Atypical Season 1 Episode 3 and 4 review

Just be aware there maybe some adult themes, but I have tried to edit them out as best as I can. If you want to know what happened in episode 1 and 2 click this link🙃.

What usually happens in these reviews is; I usually describe roughly what happens (sometimes breaking the fourth wall) and then I will give a review after each episode and an overall review for both together. 😀

Atypical

Season 1 Episode 3

It starts off we Casey and Doug running up a road, they are both talking about the regionals. Casey then mentions that she has kissed Evan, then Doug starts to make a big deal out of it. As he is doing that she mentions that Evan is coming over to study together.  

Sam then talks about how practice can’t mean perfect, but it can make better so. It shows Elsa being so use to her routine that she has time to stop and look her text from the last episode. Casey and Elsa talk about what Casey put on Elsa’s to do list, in this case it was: ‘remove stick from butt’. Kinda funny. Elsa then asked Doug and Casey, as they have now both come back from their run if they want any food. Then Sam comes out talks about there are more girls with the letter M as their first letter of their names then the average. Doug and Casey pick up their Cinnamon buns and leave the kitchen before Elsa can aske if they wanted anything from the mall (A Shopping Centre). Elsa then realises that she has some free time to herself and is about to go on her phone. It then goes to Sam who talk about someone who gave him a Valentines day card which said, ‘bee mine’. He then says that he didn’t understand why be was spelt B-e-e, but she helped him understand it. He added on the end that it was the first joke he had learnt. 

It then shows Sam at High School about to try and talk to the person. He then tries to talk to her by saying ‘bee mine’ then tries to ask her out awkwardly. She keeps insisting that she is busy. Then Sam mentions that she would be a practise girlfriend. The girl snaps slightly and says that she doesn’t want to go out with him because he is weird and that he wears the same clothes everyday. She does say more but it sounds out as Sam is listening and thinking.  It then goes to Sam talking to Julia about why girls like boys to wear more then one type of shirt. Julia says it’s because it shows the persons sense of style, Sam compares this so some iguanas- obviously geckos weren’t good enough to make the show 😉. Julia asks how Sam picks out his clothes, Sam mentions that his mum picks them out. Julia suggests that he should pick out his own clothes, Sam mention hard it is. As there are lots of clothes, colours, patterns and sizes. Julia says to pick something he likes, as when he is independent he will need to be able to do some of this.

It then goes to Doug as he is working as a EMT, Emergency Medical Transporter- I think. He then talks to he colleague about Casey having a boyfriend. Doug says that he has nothing to worry about as she told him about it. His colleague says to him that what he thought as well- its fun being a grandfather.  It then goes to Elsa texting Nick, but she can’t find the right level of text. Sam interrupts her before she can send it. Sam asks if he can go to the Mall with her. Elsa tries to say to Sam that it might be easier to go to the Mall by herself. Sam wants to and says that Julia says that ‘he needs to know how to do his own form of shopping, for when he lives by himself’. Elsa tries to argue back by saying how bad last time was with all the sounds, lighting and the fountain with the water going everywhere. Then Elsa reminds Sam what happened last time he got ‘upset’; Sam hit the nice man at Panda Express and they got banned forever. Sam says that Julia think he is ready, but Elsa tries to compromise by saying if she finds anything she thinks he like she will take a photo of it and send it to him. Sam then stands up to Elsa by saying that he isn’t a little kid no more and they he can do things. Elsa then agrees, but you could see that doesn’t like the idea of Sam being independent. 

We then see Casey and Evan together at her family’s house, both of them are looking at the photo album about the family’s autism walks. Doug then comes in from work and surprises Casey and Even. Casey then introduces them to each other. Doug comes in a bit hostile, but Casey breaks the ice by asking why Doug wasn’t at one of the autism walks. Doug says he had a ‘work-thing’.  Doug ask if they have finished studying, as that why they were there. Casey then mentions that Evan is taking her to track practise. Doug asks Evan if he drives and does he have a clean record? Casey then mentions that he stole a tuba. Doug doesn’t quite understand. He then gets confrontational, Casey then asks what is he doing and Doug says he doesn’t want Casey to get distract from her racing or do anything that could potently destroy her sports career. Then Casey leaves (Evan has gone to his car at this point) and goes to track practise with Evan. Doug then looks at the photo album what Casey was asking about. 

