Atypical - General Discussion

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Episode 6 - Man, that was COLD for Arlo's parents to cut Sam's family out of the annual camping trip without a word. Did they think Elsa and Doug wouldn't notice? I know it was petty but I laughed SO HARD when Elsa pulled that trophy out of her bag.

I liked that we are getting more insight into how Elsa and Doug became the people we know now. It's no surprise that Elsa was the one charging ahead, researching ways to help Sam, and advocating for Sam and how that led to Doug to, as he put it, letting her make the decisions. I'm not saying either of them are to blame.

Elsa was doing everything she could think of to make things better for Sam and as we've seen in the present day scenes, she feels the need to be useful. All the research and decision making she did was out of love, not just for Sam but for Doug. I'm sure her logic was that he was busy with work and still dealing with Sam's diagnosis so she assumed that by researching autism and finding ways to help Sam was taking that burden off of Doug. Her intention wasn't to steamroll Doug. She thought she was helping him the same way that she still thinks that making the beds and washing his uniform are helping. She sees it as one of her contributions to their family.

Meanwhile, Doug was trying not to rock the boat which is why he didn't speak up - especially because he could see that some of the things she found were helpful (back then it was the headphones and in the present, he learned that Elsa came up with the method Sam still uses to calm himself by naming penguins) and that her heart was in the right place. Both of them could have made an effort to be more aware of how the other person was feeling, but they were both doing what they thought was best for Sam.

On a superficial note, I love the small detail that Arlo's parents are an Asian man and a white woman. Most of the time when you see a mixed race couple on tv/in movies and one of them is Asian, 99% of the time it's the female who's Asian. It's so rare to see the Asian half of the couple be the male. Off the top of my head, I can think of less than a handful of others (Josh Chan on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Jason on The Good Place are the main ones that come to mind and both of those shows are very recent).

Of course Nate turns out to be a jerk who's thinking with his dick. Why couldn't he just leave things alone and be friends with Casey? And to have the absolute fucking GALL to to try to kiss her while Izzie was lying on the other side of him? DICK. I'm glad that Casey's immediate reaction was to tell him that nothing would ever happen between them and then kicking his ass out.

Awwww, Zahid is so sweet. I love how much thought he put into making his bedroom comfortable for Sam. He is such a thoughtful friend. I love that his mom (sorry, ROOMMATE) said that Zahid has become better since becoming friends with Sam. It's nice to see that their friendship is much more symbiotic and complementary than it appears. Hee, I also love that Zahid's roommates turned out to be his parents. That guy sure knows how to spin things!

Edited September 16, 2018 by ElectricBoogaloo

[bounnatalie]

Quick question. Did Doug leave Elsa when the children were young for a bit? Am I remembering correctly? 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

33 minutes ago, bounnatalie said:

Quick question. Did Doug leave Elsa when the children were young for a bit? Am I remembering correctly? 

Yes, he did. If I recall correctly, at the time Elsa told the kids that he was on a trip or something to spare their feelings and the truth came out last season.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Episode 7 - Since Sam is calling Julia every week, does this mean that he STILL doesn't have a new therapist? As much as I like Ms. Whitaker and as much as I think that peer group is actually helping Sam, the fact that he's still calling Julia every week seems to mean that he could really benefit from having weekly one on one therapy sessions in addition to peer group.

Ugh, OF COURSE that little weasel told Izzie that Casey was the one who kissed him. To quote Casey and Doug, what a shitbag! As Casey astutely pointed out beforehand, boys ruin everything. It wasn't until the previous episode that I realized he played Zach, the son on The Good Wife!

So typical that a girl's idea of revenge is wring SLUT on someone else's shoes. Loved when Elsa left new shoes on Casey's bed.

Even though I didn't like the whole Paige finding Bailey and Sam in the art closet storyline, I guess it was worth it so Ms. Whitaker could see what a talented artist Sam is.

Evan remains a nice guy. Not only did he not blame Casey for Nate kissing her, but he came to the house early so he could patch up the hole in the wall.

I'm a little confused by the timeline because we saw Julia getting bigger so her pregnancy is moving along, but in everyone else's timeline, it doesn't seem like it's been more than a month or so has passed this season.

I guess things are different at a small school, but all of the stuff about Paige and the senior gift seemed ridiculous to me. At my high school and my university, we had a committee for the senior gift and fundraising throughout the year. You don't just have one person decide that they're going to buy a used hydroponic garden for $4000, have one bake sale, and then give up and paint a bench (which is then installed the next day).

Edited September 17, 2018 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Episode 8 - I love how much Casey and Evan were encouraging Sam to go to art school. The way she gently told him that he would make new routines so that he wouldn't change his mind and want to stay was very sweet. I also loved that she immediately defended Zahid when Sam started to blame him for losing his portfoio because they went to the batting cages.

Poor Julia, having to listen to Elsa and Doug's personal problems when she just wanted to share resources for them to do that first responder training.

And yes, Julia was right - daddy's a douchebag.

I'm glad that Doug is finally interested in going to therapy with Elsa. Even if they end up getting divorced, they need to work through their issues and get to a place where they can peacefully co-parent, especially if Sam is going to keep living at home.

Edited September 17, 2018 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Episode 9 - As well intentioned as it was for Elsa to throw a surprise party for Casey's birthday, why don't people ever listen when the birthday person states what they want, as in a small quiet night? And has she ever heard of KNOCKING? Gawd. I'm glad that she finally realized her mistake and apologized for throwing the birthday party she wanted instead of the one Casey wanted.

It was nice to see Casey struggle with humoring Sam's need to fulfill all the birthday rituals versus what she wanted. I wish that at the end of the episode, she had a talk with him about keeping the most important ones (like the comic) and skipping some of the others (I wouldn't take well to being woken up in the middle o the night either).

