Over the last eighteen months, with barely any new releases seeing daylight, many of us, including me, have started looking back at movies and TV shows that we may have missed, and finally given them a watch. Atypical was one of those shows for me. On the surface, it looked like something that has been made before and didn’t have that “hook” making me want to watch it. I was wrong. Atypical’s first three series’ are some of the most delightful pieces of television I have seen in quite a few years. It captured the core characters in a perfect way during the first few episodes of series one and since then has built them up while introducing new characters who are just as likeable as our leads: Sam, Casey, Elsa and Doug – the Gardner Family. So, with the show coming to an end with series four, does this feel like a satisfying ending to a story four years in the making?
Atypical tells the story of Sam Gardner (Keir Gilchrist), a young man on the autism spectrum looking for love and independence. In the fourth and final season, each character faces a challenge they never anticipated and Sam sets sights on a nearly impossible goal. Meanwhile, Sam’s sister, Casey, is faced with a life-changing dilemma.
The final season of Atypical definitely won’t change your mind if you weren’t a fan of the first three series’; however, if you enjoyed the previous entries into the show, then you will love series four! It feels like a satisfying ending and ends in a way that feels impactful.
With the cast all returning, you get some great performances from everyone. Sam, being the true lead of the show, is in the forefront more than ever before. He has high aspirations and as we move through to the final few episodes, you get the highs and devastating lows to each scenario. But, the biggest standout is Nik Dodani’s Zahid. Previously in the show, he has typically been used for comedic effect and never been able to really have much character development. However, here his character is given a lot of screen time to grow and he really does go on a journey of self-discovery that is easily the most emotional part of the show. You see him more than just “Sam’s best friend” here which felt like a different yet fitting direction to take his character.
The series also is a bittersweet conclusion to everything we have seen before. Character arcs come to a close in a way that feels like the logical way to finish the story. If you binge through all four seasons, they all flow after each other so nicely and the final few moments really capture what this show is about.
Atypical: The Final Season may just be the best series yet. It concludes everything in such a heartwarming way that as a massive fan of the show, I loved it all. Once again, Keir Gilchrist is wonderful as Sam and really shows that he is the glue that keeps the show together. Nik Dodani also steals the show as Zahid and the dynamic between him and Sam is perfect. Easily one of the best seasons of television this year!
Netflix presents Atypical: The Final Season streaming exclusively from 9th July
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