Evan then drops Casey off at her track practise. Evan then mentions that is was odd that Doug was lying about missing the autism walk. Casey tries to say that he doesn’t know her dad. Evan mentions he doesn’t, but he has lots of experience from lying fathers. Casey says that he wouldn’t lie to her. She then comes off that topic by saying to Evan that she told her dad, Doug, about their kiss. She then leaves his car pointing out that they are honest with each other.

Elsa and Sam are at the Mall together, Elsa tries to make Sam believe the lights are really harsh in the shop and that the machines are annoying. Sam acts okay with both things. Elsa asks if he want his sunglasses or headphones, Sam says no to both things. Elsa is a bit flustered when he says no. Zahid arrives in the mall as well. Sam then mentions that he invited Zahid to help him look for clothes. Elsa tries to pick something for Sam, but Sam shuts her down and says that ‘Julia says I need to pick my own clothes’, then leaves Elsa to go to look for some clothes. We see that Elsa doesn’t like Julia trying to make Sam more independent. Zahid, as ever comes out with an inappropriate comment about when someone annoyed him he put his bare bottom on their car. Elsa asked what did that do? Zahid says it did nothing, but he knows his bottom was on this person’s car and they won’t- it is the ultimate power. Elsa then go away from Zahid by getting Sam into a changing room to try some clothes on. Elsa and Sam then walk into a crowed and noisy changing room, followed by Zahid with some more clothes for Sam to try. Elsa says that she called ahead of the going so that Sam could have his needs catered for. Sam doesn’t mind and goes into a booth that is free. Whilst Elsa goes and finds one of the people who works there to see what happened to her request.  Elsa finds the person she was taking to on the phone. Elsa says aloud what she asked for; a private dressing room, dim lighting and no music. The shop worker said that she said to Elsa that she would she what she could do, turns out I couldn’t do anything. Elsa then sounds out slightly as the person helps someone else she asks the person they were helping to politely go away. Elsa then asks why the shop worker didn’t just answer that they couldn’t help her, so they could of one somewhere else autism friendly.  The shop worker then answers back ‘I will say that next time’. Meanwhile Sam walks out of a changing room with a leather jacket and a party top on- he doesn’t seem that happy. Zahid assures Sam that the leather jacket is fine, but Sam says it doesn’t feel right. Sam goes to take off the leather jacket. Whilst Elsa is having a “slight disagreement” with the shop worker. Elsa tries to paint a picture for the shop worker of how the shop feels to someone on the spectrum. This unfortunely meant pushing the shop worker to show people pushing past, the shop worker that’s that as assault. It then goes back to Sam having no leather jacket on but a t-shirt with some whales on it, he explains to Zahid why he likes it. Zahid says if he is going to buy the whale shirt then he has to buy the lather jacket to cover it. That’s when Elsa walks in saying she has to wait outside for him as she has been banned from coming into the shop. Whilst a security guard watches over her. Elsa hands Sam her credit card and says to buy two or three things then she will meet him at front of the store. Sam then says that the who reason for coming was to get clothes to impress girls, then Sam adds on that it was Julia’s idea. Then Elsa leaves with a security guard following her.

It goes to Elsa in the car with Sam on their way back home. Elsa asks Sam if dating is what he wants and is he afraid of getting hurt? Sam makes a joke about it, then responds literally and talks about how talking to girls makes him nervous but Julia says it good to do things that make you nervous. Elsa then points out to Sam that fear is there for a reason. Sam then says to his mum that he is getting older.  It then goes to Elsa and Doug getting ready for bed. Elsa mentions to Doug that Julia has to much influence over Sam. Doug tries to say that she is really helping Sam, but Elsa say that Sam take too much stock in what she says to him. Doug asks if that is a bad thing? Elsa says yes, because she is pushing him too much, so she is going to talk to her. Doug says to be nice, then mentions that Casey has a boyfriend. Elsa replies that she knows because she goes through all her texts. 

It then shows Sam arriving at school. Casey says she doesn’t like his new t-shirt, so Sam ask her whether he should put on his leather jacket or not. Casey says to put the jacket on, she also asks if he knows why their dad wasn’t at the autism walk. Sam says it was the year Doug left the family, for eight months. Casey is left stunned or shocked- I’m not to sure. She then decides to leave school.

Elsa then goes and sees Julia, but she has gone elsewhere, and Julia leaves a note ‘saying back in 30 minuets’. She then starts walking back to her car when she goes passed Julia’s car, so she does what Zahid did- put her bottom on Julia’s car. As she does that she gets a text from Nick. 