LOVED the comic book that Sam drew for her birthday! Ha and I loved that he made Zahid into Drahid the dragon.

So now that Paige knows Sam is making out with someone else, will she be jealous enough to want to be his girlfriend again?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Episode 10 - First, A+ for having Casey and Evan listening to Lovesong by the Cure.

Loved Casey and Zahid fistbumping while Sam read Paige's speech.

I really liked that Sam decided that he needs to learn how to become more independent before he begins college. I just hope that he remembers Ms. Whitaker's advice and asks for help when he needs it.

It's bad enough that someone would say those terrible things about Sam but to write them in Sam's own yearbook? I was with Paige. WTF is wrong with people?!

Newton High is even smaller than I thought. There were only four rows of graduates and in a few of the shots you could see that there were eleve kids in the middle section. It wasn't clear how many kids were in the small side sections on the right and left (it looked like there were 5-6 seats) but that's definitely less than 100 kids total which means that whoever wrote those shitty things in Sam's yearbook is someone who has had class with Sam at some point in the past.

As much as I want to root for Casey and Izzie, I LOVE Evan so much that I don't want to see him get his heart crushed.

I'm so glad that Julia showed up for Sam's graduation. In the previous episode and again in this episode, some of Sam's talking heads looked like they were shot in her office so I was hoping that we would learn that after graduation, he started seeing her again. I know that a lot has happened between them that should prevent that from happening again but I still remember what a good therapist she was for him in S1 and I think he could really benefit from seeing her regularly, especially now that he knows he isn't in love with her anymore.

[Paloma]

My husband and I finished Season 2 last night and mostly enjoyed it, but for me in some ways it was not as good as the first season. We have a nephew with what used to be call Asperger's who has been dealing with the same independence issues as Sam, and the show is depicting that pretty well. But, while I empathize with Elsa's challenges as a mother, she has become so unlikable to me that I almost want to stop watching when she is in a scene...especially this season when she seems to be expecting quick forgiveness and a return to a normal relationship with Doug. I also am very distracted by Jennifer Jason Leigh's face, which seems to be even more Botoxed and/or collagen-filled than last season (or maybe I just forgot what she looked like last season). 

Another thing that bothered me this season was the focus on Sam's former therapist's pregnancy and her douchebag boyfriend--it just seemed irrelevant to the story of Sam and his family, and I am not sure it is believable that she would become so involved with Sam again after what happened in the first season (with the break-in at her home and the complications that resulted).

On 9/17/2018 at 12:24 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I'm a little confused by the timeline because we saw Julia getting bigger so her pregnancy is moving along, but in everyone else's timeline, it doesn't seem like it's been more than a month or so has passed this season.

I was confused by this also, but I think that the second season began in the winter (in episode 1 Sam questioned why his father was building a porch for his grandfather in the winter--the explanation that Sam was given for why his father was not living at home). Since it ended with high school graduation, which is normally May or June, at least 6 months have gone by.

I also felt that that there was too much Paige, though it did lead to the huge emotional payoff at graduation, and too much sex-obsessed and pot-smoking Zahid, though I did like when the show let us see beyond that superficial persona when he was at home and when he was being sensitive to Sam's needs for the sleepover.

Next to Sam, Casey is the most appealing and realistic character for me, and her story was compelling this season. I loved her friendship with Izzie and that it survived Nate's blaming Casey for the kiss, and I don't think the bisexuality element was needed though I understand this viewpoint:

    

On 9/16/2018 at 1:34 AM, galax-arena said:

Re: the idea that it would have been nice to see a strong platonic female friendship on tv so they shouldn't have gone there with Casey/Izzie, I don't agree just because I think that well-written f/f relationships are a lot rarer/less visible than female friendships are. If we're talking about undervalued platonic relationships,

I like Casey's relationship with Evan, though as a mom I would be upset with her having sex for the first time at 15 and, as usual in TV, there was no mention of protection against pregnancy or STDs. If there is a third season, I wonder if that relationship can survive, especially if Casey and Izzie go beyond platonic friendship. Evan is extremely nice and understanding, but I doubt he could accept his girlfriend sleeping with someone else, regardless of gender (and I don't think he should accept that, because it is still cheating unless all parties agree to the arrangement).

One last thing that took me out of the show was the kitty plot device. I guess the point was to show how Elsa would do anything to get an appointment with that therapist, but all I could think was that the kitty was dropped off apparently without any litter box or food.

Despite these relatively minor complaints, I think this show is better than the vast majority of TV shows. 

[Nordly Beaumont]

On 9/16/2018 at 11:24 PM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

You don't just have one person decide that they're going to buy a used hydroponic garden for $4000, have one bake sale, and then give up and paint a bench (which is then installed the next day).

Installed the next day, and yet somehow the paint was still wet! She would have had to repaint it after installation and moments before Sam and Bailey showed up and sat on it. 

[twoods]

Enjoying this show and on episode 4 of season two, but one thing is really bothering me. Casey can see her dad is struggling with working and keeping the house afloat while Elsa has moved out, and why isn’t she helping? He has to do and fold her laundry, and he’s doing the grocery shopping and cooking. 

Other than that, and trying to make us feel sorry for Elsa, I am enjoying this show.

[kimbrchick]

I just finished season two last night. I came on here after the first episode but noticed there was only this one post for the whole season. I avoid spoilers so here I am after finishing the last episode. I know she did wrong but I feel Elsa was treated extra badly by her family. Even the kids said hateful things and as a parent I can't see myself being OK with being talked to that way. Maybe she feels she deserves it. Maybe she does deserve it and I'm not understanding because I've never been in that situation. Also, she seems different this season, like more spacey.

Casey and Sam are awesome as siblings. She obviously would do anything for Sam and I love how she encourages him with his art. The "tighter or looser" line when he was freaking out was so sweet.

