By Kaitlyn Goldberg – News Editor

The coming-of-age series on Netflix, “Atypical,” sheds light on the Autism spectrum, and features a family of four dealing with many challenges that come with one of their members being on the spectrum. 

The show’s lead is Sam Gardner, an 18-year-old on the Autism spectrum, dealing with life as a senior in high school and then leading into his college years.  He struggles with crowds, being around loud noises, and  change – and that affects his everyday life and his family at times.  

The family consists of Casey, Sam’s younger sister, and Elsa and Doug, the kids’ parents.  Casey likes to tease Sam and make fun of him but is always there for him when he needs her and when kids would make fun of Sam she would always stand up for him and truly cares for him. There is also Zahid, Sam’s best friend who he works with at a tech store called Techtropolis. Zahid is always there for Sam and constantly is giving him advice, especially about girls.  

Sam’s greatest passion is Antarctica and penguins. He knows all about the different types of penguins and Antarctica. It is the thing in life that can help sooth Sam and calm him down when something happens in his life that gets him stressed out or upset.

A memorable moment in the show is when Sam gets his first girlfriend, Paige, and he learns what it’s like to be in a relationship. She really helps Sam break out of his shell and brings him a new perspective on life and what it’s like to love. 

A more upsetting moment in the show is when Elsa and Doug separate because of their arguing and dishonesty towards each other.  This really takes a toll on the family and their dynamic.  Casey and Sam are extremely hurt from it, especially Casey now has a resentment towards Elsa because of events that occurred that caused the separation.  

Another exciting moment in the show is when Sam goes to college.  It is a turning point in the show and shows Sam learning to be independent and making friends, which is initially hard for Elsa who is hesitant about him going to college because she is scared he won’t be able to handle it and doesn’t want him to get made fun of.  

Sam also goes to a therapist, Julia, who has also helped him get through stressful times.  Things did get awkward when he wanted a girlfriend and started having feelings for her.  This caused him to stop seeing his Julia because both Elsa and Julia agreed it was inappropriate and not right anymore for Sam to see her.  This caused Sam to join an Autism support group so he can talk to other people like him.  

Overall, there aren’t really many flaws in this show.  It’s sweet but also sad at times.  It does a great job at showing a glimpse into what life can be like on the spectrum and has great characters to go along with it. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars