Atypical 1.08

The Silencing Properties of Snow

Lots of heartbreak early in the episode. I thought this one was going to end on a complete downer at first but things turn around. Everyone isn't happy at the end but things don't look quite as grim as they did during the first 10 minutes.

Atypical 1.07

I Lost My Poor Meatball

Paige and Sam are still getting ready for the dance when she let's slip out that she loves him. He doesn't know how to respond. He isn't sure if he loves Paige. He gets advice from Zahid, which doesn't help much, and then from his parents. Sam uses three pieces advice as his litmus test to determine if he love Paige.

Atypical 1.06

The D-Train to Bone Town

Paige wants Sam to take her to the dance. She tries enticing him by telling him that her parents will be out of town that weekend. She invites him to come over after the dance. Sam doesn't get it. Zahid has to explain to him what Paige is hinting at.

Elsa has sex with Nick, again. She does some pot with him and inadvertently tells the mother of one of Casey's friends about Clayton Prep, while she is still high.

Casey gets frozen out by her friends on the track team. They know that there's a good chance she will be leaving soon for Clayton Prep.

Doug helps Julia out. She injured her ankle at home. He insists on taking her to the ER. They talk about him not telling his coworker about Sam's autism.

Still don't love this show. It's good but not the home run I would like it to be. I'm wondering when the hammer is going to drop on Elsa. I'm guessing her affair with Nick is going to get revealed but I'm not sure how.

The funniest scene had to be the conversation that Sam and another teen had about baseball and sex. A close second would be the the condom buying scene.

Atypical 1.05

That's My Sweatshirt

Paige starts to get on Sam's nerves. She comes over and goes through his room, touching all his stuff. He manages to cope with it okay until she takes his sweatshirt, without asking. Casey intimidates Paige, she breaks up with Sam but by the end of the episode they patch things up.

Julia, Sam's therapist, experiences some relationship problems of her own. She thinks that her boyfriend of 5 years is cheating on her. Her friend tries to talk her out of thinking crazy thoughts with some success.

Casey goes for an interview at Clayton Prep. It doesn't seem to go so well at first but by the end of the interview she has a pretty good feeling about it. Her hopes seem to get dashed at the end of the episode when Clayton Prep admissions finds out about the incident in 1.01 (Antarctica) when Casey punched another girl.

Elsa gets an invite from Nick, to his birthday party. She calls him to tell him no she won't be there. He seems amused by her attitude. She has a change of heart by the end of the episode.

Elsa finds out that Doug never told Chuck, his coworker, that Sam is autistic. Chuck finds out at the same time that Elsa finds out that he didn't know. Doug and Chuck have worked together for 5 years. That seems like a long time to be working together for the subject never to have come up.

This episode was not as funny as the last one. There were a few laughs but for the most part it was more serious.

Atypical 1.04

A Nice Neutral Smell

Paige tries hitting on Sam again. He still doesn't get it. It isn't until Julia (his therapist) suggests that maybe Paige wants to do more than just study that his eyes are opened. It isn't all smooth sailing from there.

Casey gets an approached by the athletic director at a really elite school after she breaks a record at a track meet. The AD wants her to transfer to the elite school. Evan doesn't want her to go to a school that's an hour away but he does his best to support her.

Elsa is feeling guilty about having sex with Nick. She starts seeing and hearing things, judgmental things. She decides to make it up to the family by making them a special dinner. It is just supposed to be the family but Casey brings Evan with her and Sam comes in with Paige and Zahid.

Doug's life returns to normal. By that I mean that he is just a father and a husband in this episode. He has a frustrating moment when he goes to group therapy with Elsa. It wasn't a funny moment but I could feel his frustration.

This show continues to grow on me. I laughed several times. The only negative things I can thing to say is that once again the show sometimes feels a bit rushed.

Atypical 1.03

Julia Says

Sam still has a crush on Julia, his therapist, but recognizes that he needs up his game (my words, not his). He gets it in his head that he needs to dress better. He convinces his mother to take him to the mall. He doesn't want her to pick clothes for him. He also invites Zahid, his coworker, to join them.

Both Elsa and Zahid give Sam clothing advice that he doesn't care for. Elsa and Zahid share a moment while Sam is in the changing room. Elsa gets kicked out of the store.

Doug meets Ethan, finds out (from Casey) that he has kissed his daughter, and gets very protective. Casey finds out that her father left them for several months when she was 3 years old. Doug doesn't quite get a spotlight but for the first time he seems like there is more to him that just being a father and husband.

Julia discovers the cupcake that Sam unknowingly dropped under her couch in the previous episode. Elsa meets up with Nick and goes back to his place.

Loved the moment where Sam gets a compliment about his new shirt. It totally resonated with me.

I'm really liking this show, especially this episode. Hopefully the show will continue to impress and amuse me.

Atypical 1.02

A Human Female

Sam has a crush on Julia, his therapist. He gets down when he finds out she has a boyfriend but Zahid (his co-worker) and Doug (his father) try to encourage him not to give up hope. His father changes his tune once he discovers who he has a crush on.

Elsa struggles with her feelings for Nick, the bartender. It is implied that Doug had an affair some time in the past.

Casey gets teased by her classmates about dating a guy who got kicked out of school. She isn't actually dating him yet. She kisses him for the first time after she gets him to tell her how he got expelled.

On the whole not bad. I kind of like it. It isn't blowing me away. I wish the father had his own arc (like the other three family members) but maybe the show works better the way it is.

Atypical 1.01

Antarctica

Sam considers dating after his therapist puts the idea in his head. Sam has a little bit of trouble relating to other people. Sam's mother doesn't like the idea.

The brother of one of Casey's classmates starts hitting on her. She tries to shake him but he is persistent, but in what seems to be a non-threatening way. Casey is Sam's sister.

Elsa, Sam's mother, goes out drinking after a dance class. She winds up spending a good chunk of the night talking to the bartender. Is this going somewhere? Probably, but not in this episode.

Sam goes on two dates. Neither date ends well. Sam is too inexperienced to know how to handle himself on a date. The advice he gets from classmates and coworkers doesn't help.

Sam is played by Keir Gilchrist who I thought was quite good on United States of Tara. His parents are played by Jennifer Jason Leigh and Michael Rapaport.

Pretty good, but this episode didn't do it for me the way I hoped it would. I like the premise but I thought it all moved a little too fast. There were some moments that felt very cliched, another knock against the show. I will probably watch more.