I love that Paige stood up for Sam. They must be outcasts of a sort if Sam isn't fully embraced by the other kids. I don't know, we only see Sam's perspective and he does pretty well as far as having a few friends and even being in a relationship for a while. Are most of the students mean and cruel while only a few are truly accepting or is it the work of one insecure, horrible person wrote that crap? I think I'm thinking too much about it.

Regarding Casey and Izzie. I was happy when Izzie started being less mean girl and more genuine. I kept thinking there was going to be a twist and she was going to be playing Casey somehow after she opened up to her. I'm glad that didn't happen. I liked that it didn't take too long for Izzie to come back to Casey and say screw whatshisface. I rolled my eyes when they went to kiss though. I feel like a lot of close relationships between two girls on TV and movies either go that route or tease it and I just don't need this one to. Why the extra drama?

[Cementhead]

On 9/13/2018 at 5:13 PM, Helena Dax said:

However, I can't stand Elsa. I don't know if it's the way she's written or the way the actress is playing her, but I can't with her. I wouldn't trust someone like her in RL, she feels extremely fake.  She literally makes my skin crawl. 

She really bugged me this season, too.  And on a more superficial note, I don't know if it's because Jennifer Jason Leigh had some sort of fillers or injections before filming this season, but I had a really hard time just watching her.  Her face had a permanent scowl on it this entire season.  She just looked mean and angry.  Maybe that is just her face?  I dunno.  I just found it ironic since the viewers were supposed to be somewhat sympathetic to her character. I haven't seen her act in anything else recently, but I am pretty sure last season she was capable of expressing more than one facial expression. 

Edited September 21, 2018 by Cementhead

[ElectricBoogaloo]

19 hours ago, twoods said:

Enjoying this show and on episode 4 of season two, but one thing is really bothering me. Casey can see her dad is struggling with working and keeping the house afloat while Elsa has moved out, and why isn’t she helping? He has to do and fold her laundry, and he’s doing the grocery shopping and cooking.

I have noticed on several tv shows (off the top of my head, this happened on Santa Clarita Diet too) that parents are shown doing laundry for their teenage kids (clothes, bed sheets, etc) and then putting the folded laundry in their drawers/closets, making their beds with fresh sheets. I always shake my head when I see this because when I was in fifth grade, my mom told me that if I wanted clean clothes, sheets, and towels, I would be responsible for washing my own stuff. It's not rocket science and the machines do most of the work. You dump your clothes in, add detergent, and turn on the machine. You come back an hour later and throw it all in the dryer. I really don't understand why parents continue to do this for their teenagers, but it explains how some kids start college and don't know how to do their own damn laundry. Honestly, if you're allowed to operate a car, you should be capable of doing your own laundry.

Casey is pretty good about paying attention to Sam's needs, but I think when it comes to household stuff, there are things that she just expects to be taken care of for her, like having food in the refrigerator, dinner prepared by someone else, and clean clothes.

Clearly she knows how to use the washing machine since she put her slut sneakers in to try to get the words off, so you'd think that she would be willing to throw her own underwear in the washing machine after seeing how her dad is struggling to handle everything without Elsa around (and we've seen that Elsa took care of a lot of the domestic stuff so having all those responsibilities fall on Doug while she was gone was A LOT of extra work for him).

[BonnieD]

Quote

 I always shake my head when I see this because when I was in fifth grade, my mom told me that if I wanted clean clothes, sheets, and towels, I would be responsible for washing my own stuff. It's not rocket science and the machines do most of the work. You dump your clothes in, add detergent, and turn on the machine. You come back an hour later and throw it all in the dryer.

THANK you! I absolutely turned laundry duties over to my kids when they were in about fifth grade or so. A monkey can do it. Kids don't seem called on to do household chores by lots of parents. I do not approve.
I'm not finished with the season yet, but liking it better than the first so far, perhaps because the characters are well established now. I've never been a fan of JJL's acting but that's ok. There's always a character in every show you feel ambivalent about or are even turned off by. She's it for me. 

I'm all in for another season!

[Paloma]

7 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I have noticed on several tv shows (off the top of my head, this happened on Santa Clarita Diet too) that parents are shown doing laundry for their teenage kids (clothes, bed sheets, etc) and then putting the folded laundry in their drawers/closets, making their beds with fresh sheets.

Guilty as charged! Not only did I do this when my daughter was a teenager, I still do it when she comes home to visit from overseas...and she is 35 with a child of her own! In my defense, for some strange reason I get satisfaction out of doing laundry--sometimes even on vacation I will say I need to stay home in our rental apartment to do the laundry while my husband goes sightseeing. I think it has a soothing effect. But getting back to the show, Elsa has been shown to be a supermom who has tried to do everything for her family (whether or not it is good for them), in part so she can feel needed (that is another reason why I do my daughter's laundry when she visits), and she is devastated when they show that they don't need her, at least to that degree. So in that context it makes sense to me that it would not occur to Casey to do laundry or help out in other ways.

[TeapotWakeen]

There are few 15-year-olds who would willingly volunteer to do their own laundry. And Elsa's entire existence seems defined by what she does for her family, wanted or not. To require them to take care of themselves, as each young person should learn to do in age-appropriate ways, is to diminish her existence. FFS, she cut a grapefruit in half and poured a bowl of cereal for Casey. Pretty sure that was about age 7 in our house!! She's so bad at boundaries, she doesn't bother to knock at either child's door, she tells her child about her "experimentation" with a woman in totally inappropriate ways, AND she doesn't even require her children respect her. I'm not a fan of Elsa -- but boy have I known a lot of them!!

[viajero]

I binged through both seasons over the past week.  I really enjoyed Season 1, but I think Season 2 was even better as they were able to delve a little more into some of the secondary characters.

