Tyler Krenzin
Lantern Staff
When it comes to reviews, usually I like to be more critical with story writing, direction and acting, but with the Netflix series Atypical, it’s a story I think requires a lighter touch.
Atypical is a story that follows Sam (Keir Gilchrist), a teenager with autism and the way he thinks and deals with everyday situations. Sam learns and grows throughout season two, even more than season one. Now having to go to school without his sister Casey (Brigette Lundy-Paine), Sam is learning to fend for himself in his own quirky way. Using facts about penguins and other artic animals as way to learn how regular people do things, Sam becomes even more aware of how he affects others.
There was never really a bad episode of the second season, but there were some that fell flat, especially the episodes where we had to watch Doug (Michael Rapaport) and Elsa (Jennifer Jason Leigh) fight over an affair that happened in season one. It just seemed forced at some points and never really gave off the tension that they set up in season one.
Other issues that get brought up throughout the season are Casey’s relationship with Evan (Graham Rogers) and her newfound “friendship” with Izzie (Fivel Stewart), Sam and his relationship with Paige (Jenna Boyd) and in a lesser sense dealing with new consoler, after the loss of Julia (Amy Okudo).
In all, I knew they would have to come up with a second season after the success of season one, but I think that this series continuing after season two is a stretch. I can’t see more than three seasons being comprehensible, and with Sam graduating high school at the end of season two, they have set themselves up for the long haul, one I’m sure won’t have a good ending. 7.4/10