''Atypical'' is an American

comedy-drama Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...

television series created by

Robia Rashid Robia Sara Rashid (born July 30, 1977) is an American television writer-producer and showrunner. She is widely known as the creator of Netflix original series ''Atypical''. Rashid was also the co-story editor, co-producer and supervising producer ...

for

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

. The series takes place in

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

, and focuses on the life of 18-year-old Samuel "Sam" Gardner (

Keir Gilchrist Keir David Peters Gilchrist (; born 28 September 1992) is a Canadian actor. On television, he portrayed Marshall Gregson on the Showtime comedy-drama '' United States of Tara'' (2009–2011) and headlined the Netflix comedy-drama ''Atypical'' ...

), who is

autistic Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing di ...

. The first season was released on August 11, 2017, consisting of eight episodes. The 10-episode second season was released on September 7, 2018. In October 2018, the series was renewed for a third season of ten episodes, which was released on November 1, 2019. In February 2020, it was renewed for a fourth and final season, which premiered on July 9, 2021. The first season received mostly positive reviews, but was criticized by some reviewers for its lack of autistic actors, and inaccuracies in its depiction of autism. The second season featured autistic actors and writers, giving them an opportunity to work and represent their community, and received mostly positive reviews. The third season continued this positive development and received overwhelmingly positive reviews.

Cast and characters

Main

as Sam Gardner, an 18-year-old teenager who is

and has an interest in

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...

and loves

penguins Penguins are a group of aquatic flightless birds from the family Spheniscidae () of the order Sphenisciformes (). They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere. Only one species, the Galápagos penguin, is equatorial, with a sm ...

. Gilchrist said about the character, "He's one person that is on the autism spectrum. He's a very specific character." *

Jennifer Jason Leigh Jennifer Jason Leigh (born Jennifer Leigh Morrow; February 5, 1962) is an American actress. She began her career on television during the 1970s before making her film breakthrough in the teen film ''Fast Times at Ridgemont High'' (1982). She re ...

as Elsa Gardner, Sam and Casey's overprotective mother. *

Jack Haven Jack Haven (formerly Brigette Lundy-Paine; born August 10, 1994) is an American actor. They are known for playing Casey Gardner in the Netflix comedy-drama ''Atypical'' (2017–2021) and Maddy Wilson in the 2024 film '' I Saw the TV Glow''. Ea ...

as Casey Gardner, Sam's younger sister who also is very protective of him. She is very athletic and thanks to this gets a scholarship at a private school. *

Amy Okuda Amy Okuda is a Japanese-American actress. She portrayed Julia Sasaki on the Netflix comedy-drama ''Atypical'' (2017–2021), where she was a series regular during the first two seasons. Okuda is most well-known as Tinkerballa in the popular web s ...

as Julia Sasaki (seasons 1–2; recurring: season 3; guest: season 4), Sam's dedicated therapist, whom he briefly has a crush on. *

Michael Rapaport Michael David Rapaport (born March 20, 1970) is an American actor, comedian, and podcast host. Beginning his career in the early 1990s, he has made over 100 appearances in film and television. His film roles include ''Zebrahead'' (1992), '' ...

as Doug Gardner, Sam and Casey's father and Elsa's husband. He works as an

emergency medical technician An emergency medical technician (often, more simply, EMT) is a medical professional that provides emergency medical services. EMTs are most commonly found serving on ambulances and in fire departments in the US and Canada, as full-time and som ...

. *

Nik Dodani Nik Dodani (born December 19, 1993) is an American actor, writer, and comedian known for his roles as Zahid in the Netflix comedy-drama series ''Atypical'', and Pat Patel in the revival of the popular CBS sitcom ''Murphy Brown''. Career Acti ...

as Zahid Raja, Sam's best friend, a "dweeby and foul-mouthed

lothario Lothario is an Italian name used as shorthand for an unscrupulous seducer of women, based upon a character in '' The Fair Penitent'', a 1703 tragedy by Nicholas Rowe.

Recurring

Jenna Boyd Jenna Boyd is an American actress. She began her career as a child actress with roles in the 2003 films '' The Hunted'', '' Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star'' and '' The Missing'', and the 2005 film ''The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants''. O ...

as Paige Hardaway, Sam's high-achieving friend and later girlfriend. * Graham Rogers as Evan Chapin, Casey's boyfriend from the beginning of the series. At the end of season 3, however, they split up as Casey realizes she is

bisexual Bisexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior toward both males and females. It may also be defined as the attraction to more than one gender, to people of both the same and different gender, or the attraction t ...