The only negative is that I didn't really like most of the adults all that much.  By midway through the first season, Elsa had become so unbearable that I kept being tempted to fast forward any scenes that did not involve the kids.  The father was more sympathetic, but I found that his character was a bit too stereotypical and not all that interesting.

In contrast, I did really like most of the kids.  I got a particular kick out of Casey.  They did a good job of developing her character in the second season and the show seemed to be at its best when she was on the screen.  

On 9/20/2018 at 2:55 PM, kimbrchick said:

Regarding Casey and Izzie. I was happy when Izzie started being less mean girl and more genuine. I kept thinking there was going to be a twist and she was going to be playing Casey somehow after she opened up to her. I'm glad that didn't happen. I liked that it didn't take too long for Izzie to come back to Casey and say screw whatshisface. I rolled my eyes when they went to kiss though. I feel like a lot of close relationships between two girls on TV and movies either go that route or tease it and I just don't need this one to. Why the extra drama?

I can see why this could come across as extra drama, but in this case I think Casey's growing attraction towards Izzie is perfectly within her character.  Though its obvious that she genuinely likes Evan (what's not to like?), is flattered by his attention and enjoys some degree of physical affection when in the right mood, there always seemed to be something missing.  She just never came across like a girl madly in love with her first boyfriend.  I had kind of pegged her as being queer from the beginning and was not at all surprised that she would discover this for herself once she met a girl who showed an interest in her.  As Casey says in the car at the end, while she really loves Evan, "something feels so right" about being with Izzy.

If Casey and Izzie are endgame, I'm also glad that they made Evan a very sympathetic character.  I am tired of the trope in which a girl discovers her sexuality only after dating a guy who is a real douche. 

[lynxfx]

On 9/20/2018 at 1:55 PM, kimbrchick said:

Casey and Sam are awesome as siblings. She obviously would do anything for Sam and I love how she encourages him with his art. The "tighter or looser" line when he was freaking out was so sweet.

One moment of many that really makes this show for me. 

I recently discovered this show after Michael Rapaport was on Colbert. Got hooked and we binged the first 2 seasons in a couple days. Great writing, great performances. The dynamics between each of the family and the close friends to Sam feel genuine. Especially Casey and Sam. Even Zahid, who seemed mostly like a sitcom sidekick, had some touching moments once they got outside of his work schtick. 

When Paige was first introduced I thought she looked like a female Andrew Garfield. By season two she was giving me the Kimmy Gibler vibes from Full House. Glad to see I wasn't the only one, based on another comment on here.

Really looking forward to a Season 3. Too bad that is probably a year away.

[AllThatJazz91]

Just like everyone else I have really enjoyed the new season! I wasn't surprised at all when Casey realized she was attracted to lizzie. I honestly felt like she would be into girls. It was just a feeling I had when I started the show. It's been so wonderful to see how far Sam has come. His friendship with Zahid is incredibly sweet. I'm glad we got to see more of his character this season. The Sam/Casey dynamic is better than ever. Especially when she teases him. It just comes off as a genuine brother/sister relationship. The one thing I will say I didn't like was I felt like Julia's character was pushed to the side. I was expecting to see more of her. 

[galax-arena]

One part of the show that I didn't like was that at times Doug seemed to be encouraging Casey's antagonism towards Elsa. There was one scene where Casey said something mean/nasty about Elsa, I don't remember what exactly she said, and Doug just sorta laughed and riffed on that. I get that Elsa did Doug dirty, and I wouldn't give a fuck if Doug wanted to keep giving Elsa shit himself, but he shouldn't be putting Casey in the middle of it. I mean, okay, Casey was obviously already in the middle, but he shouldn't be encouraging it! A good parent doesn't do that. He should be putting his own feelings aside and not trying to encourage Casey's growing alienation from her mother. One thing that I always respected about my own parents was that they tried to keep my brother and me out of older adult relative drama when we were kids.  

And ftr, I'm not an Elsa fan. I just didn't like the way Doug handled things either, at least with respect to Casey. Of course, depiction isn't synonymous with endorsement, but with the way the show framed it, I felt like we weren't supposed to see anything wrong with Doug encouraging Casey's antagonism. 

Quote

I had kind of pegged her as being queer from the beginning

Yeah, for real. I took one look at her in season 1 and was like, "That girl ain't straight." I was more surprised when she ended up being into Evan. But hey, turns out she's bi (maybe? I agree that sometimes it seemed like she was trying to make herself be into Evan sometimes, so IDK), so the world makes sense again lmao. A friend of mine who's also a lesbian just started watching season 1 and immediately texted me, "She reminds me of myself, I think this chick is gay." (I hadn't spoiled anything for her.) I feel like Casey's queerness didn't come out of left field to most gay/bi viewers, although there were some of us who figured, okay, maybe it's just wishful thinking on our part. And, re the idea of so many friendships between girls veering into romantic territory.... please, tell me what all of these shows are! I don't know, I just can't agree that platonic female friendships are suffering wrt representation because lesbians/bis. It's all relative: yes, we're seeing more same-sex female relationships on screen compared to a couple of decades ago, and that's not a bad thing, because lesbian/bi girls deserve representation too. It's like, back in the day it used to be that 100% of the female relationships on screen were just platonic friendships with maaaaybe some homoerotic subtext. And now we're at, what, 96% platonic female friendships and 4% explicitly romantic relationships, and people are acting like the lesbians are taking over and "why can't girls just be friends anymore!" There are still PLENTY of shows out there that show platonic female friendships, I assure you. 

Edited September 23, 2018 by galax-arena

[BonnieD]

Just have to say how hilarious I thought it was that Zahid's "roommates" were his parents. I got a huge kick out of that reveal. I know he's only meant to be comic relief but his character is very welcome and I like how they've expanded it.