It then back to Casey with Evan in a park talking about how Doug could leave them, and she not know about it. It then goes to Doug receiving a phone call from Casey coach saying that she wasn’t in class today. Doug’s colleague says she could be with the boyfriend. Doug says to go the park, as that’s where they hang out. 

It shows Sam in one of his classes, in his leather jacket, you can see the different parts of the leather jacket starting to annoy Sam, whilst he is talking about different animals moulting or sheading. He then springs out of his chair and put the leather jacket, as he is saying sometimes you have to get rid of your outer layer. The teacher asks him if he is okay he replies yes then he makes things awkward by asking the teacher is she is okay before going back to his seat.

It goes back to Casey and Evan in the park. Then Doug and his colleague turn up in the ambulance. Doug hen confront Casey thinking that she left school to be with her boyfriend. Casey then points out that it she didn’t leave because of her boyfriend but because of him leaving the family in 2004 for eight months. Casey then storms off and Doug follows. Doug’s colleague walks up to Evan and says, ‘you stole a tuba?’ Evan thinking, he was about to be roughed up a little looks a little confused. It then goes back to Casey then Doug catches up with her and explains why he left. He couldn’t come to terms with Sam being diagnosed at first, so he went to Casey’s granddads and did some bit there whilst he processed the news and come to terms that he might not be able to do things with Sam. Although he did blame himself, Doug wanted to make sure that he good with Casey.  

It then goes to Elsa taking to the autism network, as she is taking it shows us different things like a girl talking to Sam about how they like his whale t-shirt, then to Julia following an ant trail to the dropped chocolate strawberry, which happened last episode. Then it goes to Elsa trying to look good for someone, whilst doing different poses in the mirror, we then see she was going to see Nick. Then we see them ‘hook up’ at Nick’s. Then it finishes on Doug getting ready for his and Casey’s morning run, but Casey has already left, and she keeps running and running. 

Review: It was a good episode. It shows how Sam is growing up and Elsa getting lost without no one to look after. It shows how Casey’s and Doug’s relationship works. It also shows how some episodes are starting to have a knock-on effect like with the chocolate strawberries. We can also see this relationship between Nick and Elsa getting more serious. We see how Elsa doesn’t really like Julia although they are both want autistics to be independent and empowered. It shows us a bit more how Sam sees the world and how Sam interacts with people, even if it is awkward. Just something quick to say Doug mentions that Elsa tried all the diets for Sam. Most of the time this don’t work, or the diets are to help some autistics eat but most try and help ‘cure’ autism.

Season 1 Episode 4

It starts with Elsa awake in bed with Nick. Elsa then legs it and goes to the supermarket, where it shows her guilt in a more personified way. This is so far the first introduction where Sam hasn’t talk first.

It then goes to Casey at one of her races, one of her team mates ask Casey, whilst stretching out, if she is going to break the record; it has got mentioned a few times now so I’m guessing it going to have some implication- I’m saying this before I know what is about to happen. They we get Sam talking (yay), he talks about animals running at top seeds to catch prey but doesn’t understand why Casey does it. We then see that the whole family and Evan is there supporting Casey. Doug mentions that someone is back from injury, I’m guessing that the person that Casey has to beat. Sam then talks about humans being too slow, so we can’t catch anything. Whilst Elsa’s phone goes off, of course its Nick. Doug asks who is calling and Elsa covers and says it someone from group then ‘accidentally’ drops it and it falls down a flood relief of some kind. Elsa goes and retrieves it as the race is about to begin. Sam then talks again, but it shows us someone’s hair keeps hitting Sam as they move their head. Casey then goes into he blocks ready to start her race. The race then starts, it cuts back to the persons hair keep hitting Sam until he grabs a hold of it. The person then freaks, and Doug then realises what is happening and tries to get Sam to let go. Sam does in the end, but he falls and cuts his arm. Doug and Sam then go to first aid, missing the race. We get to see Casey race and Elsa finding her phone. Casey then crosses the finish line first and beats the record. The whole team and Evan celebrates with Casey, she then looks around and none of her family is there or saw her breaking that record. It then goes to Elsa and Doug talking about what happened with Sam. Casey then asks what they thought of the race, they tried to make something up, then they explain what really happened. Casey at this point you can see she is a little peeved with them. 

