One of the most cringe-worthy things you can see in film or TV is when an actor attempts to play someone with mental illness or physical disabilities. Most of the time, the actor tries so hard to replicate the mannerisms and symptoms that they overdo it and it almost ventures into the realm of parody. Thankfully, “Atypical” is a series that treats its lead character, who is on the autism spectrum, in a respectful way, while maintaining the humor and heart that has made it one of Netflix’s best series. No cringe to be found.
With Season 3 around the corner, Netflix has finally released a trailer for the upcoming batch of episodes. And as you might expect, especially if you’ve been a fan of the series from the beginning, “Atypical” continues the story of Sam, a teenage boy that is on the autism spectrum, as he continues his coming-of-age journey.
The cast includes Keir Gilchrist, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Michael Rapaport, and Brigette Lundy-Paine. This season, the cast expands to include Sara Gilbert and Eric McCormack. “Atypical” is created, produced, and showrun by Robia Rashid. Previous to this series, she was one of the producers on series such as “How I Met Your Mother” and “The Goldbergs.”
Season 3 of “Atypical” arrives on November 1.
Here’s the synopsis:
Atypical is a coming of age story that follows Sam (played by Keir Gilchrist), a 19-year-old on the autism spectrum as he searches for love and independence. While Sam is on his funny and emotional journey of self-discovery, the rest of his family must grapple with change in their own lives as they all struggle with the ongoing central theme of the series: what does it really mean to be normal? In season three, Sam starts his first year of college and is faced with the challenge of figuring out what success means for him, while adjusting to the changes that come with growing up. Jennifer Jason Leigh stars as his mother, Elsa, who continues her own journey of self-discovery as her children grow older and more independent, Michael Rapaport plays his father, Doug, and Brigette Lundy-Paine plays Sam’s sister, Casey. Recurring this season are Sara Gilbert as Sam’s new Ethics professor, and Eric McCormack as his art professor.