[CaliforniaLove]

On 9/22/2018 at 9:26 PM, galax-arena said:

One part of the show that I didn't like was that at times Doug seemed to be encouraging Casey's antagonism towards Elsa. There was one scene where Casey said something mean/nasty about Elsa, I don't remember what exactly she said, and Doug just sorta laughed and riffed on that. I get that Elsa did Doug dirty, and I wouldn't give a fuck if Doug wanted to keep giving Elsa shit himself, but he shouldn't be putting Casey in the middle of it. I mean, okay, Casey was obviously already in the middle, but he shouldn't be encouraging it! A good parent doesn't do that. He should be putting his own feelings aside and not trying to encourage Casey's growing alienation from her mother. One thing that I always respected about my own parents was that they tried to keep my brother and me out of older adult relative drama when we were kids.  

And ftr, I'm not an Elsa fan. I just didn't like the way Doug handled things either, at least with respect to Casey. Of course, depiction isn't synonymous with endorsement, but with the way the show framed it, I felt like we weren't supposed to see anything wrong with Doug encouraging Casey's antagonism. 

Yeah, for real. I took one look at her in season 1 and was like, "That girl ain't straight." I was more surprised when she ended up being into Evan. But hey, turns out she's bi (maybe? I agree that sometimes it seemed like she was trying to make herself be into Evan sometimes, so IDK), so the world makes sense again lmao. A friend of mine who's also a lesbian just started watching season 1 and immediately texted me, "She reminds me of myself, I think this chick is gay." (I hadn't spoiled anything for her.) I feel like Casey's queerness didn't come out of left field to most gay/bi viewers, although there were some of us who figured, okay, maybe it's just wishful thinking on our part. And, re the idea of so many friendships between girls veering into romantic territory.... please, tell me what all of these shows are! I don't know, I just can't agree that platonic female friendships are suffering wrt representation because lesbians/bis. It's all relative: yes, we're seeing more same-sex female relationships on screen compared to a couple of decades ago, and that's not a bad thing, because lesbian/bi girls deserve representation too. It's like, back in the day it used to be that 100% of the female relationships on screen were just platonic friendships with maaaaybe some homoerotic subtext. And now we're at, what, 96% platonic female friendships and 4% explicitly romantic relationships, and people are acting like the lesbians are taking over and "why can't girls just be friends anymore!" There are still PLENTY of shows out there that show platonic female friendships, I assure you. 

PREACH!! Agree wholeheartedly, and wish I could like this 1,000 times. I too am over here scratching my head wondering where all these shows are where a platonic female friendship evolves into something more. 

[kimbrchick]

On 9/22/2018 at 9:26 PM, galax-arena said:

One part of the show that I didn't like was that at times Doug seemed to be encouraging Casey's antagonism towards Elsa. There was one scene where Casey said something mean/nasty about Elsa, I don't remember what exactly she said, and Doug just sorta laughed and riffed on that. I get that Elsa did Doug dirty, and I wouldn't give a fuck if Doug wanted to keep giving Elsa shit himself, but he shouldn't be putting Casey in the middle of it. I mean, okay, Casey was obviously already in the middle, but he shouldn't be encouraging it! A good parent doesn't do that. He should be putting his own feelings aside and not trying to encourage Casey's growing alienation from her mother. One thing that I always respected about my own parents was that they tried to keep my brother and me out of older adult relative drama when we were kids.  

And ftr, I'm not an Elsa fan. I just didn't like the way Doug handled things either, at least with respect to Casey. Of course, depiction isn't synonymous with endorsement, but with the way the show framed it, I felt like we weren't supposed to see anything wrong with Doug encouraging Casey's antagonism. 

Yeah, for real. I took one look at her in season 1 and was like, "That girl ain't straight." I was more surprised when she ended up being into Evan. But hey, turns out she's bi (maybe? I agree that sometimes it seemed like she was trying to make herself be into Evan sometimes, so IDK), so the world makes sense again lmao. A friend of mine who's also a lesbian just started watching season 1 and immediately texted me, "She reminds me of myself, I think this chick is gay." (I hadn't spoiled anything for her.) I feel like Casey's queerness didn't come out of left field to most gay/bi viewers, although there were some of us who figured, okay, maybe it's just wishful thinking on our part. And, re the idea of so many friendships between girls veering into romantic territory.... please, tell me what all of these shows are! I don't know, I just can't agree that platonic female friendships are suffering wrt representation because lesbians/bis. It's all relative: yes, we're seeing more same-sex female relationships on screen compared to a couple of decades ago, and that's not a bad thing, because lesbian/bi girls deserve representation too. It's like, back in the day it used to be that 100% of the female relationships on screen were just platonic friendships with maaaaybe some homoerotic subtext. And now we're at, what, 96% platonic female friendships and 4% explicitly romantic relationships, and people are acting like the lesbians are taking over and "why can't girls just be friends anymore!" There are still PLENTY of shows out there that show platonic female friendships, I assure you. 

Consider me enlightened regarding Casey. I felt at first that it came out of nowhere because I didn't pick up on what others did. Of course it's completely normal for feelings to develop out of the blue and it's great that gay relationships are being represented. I exaggerated and I don't really feel like there are soooo many shows where this happens. Now I'm questioning why I even thought that? I'm learning.

[madpsych78]

Casey's a fantastic character. She reminds me of Juno (played by Ellen Page). 

Zahid is a mixture of Howard and Raj from The Big Bang Theory.

Paige - Kimmy Gibbler

[jww]

Tuition at Rhode Island School of Design is $46,000 a bargain compared to Bowdoin which is $48k, pretty steep with a family with an EMT as the sole wage earner.  Even at the Connecticut State Universities tuition is $11k + $15k for the dorm.

[Readalot]

3 hours ago, jww said:

Tuition at Rhode Island School of Design is $46,000 a bargain compared to Bowdoin which is $48k, pretty steep with a family with an EMT as the sole wage earner.  Even at the Connecticut State Universities tuition is $11k + $15k for the dorm.