It then goes to school where Sam is sitting by one of the classes, he looks up and she the girl he grabbed the hair of talking about it to all of her friends. The girl, who we saw last episode say hi to him, tries to talk to him whilst he still has his noise cancelling headphones on. It a funny exchange to a point, he then takes them off, so she can talk to him. She asks if he wants to study with her, he then turns her down. 

It then goes to Julia in her therapy room talking to Miles, her boyfriend, on the phone talking about the chocolate strawberry. Sam then walks through the door, doesn’t knock just walks in. Sam then talks about how everything with girls and dating is just bad so far apart from Paige, who is the girl who tries to talk to him, we finally have a name yay! Sam points out that he finds Paige annoying and she want to study with him. Julia has to point out that she might like him, Sam thinks that is enough and thinks that he should make Paige his girlfriend.  Julia point out that he got to get to know her and she is the feeling is the same. 

We see Elsa and Doug in the car going somewhere, we briefly see Elsa’s personified guilt is still there. We find out where they where going, to the network group. So, this would be Doug first group meeting, or at least meeting on screen. We then hear a parent of a low-functioning child talk about her child saying a three word sentence. The group leader then praises them, then its Doug’s time to speak to the group. He talks about what happened at the race, but he uses the wrong language, the group use ‘People first Language’. So, the group leader interrupts and says what he is doing wrong, Elsa has to step in and point out that they don’t do that at their house. Doug then mentions “that things with Sam have been getting better...”, the group leader again interrupts and says “there is no getting better in autism”- hmm yeah, my time with that character is not getting better at all... Elsa then has to try and defend him again. So, Doug tries again but he doesn’t know what to say so he results to uses noises, which is pretty funny but not helpful to anyone. Elsa then steps in again and explains what he means. The group then clap and then we see Doug and Elsa drive back home. 

We then again back at school. We see that Sam is studying with Paige, as we see this he is talking about what Julia said to him about not going in to a relationship quickly and what he is going to do; he is going to list the pros and cons of Paige. Paige then tries small talk, that doesn’t work. We then find out that the pros and cons that he mentioned he is writing down- in front of her. Paige’s asks if she can see what he is writing about her, Sam says no.

Then it goes to Sams whole family in the kitchen and Elsa says she is going to make everyone their favourite meals. Casey tries to get out of it but can’t. Doug asks Sam if his arm is okay, Sam says yes and then leaves the room. You can still see Doug is guilty about what happened at the race. Elsa then tries to reassure him then Doug turns into Nick, still Elsa personified guilt shining through, Elsa then jumps back slightly then blames it on static electricity.

You see Doug walking out of a coffee shop, by chance he walks into Julia. Julia and Doug get talking, Julia then praises Doug on how well he has been helping Sam with dating. He thanks her and then talks about his time at the Autism support group meeting, but he was using the wrong words. Julia agrees with him and says it important to celebrate the small victories. They then sit together and talk. It then goes to Zahid and Sam at Techtropolis. Zahid then reads through Sam pros and cons of Paige, then makes an inappropriate comment. He then suggests to getting her out of school to she how she reacts then. Then it goes to school. Paige has an ‘odd’ argument with a teacher, Sam then interrupts this by asking Paige if she wants to hang put out of school. Paige obviously says yes, Sam then gives her his address, Sam then explains that he can’t drive because he wants to close his eyes. Then list other alternatives to get there. He then goes to Casey to get his lunch money, Sam then tells Casey that he asked a girl out. Casey thinks she said no but when Sam says she said yes, she feels sorry for her. We then see Casey go to the coaches’ office, she finds out that another school wants her in their team; the school is called Clayton Prep. The coach says to consider the opportunity. She is then with Evan talking about it. She mentions that Clayton is one of the best school in the state and they get to go on to do really good things. Casey then talks tries to talk herself out of it and Even helps by saying it is an hour drive away.  

