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Atypical - Season 3 review




From the very first episode, I found myself very fond of the characters in this show. The autism is represented in a simple, generalist way. Nonetheless, with deep, meaningful relationships and without ignoring that, people in the spectrum, have more in their lives than just a diagnosis. 

[Spoilers ahead]

Sam is a grown-up - what’s Elsa’s role now?


Sam has come of age and it is time to go to college. A different environment, with different people and, most important, diverse and, perhaps, bigger challenges.

Emancipation is hard, but he is ready. Elsa however… Sam’s mother is in a hard place about her marriage and her life. Sam doesn’t need her so much anymore, and she starts to feel lost.

It’s quite common for parents, especially stay-at-home mothers, start to question themselves about the meaning of their lives and even the value of their effort, as soon as the kids stop being so dependent. It’s not difficult to imagine how complicated it can be for a mother that lived her life to help a child that doesn’t fit. She did everything, for everybody, except for herself.

Friendships are the most complicated relationships


As you grow up, you also realize that keeping a friendship can be a very delicate task. Your life is changing and your friends' as well. How to deal with that?

In this season, Sam faces a hard break up.  His friendship with Zahid, which was, until this point, a symbol of stability and help to Sam, suddenly becomes a motive of frustration and uncertainty.

As Sam finds out that Zahid’s new girlfriend stole something from the shop they both work, and he faces a terrible dilemma. Should he preserve their friendship by saying nothing? Or should he do what he considers to be the right thing? It is difficult for anyone, but for someone in the spectrum, even more. 

Sam needs life to be black or white. He has no idea how to deal with the different shades of gray. His final decision breaks the probably most strong bond he was able to build outside his family.  

Wider family dynamic 


The show was able to subtly recreate with the audience the same thing that was happening to Elsa. 

Sam is no longer so dependent, so his mother starts looking at the world around her. At this point, the show starts looking around as well, and the viewer with it. In this season, Casey has a little more screen time, enriching the story even more. She is struggling with her sexuality, and it was good to see how Sam can be so understanding and supportive towards Casey when she needs to.

At the same time, their parents also struggle to know what to do about their life and marriage. Sam seems a bit detached from that problem as if he had no idea or didn’t care about what is going on.

The problems, however, don’t end with his nuclear family. His girlfriend is also having a hard time adapting to college life. It can be seen as a reminder that even the so-called normal people can also have problems to adapt to changes, and, maybe, it can bring some help and motivation to those in the spectrum. 

A Heart Warming show


I think I’m biased for many different reasons I’ll not explore in this review, but I really like this show.

It has a couple of things that I would make differently, sure. For example, I think it’s too optimistic the fact that the vast majority of people that cross Sam’s life, simply accept his eccentricities. The world I know is, unfortunately, very different.

Another situation that I can’t fully understand is the fact that they keep showing Amy Okuda’s character, Sam ex-therapist when she doesn’t bring any development to the story anymore.

As a whole, nonetheless, Atypical is a very good show, and I’m eagerly awaiting the next season.

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