EMT’s here pay minimum wage!  No one stays an EMT. Either use the experience to get into the Fire Academy or to earn clinical hours to apply for P.A. school (like my DD). 

[jww]

18 hours ago, Readalot said:

EMT’s here pay minimum wage!  No one stays an EMT. Either use the experience to get into the Fire Academy or to earn clinical hours to apply for P.A. school (like my DD). 

I don't know if I missed it but have they ever explained the family's life style on such a paltry income?  Their house really looks large/well furnished with an updated kitchen  when I would think an Archie Bunker Levittown style  900 sq foot house/worn furniture would be more appropriate.  Also they really must have great health insurance that covers all of Sam's counseling sessions with no mention of co-pays since even the best Cadillac plans limit sessions and have a small network of providers.  A similar show was the ABC'S The Middle with an autistic son (Brick) and they had to depend on an occasional session with the school psychologist

[BonnieD]

Quote

I don't know if I missed it but have they ever explained the family's life style on such a paltry income?  Their house really looks large/well furnished with an updated kitchen  when I would think an Archie Bunker Levittown style  900 sq foot house/worn furniture would be more appropriate.  Also they really must have great health insurance that covers all of Sam's counseling sessions with no mention of co-pays since even the best Cadillac plans limit sessions and have a small network of providers.  A similar show was the ABC'S The Middle with an autistic son (Brick) and they had to depend on an occasional session with the school psychologist

Don't you know that there's real life money and TV money? In so many shows the $$$$ seems to be raining from the sky on average families. See Parenthood for a prime example. There would be a few episodes worth of talk about financial troubles and next thing you know the entire clan is going on some sort of road trip that would require skimping and saving. Sort of like the babies or pets that only show up when it is convenient to include them in a plot and are never wailing and whining and demanding attention at any other time. *sigh* Oh to live the TV life.
Somehow it's easier to accept magic in a show than it is to accept the unlikeliness of the "real life" aspects.

[Racj82]

I'm sure this unpopular opinion but I have zero interest in this Casey/Izzie thing. I figured this was going to happen last season but they just held it off one season. While many people like to call out how men and women can't seem to just be friends on television, it's starting to become that way for same sex friends too. I'm tired of the trope. Yay for representation but it doesn't do anything for me. I was also enjoying the friendship without going there. Yes there are plenty of shows out there with platonic same sex relationships. Doesn't mean that it isn't trope at this point either. 

Other than that, I really enjoyed this season. Everyone has reasonable flaws. I can see both sides of every questionable thing characters do on the show.

I don't condone Elsa or anyone cheating. But, the show has done a good job of showing how it came about. Doug isn't perfect but I understand his conflicted emotions and reactions. Casey can be annoying as fuck but she's also a really good sister. Zahid can be really tiresome and I was getting as annoyed with him as his manager when he kept smoking on the clock. Nothing about that is funny. But, he is also a good friend. Solid writing and realistic.

[The Mighty Peanut]

Elsa didn't bother me too much, surprisingly. She was too pushy and unreasonably wanted the forgiveness turnaround on her time, but it was exactly what that character would do in that situation and I can forgive a lot when a show is realistic/true to character.

I LOVED her freakout at the end when she called the bullies shitbirds, but Paige did bug me for making no real effort to look outside of herself and exhibit something, anything to show she realizes the world doesn't work for Sam like it does for her. She's valedictorian but expects Sam to understand the nuances of casual dating? I'm pushing 40 and neurotypical, I don't know the nuances of casual dating.

I love Zahid and want him to be real. Just stop smoking weed at work, dumbass. Oh, that was another thing I liked--"you smoke marijuana for autism?" "Obviously. Ovbiously.  Obviously! *long pause* Obviously."

Edited October 5, 2018 by The Mighty Peanut

[galaxychaser]

I love this show. 

[debraran]

On 9/21/2017 at 4:10 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Oh, Casey, having sex for the first time because you're mad at your mother is a terrible idea. Poor Evan. He was the one being cautious, trying to make sure that she was ready, and he still somehow got exactly what he was trying to avoid with the postcoital awkwardness and all.

I had to roll my eyes when Nick accused Elsa of being selfish because she was ending things with him. Um, you're talking about a married woman who was having an affair with a bartender she randomly met. How did you NOT know she was selfish until this moment?

I get that Sam's usual decision making process involves making a list so I was okay with him asking his parents how you know when you love someone, but I'm with Zahid - you just know. Unfortunately for Paige, he only likes Paige in a neutral way. If she had dropped off the face of the earth, he would barely notice her absence. Julia, on the other hand, is his fantasy girl. I don't think he actually loves Julia or that he's in love with her, but she is the object of his affection.

Hee, I loved Zahid announcing that it was time for a man hug and calling Sam a polar bear.

Why is it that they never mention birth control? Sam at least bought condoms but every time Casey brings up sex or Evan, no one mentions it. I think it's good to remind teens if watching that it's something to remember. ; )

I never saw the chemistry with Elsa and Nick but understood the feelings involved or lack of them. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

[debraran]

Elsa always bothers me but I love everyone else. I understand Elsa, but something about they way she talks, IDK, it irritates me. I couldn't see the bar guy wanting to date her but that's just me.  I have a son who has sensory issues, cotton shirts, likes headphones for listening to most things, hates when things are too loud, socially awkward at times. I see a lot of him in Sam but of course Sam has many more issue to deal with. Everyone does a great job though.