. He works at a local pizza place, but later decides to become an emergency medical technician like Doug. * Christina Offley as Sharice (seasons 1–2 & 4; guest: season 3), Casey's childhood best friend. *

Kevin Daniels Kevin Dwight Daniels Jr. (born December 9, 1976, in San Diego, California), is an American actor who started his career with a supporting role in the 1998 film ''Twelfth Night, or What You Will'' by director Nicholas Hytner. He has appeared in ...

as Coach Briggs * Rachel Redleaf as Beth Chapin, Evan's sister, who Casey stands up for after witnessing her get bullied for her weight. *

Ariela Barer Ariela Barer is an American actress, best known for playing the role of Gert Yorkes in the Hulu series '' Runaways'', Ziggy in the ABC series ''Rebel'', and Xochitl in the 2022 film '' How to Blow Up a Pipeline''. Barer portrays Mel in the HBO ...

as Bailey Bennett (seasons 1–2) * Anthony Jacques as Christopher (seasons 1–2) * Wendy Braun as Kathy * Karl T. Wright as Chuck (seasons 1 & 3–4), Doug's EMT partner *

Raúl Castillo Raul Castillo may refer to: * Raúl Castillo (actor), American actor and playwright * Raul Castillo (fighter), American mixed martial artist * Raúl Castillo (footballer), Mexican footballer {{hndis ...

as Nick (season 1; guest: season 2), a bartender Elsa has an affair with and one of her friends * Nina Ameri as Luisa, Elsa's friend. *

Fivel Stewart Trente Heavyn "Fivel" Stewart (born November 4, 1996) is an American actress and singer who first came to attention in her main cast role as Izzie in three seasons of the Netflix series ''Atypical'' (2018–2021). , she is in the main cast of th ...

as Izzie Taylor (seasons 2–4), a student at Casey's new school. A fellow runner, she becomes Casey's best friend, and later, girlfriend. *

Kimmy Gatewood Kimmy Gatewood is an American actress, director, writer and singer. Gatewood is a native of Silver Spring, Maryland, and was educated at Paint Branch High School Paint Branch High School is a public high school located in the Fairland census ...

as Coach Crowley (seasons 2–4) * Angel Laketa Moore as Megan (seasons 2–4), Doug's female friend & confidante from the Autism support group. * Domonique Brown as Jasper (seasons 2–4) a student in the peer group who later enrolls at Denton. * Layla Weiner as Amber (seasons 2–3), Megan's daughter. * Naomi Rubin as Noelle (seasons 2–4), a girl in Sam's peer group who later attends Denton with Jasper and Sid. * Graham Phillips as Nate (season 2; guest: season 3), Izzie's ex-boyfriend. *

Casey Wilson Cathryn Rose "Casey" Wilson (born October 24, 1980) is an American actress, comedian, and screenwriter. Originally known for her performances with the Upright Citizens Brigade comedy troupe in New York City, Wilson's first major television appe ...

as Ms. Whitaker (season 2) * Major Curda as Arlo (season 2; guest: season 1) * Jeff Rosenthal as Bob (seasons 3–4; guest: seasons 1–2), Sam and Zahid's boss at Techtropolis. *

Sara Gilbert Sara Gilbert (born Sara Rebecca Abeles; January 29, 1975) is an American actress best known for her role as Darlene Conner on ''Roseanne'' (1988–97; 2018), for which she received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations, and its sequel, ''The Co ...

as Professor Judd (seasons 3–4), Sam's ethics professor at Denton University. * Allie Rae Treharne as Gretchen (seasons 3–4), Zahid's disgraced troublemaking girlfriend. *

Kimia Behpoornia Kimia Behpoornia is an American comedian and actress. She is best known for her performances in '' Unicorn Store'', '' Abby's'', ''Reboot'', and ''Abbott Elementary''. Early life Behpoornia was raised in Los Angeles. Her parents immigrated to th ...

as Abby (seasons 3–4), Sam's friend. *

Eric McCormack Eric James McCormack (born April 18, 1963) is a Canadian and American actor known for his roles as Will Truman in the NBC sitcom ''Will & Grace'', Grant MacLaren in Netflix's ''Travelers (TV series), Travelers'', and Dr. Daniel Pierce in the T ...

as Professor Shinerock (season 3), Sam's art professor at Denton University. * Tal Anderson as Sid (seasons 3–4) a new friend that Sam meets while she is volunteering at the Denton Disability Services office. *

Jenny O'Hara Jenny O'Hara (born February 24, 1942) is an American film, television, and stage actress. She is best known for Dixie in ''My Sister Sam'' (1986–1988), Janet Heffernan in ''The King of Queens'' (2001–2007), and Nita in ''Big Love'' (2006– ...

as Lillian (seasons 3–4), Elsa's mother.

