The fourth and final season of Netflix's original dramedy series Atypical bowed on the platform on July 9, 2021. The series is full of endearing characters, all of which surround protagonist Sam Gardner (Keir Gilchrist), an inquisitive teenager whose autism makes his mother Elsa (Jennifer Jason Leigh) extremely overprotective.
Along with Sam's father, sister, and closest friends, Elsa has Sam's best interests at heart as he navigates the pitfalls of coming-of-age as high school ends. With a diverse cast of main and supporting actors, the best characters in Atypical are anything but.
10 Beth Chapin
Beth Chapin (Rachel Redleaf) became a lovably sympathetic character in her introductory episode, in which she is senselessly bullied by insecure high school students. When Casey Gardner (Brigette Lundy-Paine) sticks up for her, Beth repays her by baking her cake later that night.
Also typified by the way she dances at Casey's birthday party, Beth has an adorable, sweet-natured vibe to her personality. She even earns enough trust to carry Sam's lunch money when Casey isn't around. Although she appears in 9 of 31 episodes, Beth's virtuous qualities make her one of the show's best characters.
9 Izzie Taylor
While Izzie Taylor (Fivel Stewart) begins as an antagonist in Season 2, she ultimately becomes a close friend and eventual love interest to Casey. As one of Clayton Prepatory's most popular students, Izzie is an extremely compelling character on the show.
Aside from providing love, support, and happiness to Casey as her girlfriend, Izzie's strong character is reinforced by her role as a caretaker to her two younger sisters, one of which is an infant. When she isn't preoccupied with personal matters, Izzie is easy to root for as a runner on the track team.
8 Doug Gardner
With a big heart, kind spirit, and down-to-earth personality, Doug Gardner is one of the best parts of Atypical. As the father of Ben and Casey, his role as a genuine caretaker is underscored by his vocation as an EMT. Humble, gracious, and benevolent, Doug is the man.
Despite his great qualities, a heartbreaking aspect of the show is watching Doug struggle to connect with Sam, who is often busy with his overbearing mother. Still, Doug is there when it matters most, even when he discovers Elsa's infidelity and briefly kicks her out of the house.
7 Julia Sasaki
Amy Okuda plays Sam's lovely therapist Julia Sasaki on the show, who remains unaware of the crush that he has on her during Season 1. Julia is profoundly supportive of Sam and encourages him to pursue dating and often hilariously clashes with Sam's mom, Elsa.
Drawing on her experience with her autistic younger brother, Julia has a crucial understanding of how to treat Sam with the close attention he deserves. Even when she confronts Sam over sneaking into her house to leave her a confection, she ruefully apologizes afterward and their relationship grows as a result. Although she is a TV doctor, her flaws make her as human as can be.
6 Casey Gardner
Casey Gardner is Sam's loving and protective younger sister who is willing to do whatever is necessary to ensure his happiness. What makes her such a great character is her morality, strong-willed determinism, independent nature, and bravery to be herself no matter what others think.
When she isn't winning track meets as a star student-athlete or ensuring Sam's safety, Casey's biggest character arc comes in discovering her bisexuality and forging a meaningful romance with Izzie. In addition to representing important LGBTQ+ issues, Casey's sense of social justice has made her a fan favorite.
5 Evan Chapin
Evan Chapin (Graham Rogers) begins his character arc on Atypical as Casey's beloved boyfriend. Once Casey leaves him to be with Izzie, Evan focuses on work in a pizza parlor while aspiring to be an EMT.
As one of the cooler and more well-balanced characters on the show, it's hard to dislike Evan. On one hand, he is sweet and supportive of Casey even after they break up. On the other, Evan has a mischievous side as seen when he is expelled for stealing and selling musical items from Newton Hgh. His contradictory nature gives him an authentic and well-rounded personality that is easy to relate to.
4 Elsa Gardner
Although she's overprotective to a fault, Elsa Gardner has a massive heart and giving spirit who means well. Her motherly instincts to go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure Sam's well-being is second to none, making her the primary caretaker of the series. Without her compassionate acceptance of Sam's diagnosis as a child, he may never be the same.
Elsa's clumsy and ditzy demeanor gives her an endearing quality that nicely counters her habitual lying and sexual infidelity. Jennifer Jason Leigh gives a stellar performance as a complicated three-dimensional character whose parental virtues balance her personal imperfections.
3 Zahid Raja
The most hilarious character on the show is Zahid Raja (Nik Dodani), who provides much-needed comic relief to the otherwise serious subject matter. As Sam's best friend and Techtropolis co-worker, Zahid constantly smokes weed and wildly exaggerates about his sexual conquests.
However, it's Zahid's stature as a close, caring, and good-listening friend of Sam's that makes him so likable. He gives Sam invaluable advice regarding girls, takes him shopping for stylish clothes, and helps him find Paige's penguin necklace. Zahid couldn't be a better or more likable friend.
2 Paige Hardaway
As Sam's caring confidant and eventual girlfriend, Paige Hardaway (Jenna Boyd) is a clear standout on the show. The radiant Valedictorian is always there for Sam no matter what and is considerate enough to have the PTA arrange an autistic-friendly school dance for him to attend and stand up for him anytime bullies approach.
Prone to road rage, sleepwalking, and rapping her school subjects to help her with exams, Paige's personal peccadilloes make her extremely likable and relatable. Even when she and Sam experience hardship as a couple, Paige remains a loyal friend.
1 Sam Gardner
As the lovable lead character on the show who is obsessed with penguins and visiting Antarctica, Sam Gardner is not only the best character, but he is also the main reason to watch Atypical in the first place. Sam's autism is rightly treated as a feature of his personality, not a bug.
The importance of exploring autism aside, Sam's underlying humanity is what makes him such a great character. The irony of a title like Atypical is that Sam, despite his circumstances, is just as typical as most American teenagers wracked by raging hormones, crushing insecurities, adolescent angst, nervous romances, scholastic pressures, and challenging home life.
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July 24, 2021 at 12:00AM
