypical presents a point of view and a lead character that are, well, atypical in the TV landscape. But its sweetness and predictability make it a little too typical to be great.