I also think EMT can not afford that house. Most go on to other things or become paramedics. I know some younger men that are trying to get into PA school that do it part time. The average in CT where I live and they live on TV is 40,000. That home is huge and Elsa doesn't seem to work. They eat well, pay for many medical expenses, I guess I chalk it up to an inheritance we didn't hear about. ; )

I know they actress that plays Casey is gay and she welcomes any exploration of having mixed feelings toward both sexes but feeling more whole with one. That is how they ended it for now. I thought it was a gag worthy as Casey that her Mom sees seconds of them being close and tells her about her female crush years ago. Please....lol

Edited October 14, 2018 by debraran

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I saw this article and it reminded me of what happened to Sam:

https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-police-shooting-man-with-autism-497734991.html

[paulvdb]

‘Atypical’ Renewed For Season 3 By Netflix

Quote

Netflix has ordered a 10-episode third season of Atypical, its critically praised series from The Goldbergs writer/co-executive producer Robia Rashid and director/executive producer Seth Gordon. The renewal comes almost two and a half months after the release of the show’s second season.

[Blakeston]

Count me in with the people whose gaydar was activated a long time ago by Casey. I have very mixed feelings about her hooking up with Izzy, though, because I really don't like Izzy.

She's bad news. The horrible way she treated Casey in the beginning of the school year can't be explained away as "oh, she's just defensive when she gets to know people." You have to be a nasty piece of work to falsely accuse a teammate of shoving you to the ground during a race.

Then she took Nate's side in the love triangle (even though you could tell she knew what really happened), and tried to brush it off by telling Casey, "I was afraid of losing you." What? That made no sense whatsoever.

Clearly Izzy's in the middle of a terrible family situation, and she could grow into a good person someday. But for the time being, if I were Casey I'd stay far away.

[Ilovepie]

On 10/31/2018 at 7:31 AM, Blakeston said:

Count me in with the people whose gaydar was activated a long time ago by Casey. I have very mixed feelings about her hooking up with Izzy, though, because I really don't like Izzy.

She's bad news. The horrible way she treated Casey in the beginning of the school year can't be explained away as "oh, she's just defensive when she gets to know people." You have to be a nasty piece of work to falsely accuse a teammate of shoving you to the ground during a race.

Then she took Nate's side in the love triangle (even though you could tell she knew what really happened), and tried to brush it off by telling Casey, "I was afraid of losing you." What? That made no sense whatsoever.

Clearly Izzy's in the middle of a terrible family situation, and she could grow into a good person someday. But for the time being, if I were Casey I'd stay far away.

Just finished this series - I don’t care if Casey is a lesbian or bi, but I I agree with you 100% re:Izzy. I think she is a manipulative user and a horrible bully.

I am also disappointed with Casey because it looks like she is going to cheat on Evan (who I love), which is completely hypocritical after the way she treated her mom for cheating on her dad.

Despite this, I enjoy this show and will definitely tune in for season 3!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

This reminded me of the episode where Sam was out late by himself:

A man with autism, behaving violently, winds up in the ER. The officers on duty respond — by singing and dancing

[rmontro]

On 10/4/2018 at 12:12 AM, The Mighty Peanut said:

Elsa didn't bother me too much, surprisingly. She was too pushy and unreasonably wanted the forgiveness turnaround on her time, but it was exactly what that character would do in that situation and I can forgive a lot when a show is realistic/true to character.

The thing that strikes me about Elsa is how cheerful she is.  Even after everything that's happened, and with her marriage falling apart, she's happily going about getting breakfast or whatever she's doing, smiling and having a ball.  She seems almost obliviously happy until Doug reminds her that everything isn't okay.  Then she looks hurt and shocked for a few minutes before reverting to her happy little self.

[Ilovepie]

On 2/6/2019 at 4:12 PM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

This reminded me of the episode where Sam was out late by himself:

A man with autism, behaving violently, winds up in the ER. The officers on duty respond — by singing and dancing

Thank you so much for sharing this - it brought tears to my eyes. My daughter isn't autistic, but she is bipolar and has Intermittent Explosive Disorder on top of being a 14 yo girl in the middle of puberty. To say it is rough sometimes is an understatement. Sometimes just having people who know how to calm someone with these issues goes a long way from keeping it from escalating to something even worse. I think that's why I love Zahid so much on this show. He helps Sam. And why I understand Elsa's need to intervene so often. When she says in one of the first episodes that she was stressed every time her phone rings, I knew exactly how she felt. When my daughter was in third grade I changed my ringtone to the dog barking because it was the least stressful ringtone. I was afraid there was always an issue on the other end or a call from school. (There usually was).

Thank you for sharing an uplifting story. There are good people out there who are a huge help to people with mental illness. They don't get enough credit.

[paulvdb]

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S3 trailer:

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Just a reminder that S3 is now available!

[madpsych78]

I want Casey to meet Sara Gilbert. That could be a fun scene!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

S3.E1: Best Laid Plans

Paige invites Sam to redefine their romance, Casey struggles with complicated feelings, and Elsa attempts to find a new normal with Doug.

Original air date: 11/1/19

Oh, Casey. It's so confusing when you are dating someone and then you find yourself unexpectedly attracted to someone else. One thing I really like about the way Casey is that she's written as a realistic teenager who is not a flat one dimensional character. She is kind and protective with Sam but she can also be a regular sister who does things to annoy him and she mouths off to her parents and gets moody with her boyfriend.

I'm glad she set Sam straight when he blamed Paige for distracting him. It's not Paige's responsibility to remind him about registration. It's also not her responsibility to tiptoe around and avoid doing or saying things that MIGHT distract him. Paige can be a lot, but I like that she decided she wanted to have sex with Sam, told him, and then tried to make it happen.

I liked that Elsa took Julia's advice (although I hate that Elsa hit her up for a free quickie therapy session after the meeting - respect people's boundaries!). I get Elsa's frustration about the big talk with Doug never happening, but hovering and pushing isn't going to make it happen. He's going to talk when he's ready to talk. I'm glad that she admitted that she was smoking when she accidentally set the fire. It seems like she's ready to stop hiding things and be honest which is a good step forward.

