"Atypical" is a new TV series on Netflix. It tells the story of the young man Sam, who has autism. The series starts with a conversation with his therapist, and she tells him that he might want to look for a girlfriend. Whenever he comes home and tells his family about the conversations that he had with his therapist, the father and sister react supportively. The mother, on the contrary, starts worrying about her son and that is how episode one starts.
The family
The family consists of the father (Doug), mother (Elsa) and a younger sister (Casey).
Elsa is always too worried about Sam, and she spent her whole life caring for the boy. She arranged everything, and now, when the boy starts dating, she has more time for herself. Elsa finally finds her way back to a normal life. The only problem is that she does not know how to behave.
Doug works in the emergency room, and it seems like he never took care of his son. Although he might want to connect with him, it looks like he was never able to do it. He can only help his son with dating tips.
Casey is a young and very talented athlete. She is very supportive and will do whatever it takes to protect her brother. During the series, she finds a boyfriend, and together they help Sam to find a girlfriend.
Storyline
Every episode consists of new tips for Sam about how to find a girlfriend. He does a lot of his research on the Internet, and his strange obsession with penguins will not help him have a good conversation with a girl. He also falls in love with his therapist, who is seven years older than he is. As a way to steal her heart, he finds practice girlfriends his own age.
We get a light view of the mother who struggles to choose between her freedom and her family, while father Doug tries everything to come closer to his son.
Casey, the younger sister, has a great chance to earn a scholarship for college. Her new boyfriend, who was kicked out of school for stealing a banjo, makes those dreams complicated.
Conclusion
Every episode consists a conversation between Sam and his therapist. Doug and Sam's best friends help him with new tips to find the girl of his dreams. When he starts talking to a girl, it always leads to a very awkward moment. The makers of this series addressed autism from a funny, but very human perspective and you will end up with a lot of sympathy for the main character.
The storyline of the series is not the best you can see on Netflix, but if you're looking for a very light and funny show, you need to check out "Atypical."