Episodes

Series overview

Season 1 (2017)

Season 2 (2018)

Season 3 (2019)

Season 4 (2021)

Background, production, and release

The

coming-of-age Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can b ...

series, originally known as ''Antarctica'', was created and written by Robia Rashid, who previously worked on ''

How I Met Your Mother ''How I Met Your Mother'' (often abbreviated as ''HIMYM'') is an American sitcom created by Craig Thomas (screenwriter), Craig Thomas and Carter Bays for CBS. The series, which aired from September 19, 2005, to March 31, 2014, follows main char ...

'' and '' The Goldbergs'' as a producer. For a more accurate portrayal, she consulted with Michelle Dean, a professor who worked at

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

's Center for Autism Research and Treatment. Gilchrist said in an interview for ''

Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to Nort ...

'', " ashidwrote the script. We talked a ton and I did research and I watched movies and I read books". The supporting character Christopher is played by Anthony Jacques, who is autistic. Season 1 was released on August 11, 2017, and consisted of eight episodes. On September 13, 2017, ''Atypical'' was renewed for a ten-episode second season. David Finch, who is autistic, joined the writing team. Eight autistic actors from The Miracle Project have supporting roles in the second season as members of a peer support group which Sam joins, and other autistic actors play neurotypical characters. Executive producer Mary Rohlich also said the show was "bringing in more female directors and female diversity": seven of the ten episodes were directed by women and half of the writing team were female. The second season was released on September 7, 2018, and consisted of 10 episodes. On October 24, 2018, ''Atypical'' was renewed for a third season of 10 episodes. In May 2019, it was announced

and

would appear in the third season. The third season was released on November 1, 2019, and consisted of 10 episodes. On February 24, 2020, ''Atypical'' was renewed for its fourth and last season. The season consisted of ten episodes and premiered on July 9, 2021.

Reception

Season 1

At the

review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews and ratings of products and services, such as films, books, video games, music, software, hardware, or cars. This system then stores the reviews to be used for supporting a website where user ...

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

, the first season received a score of 66 from 20 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". On

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

, 74% of 42 critics have given the season a positive review with an average rating of 5.4 out of 10. The website's consensus is: "Great performances and a likable, realistic family dealing with autism lift ''Atypical'' above its alarming tonal shifts and predictability." The acting was generally well-received, although Gilchrist's portrayal received criticism for being "inaccurate" and "stereotypical". The lack of autistic people in the cast was also questioned.

Season 2

Sara Luterman of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' wrote that the second season improves on the first. Sam's decision to go to art school deviates from common depictions of autism, and his being autistic is no longer "the source of is family'smisery". Luterman praised the involvement of more autistic people as writers and actors, but criticized that Sam's misogyny is unaddressed and that he is "still portrayed as more of a checklist than a person". Lorraine Ali of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' lauded the show's continuing "unique perspective, sharp humor and empathy", and described the show as a "wonderfully atypical family drama" with "many moving and awkward moments". In a negative review, Jen Chaney of ''

'' wrote that the show "loses some of its focus" in the second season, such as with the "unnecessary side plot" of Julia, an "underdeveloped side character", or by attempting to make Zahid a "lovably wacky sidekick". Chaney stated that the show's situations "often seem contrived or aim blatantly for the easy joke", and criticized scenes between Doug and Elsa which "don't seem reflective of actual human behavior". However, Chaney praised Lundy-Paine's acting, which switches between "understanding" and "exasperation", and Gilchrist's "yard-stick straight" acting.

Season 3

, season 3 has a 100% rating based on 7 reviews, and the average rating is 7/10. Merrill Barr of ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

'' wrote, "Season three of ''Atypical'' is the show's boldest to date and truly feels like it has reached its stride. ..Now, the show just gets to live and breathe as it explores its unique story in ever-evolving and fascinating ways." Holly Edwards of ''Film Inquiry'' concluded that "the dramatic and comedic beats almost always hit the right notes and know when a shift in tone is required." She called the show a "step up from many shows of the same variety and a worthwhile viewing experience."

Season 4

Lorraine Ali of the ''

'' wrote that the final season of ''Atypical'' "deftly tackles" the fears parents of atypical children may have when watching their son or daughter come of age. She also noted the season "cement dthe show's legacy as one of the best series to deal with autism and its butterfly effect on family, friends, and loved ones".

Accolades

Notes

References

External links