Edited November 4, 2019 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

3.1

Evan: How is this banana bread so delicious?
Elsa: Oh, I used the fancy butter.
Evan: There's fancy butter?

Izzie: Your bed is so cozy and warm.
Casey: It's all the farting I've been doing.

Edited November 4, 2019 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

S3.E2: Standing Sam

Sam makes a bold move amid the buzz of orientation day. Casey crosses paths with Nate. Elsa and Doug unpack the hazards of half-truths.

Original air date: 11/1/19

Ha, OF COURSE Paige is texting Elsa to check on her succulents and asking for pictures.

Like Sam, I hate icebreakers. I never thought to call ahead an ask what games they were going to make me play though!

I don't blame Sam's new friends for telling him to blow off his meeting. He never said it was for so they didn't know it was important. I wish Elsa had listened to Luisa when she said that Sam has to decide for himself if he wants to sign up for student services.

I try to overlook a lot of things on tv shows but Sam being able to move into the dorms after he missed the housing deadline because ONE kid broke his legs? Extremely unlikely. There is usually a waiting list to get into the dorms so even if a spot opened up at the last minute, there would be a lot of people ahead of him waiting to get that room. But Sam G #2 seems like a sweet guy.

Thanks for reminding me that Nate sucks, show!

Edited November 4, 2019 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

3.2

Casey: If I find one drop of turtle feces in my duffel bag, I will poop on your bed.
Sam: That seems fair.

Luisa: So yesterday Mitchell shaved his entire body to get down on his time. Now he's just prickly all over like a pudgy cactus.

Sam: Is [the closet door] always this squeaky?
Sam 2: I'm not sure. I mean, I usually don't open and close it 35 times, but you do you.

Elsa: Hey, Casey, it was sweet of you to go to Denton with your brother today.
Casey: I have no idea what you're talking about.
I get it. You just had to help. You know, you're not as different from me as you'd like to believe.
Casey: That is the meanest thing you've ever said to me.

Edited November 4, 2019 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

S3.E3: Cocaine Pills and Pony Meat

An ethics professor pushes Sam to his limits. Elsa keeps an eye on Doug ... and Megan. Casey considers her future and encourages Evan to do the same.

Original air date: 11/1/19

I know it sounds absurd to be late to class because you had too much time, but it happens. My first two years of college, I lived in the dorms and I had an on campus work study job so it was so easy to roll out of bed and still make it to class or work on time. But when I lived off campus, I had to drive to school, park, take the shuttle to campus, and then walk to class. On top of that, I had an off campus job so I tried to maximize my time on campus.

My first year living off campus, I was able to get all my classes on MWF so that I could work all day on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It meant I had back to back classes on MWF though so I had to haul ass, especially when I had a class on one end of campus and the next one was on the exact opposite end of campus.

My second year living off campus, I was taking all upper division classes for my major and minor which meant that there was only one section offered and my choices were take a class whenever it was offered or pick another class. I ended up having my classes more spaced out time wise which you'd think would be more relaxing but when I had two hours between classes, I would go to the library or the bookstore to read or study and then lose track of time. I'd take a break from reading and realize that I had 15 minutes to get across campus for my next class (and it took 15 minutes to get there whether I walked or took the shuttle).

So yeah, I totally get why Sam was late to Darlene's ethics class. I totally appreciate that he made a huge effort to get organized and manage his time better.

In the previous episode, I was glad when the student services lady told Elsa that she couldn't do any of this stuff for Sam. My sister recently started working at a high school after several years working at a university and in both cases, she often had parents calling on behalf of the students. I expect that more in high school but college? And some of the things that the college parents called about were high school level things like "Can you change my kid's grade in this class?" (and keep in mind that my sister did not have the power to change anyone's grades which just made these requests even more ludicrous).

I liked that Paige and Doug told Sam that he could do it on his own if he wanted to because he needs to hear that. But I liked that it was HIS decision to ultimately go to student services, not Elsa's.

Speaking of Elsa, I wish she would stop using Julia for free therapy. The woman just had a baby! If you want advice, find your own therapist, make appointments, and pay her.

I think Casey's heart was in the right place when she bought that book for Sam, but she went about it all the wrong way. I'm glad that Sam was honest with her and said that college isn't for him. But when she said they still had two more years to figure everything out, the look on his face said he is pretty sure he's going to lose her once she leaves for college so he just wants to enjoy the time he has left with her.

And yay for more Sam G #2!

Edited November 4, 2019 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

3.3

Sam: As any seasoned explorer will tell you, timing is everything. On Ernest Shackleton's Nimrod Expedition, he was so worried about his team falling behind that he fed them cocaine pills every hour. I don't take cocaine pills, but I do have an extra bowl of sugar cereal in the morning if I know it's gonna be a big day.

Darlene: So you're late because you had too much time to get here.

Sam: College makes no sense. My schedule changes every day. There are no bells between classes, and thanks to Archibald Denton's poor planning, the campus is not on a grid.

Sam: How do you do that?
Zahid: It's a gift I picked up watching Indian soap operas growing up. I used to think that people always burst into song after doing the deed. It's why I do it.

Casey: Where would you go? Three cities.
Evan: Um, maybe Providence. 
Izzie: What?
Evan: Yeah, Providence is nice.
Casey: Dude, that's like two hours from here.
Evan: So what? They've got a good minor league baseball team.
Casey: Omigawd.
Evan: Hey, Mrs. Gardner, quick, three places you wanna live and prepare to be judged harshly. And Providence is taken.

Elsa: Do you just pop in to say snarky things?
Casey: When I get the timing right, yes.

Casey: I love when Sam's selfishness collides with your selfishness.

Edited November 4, 2019 by ElectricBoogaloo