They both arrive at Casey’s family home. Evan is a bit wary of going in because he thinks Doug hates him, she then says that they don’t know about it. So, he surprises Elsa who is cooking in the kitchen and it meant to be the night of the special family meal. Which already hasn’t gone to plan. Elsa then points out that only Casey would bring someone to a family dinner without asking, as Sam opens the front door with Paige and Zahid behind him.  Casey finds the situation funny, whilst Elsa then tries to keep calm and handle the situation. Doug comes and helps Elsa with dinner, I think, but they start to celebrate that Sam has two friends. Then Doug mentions something Julia said, Elsa then starts to question him then Doug starts to back track and passes as something Sam has said. Casey then walks in, Elsa asks what she is wearing then realises that she was wearing Casey’s jacket when she last saw Nick. Elsa asks Casey to take the jacket off, but she doesn’t. Then it goes to the living room where Sam and Zahid then talk about using random test for Sams pros and cons of Paige. Firstly, Zahid chucks something at Paige, she doesn’t catch it. Then as she is retrieving the thing that was thrown at her she spots and takes Sam’s book what has his pros and Cons of her. Paige then hides in the toilet and find the page Sam was using, she then makes an etching to see what he was saying about her. It then goes to the meal, Doug notices that Casey’s jacket reeks of smoke he questions Evan, but Elsa realises it was her that was smoking with Nick. Elsa then takes the jacket off Casey to stop anymore questioning. Paige then comes back from the toilet, hinting something that she has read from the list. Zahid realises that Paige has read the list and tells Sam, who didn’t even notice because he thinks no one can read to because he has the original copy in his pocket. Paige then says what Sam did and Sam confirms it then Casey rolls off some more insults. Zahid then tries to help but implicates himself and makes things worse. Paige then ask who he has shown it to, Elsa ask why he made that list. So, he says why, to make a decision if he want Paige to be his girlfriend or not. Everyone around the table is stunned, Elsa more so and Paige decides to leave. Sam realises that Paige is mad, not before making sure with everyone around the table. He then goes and follows Paige. We then see Paige outside on the step Sam sit by the side of her. Paige ask why he would say all of that about her? She then says that you’re not meant to write it down. Sam says now he knows he won’t do it again. Then ask how she knew what he said. She shows him the etching she made of the list. Sam then takes out the list from his pocket and starts to write on it, he then points out that she has more pros then cons. Then ask her out in a really awkward way, Paige then said yes. It then goes back to the dinner table where Elsa and Doug are talking about Paige and Sam. The Casey interrupts them and says her news, although she had been trying to say to them the whole time. Both Elsa and Doug are excited for Casey, then Elsa tries to dampen it by trying to point out that there are lots of things they need to discuss. They also mention how important Casey is to helping Sams order of things while in high school. Then Evan makes a scene and points out they never really celebrate or have any time for Casey only Sam. Then he mentions about she has a chance to go to one of the best school in the state but want her to stay at Newton to help with Sam. There is a slight awkward silence. Then Sam then comes back with Paige and mentions like he doesn’t really care he has a girlfriend. Elsa then leave to get some ice cream from the store, instead she goes to see Nick and she tries to end it. Then tries to get some ice cream from there. Back at the house Doug promises Casey that both him and Elsa will talk about her going to Clayton Prep.

Review: This episode had a lot of things in it. Sam finally having a girlfriend, Casey maybe going to a different school, the affair between Elsa and Nick becoming more real and Doug finds out the different languages for autism. Zahid continues to be the source of dirty humour, which isn’t a bad thing just wouldn’t use it all the time to someone who keeps repeating what you say. We get introduced to Paige who seems quite nice although we still really don’t know much about her. Evan is finally accepted by Doug, to a degree. Lastly let’s not forget Julia who we saw have a heated discussion to Miles, her boyfriend. So, it their relationship that secure? This is the halfway in the Season so there isn’t much time to gain much information about all of these characters.  

Overall: We are now half way into the first season, so much has happened in these two episodes. We are starting to see the conflicts within the family, like Elsa doesn’t like Julia but both Sam and Doug do. Casey is so close to getting her dream of getting away, but Elsa is trying to put a stop to it, in the name of Sam; which I think is wrong. Evan has been the only one really on Casey’s side the whole time.  Sam although now has a girlfriend, wants to know everything about dating to break up with Paige so he can date Julia.  The people outside the family seem to be the only honest people towards Sam and Casey. Although I would like to see more of the autism support group, especially the group leader as she seems very blunt and doesn’t like people using anything but people first language.

Okay then everyone that’s my review and views on episode 3 and 4 of Atypical.Thank you for reading this far 🙃. If you want to watch it, it should be on Netflix. These are only 30 minuets an episode. It well worth a watch! If you like this review, please subscribe in the tab at the left-hand side as the top on is broken and it can’t really be fixed. It is under the heading of subscriber. Please comment below or message me in G+ if want me to review something else, after I have finished reviewing all of Atypical. I will be doing this every Wednesday or Thursday and I will post on the blog every Sunday.