Netflix’s Atypical is a heart-warming story that follows Sam (Keir Gilchrist), a teenager on the autism spectrum. Season 4 is the final installment of the beloved comedy-drama that has offered representation of so many people through its characters. The show tackles and openly talks about many issues, including; people with autism navigating relationships, having someone cheat on their partner, and young people moving schools.
This Season, the fourth and final one, gives each character the chance to wrap up their storylines. Sam’s story is about finding what he is a master at and what he wants to do with his life. It came as no surprise to many fans that Sam wanted to go to Antarctica and see penguins in their natural habitat. This was a lovely throwback to Sam’s first ever lines in Atypical where he says “I’ll never be able to go to Antarctica”, which changes to “I’m ready to go to Antarctica” by the end of the show.
Although Sam is technically the main character, his sister, Casey (Brigette Lundy-Paine), is arguably the star of the series. Her relationship with Izzie (Fivel Stewart) is adored by fans, but treads a rocky road over the course of the series. Casey spends the series questioning her sexuality and whether she fits in anywhere. She was worried about coming out to her dad, Doug (Michael Rapaport), and ended up putting an increased amount of pressure on her relationship.
Casey has to learn to accept help from her parents after struggling at school. Throw in her athletic commitments and it creates a tight schedule, which gets in the way of her relationship. Her fingernails become a symbolic part of the season, as they become shorter and even start to bleed. This is a clever and subtle way of showing the viewer the pressure Casey is facing, and that she is approaching breaking point. This slowly builds until Episode 7 where a scout from UCLA turns up to one of Casey’s races, and she cannot run after suffering what seems to be a panic attack. Episode 8 is entirely about Casey, and resembles episodes from season 1 where Sam would speak to his therapist, Julia (Amy Okuda). This creates a nostalgic feel for fans in the final season.
The wonderful part of this season is the side stories that go alongside Sam and Casey’s story. Atypical has always been great at tackling issues that are hard to talk about, and this season was no different. Doug had to deal with the death of his best friend while Elsa (Jennifer Jason Leigh) had to deal with feeling lonely and trying to rebuild a connection with her mother. Izzie’s home life was a big part of the series which allowed the viewer to understand who Izzie is and why she is the way she is. Zahid’s (Nik Dodani) vulnerable side is shown after his diagnosis of testicular cancer. Paige (Jenna Boyd) is the final character with a major story as she tries to get the best out of her relationship with Sam and attempts to get a job she loves and is passionate about.
The final season of Atypical is a perfect ending to a beloved show that manages to tie up the storylines of each character while introducing new elements to some of them. Despite Casey’s ex, Evan’s disappointing absence for most of the series, it managed to let each important character shine to give this show the ending it truly deserved.
5 Stars
