'Atypical' Season 2, Episode 6 Recap: 'In the Dragon's Lair'

If any episode of Netflix’s “Atypical” could turn viewers around after its laughable first season, this one is it. Season two, episode six of “Atypical” addresses nearly all of my problems with the first season. Not only does Sam’s (Keir Gilchrist) autism feel more realistic, but the family dynamic is more genuine and the overall tone less self-important. This episode is, in my opinion, the best in “Atypical’s” run so far because it feels like the writers have spent time with high-functioning autistic people and their families to craft a more grounded exploration of the episode’s topic rather than overexaggerate for the sake of “quirky” comedy.

The topic in question is Sam learning to sleep somewhere other than his own bed. His girlfriend Paige (Jenna Boyd) is a sleepwalker, and she wants him to attend the senior class lock-in later in the school year and make sure she doesn’t wander off. The trouble is Sam has never slept anywhere besides his own bed overnight, so best friend Zahid (Nik Dodani) decides Sam should sleep over at his house so he can get used to it — both for the lock-in and, eventually, his move to college. (Should the show explore that far, I’d be interested to see how they portray college life.) However, several auditory stimuli in Zahid’s room cause sensory overload, leading Sam to pace down the street in the dark of night muttering his calming phrases (the four different types of penguins). A patrolling cop believes Sam is a druggie and arrests him and Zahid, who appears at the last minute.

Doug and Elsa (Michael Rappaport and Jennifer Jason Leigh) are off to see old friends who stopped hanging out with them when Sam became “too difficult,” as well as clear the air between Sam and their own disabled son. The episode opens in 1999 to the two couples as friends before they had children and sets a good juxtaposition for later events in the episode, which I’ll return to momentarily. Meanwhile, Casey’s (Brigette Lundy-Paine) girls’ night with Izzie (Fivel Stewart) is interrupted when Nate appears and attempts to put the moves on her while Izzie sleeps. I must compliment the writers on this scene in particular for playing it completely straight and realistically rather than inserting a quirky gag to offset its uncomfortable nature and am interested to see how this impacts Casey in the rest of the season.

Going back to Doug and Elsa’s subplot, they meet with their friends, agreeing not to discuss the past. It’s initially smooth sailing, but a few drinks later, the husband reveals to Doug that they stopped hanging out with them because of Sam’s difficulties as a child. In a wonderful continuation of his arc from season one, Doug stands up to his friend and tells him off for excluding him and Elsa over Sam’s behavior. One of season one’s more interesting elements was Doug’s choice not to discuss Sam’s autism with others, and I’m ecstatic that it’s being extended upon here. As well, Elsa’s helicopter tendencies have been reduced, finally allowing Jennifer Jason Leigh to act more like a real person instead of an overbearing cartoon. Though Leigh and Rappaport’s chemistry still isn’t great, it appears the actors have gotten more comfortable with each other offscreen.

Kevin’s Rating:

This episode is head and shoulders above any in Season 1. The writing is more realistic, the portrayal of autism less stereotypical, and the characters far more sympathetic. It appears the show’s creators listened to the well-deserved criticism of last year and are rectifying the show’s problems. I actually care about this family instead of wondering how they’ve held together. Sam’s autism isn’t being used for easy comedy most of the time, and the overly quirky and happy score from last season has been toned down. In short, the episode proves to me that these writers realized their mistakes and will make up for them in seasons to come.

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Episode 5 Review: ‘Atypical’ Teaches an Important Lesson About Financial Literacy for Those on the Spectrum