Atypical Season 4 Offers a Heartfelt, Hopeful End to the Series

The final season of Atypical takes a big swing, ending in a way that’s both heartfelt and satisfying for the viewer. 

Is it a little clunky along the way? Yes. But ultimately, everything works to create an ending that feels hopeful. 

Spoilers ahead for the final season.

Moving Out

Atypical Season 4 starts out simple enough, with the two major conflicts for Sam being moving out on his own to live with Zahid, and finding a way to get out of academic probation.

Both of those are ripe for good storytelling. Sam moving out on his own this way is a big deal, and the roommate conflict he and Zahid have is incredibly relatable. (I mean, who ever had an easy time moving in with a friend?)

That part is overcome fairly swiftly, which is a good thing. Their friendship wins out and they’re able to compromise. But there is so much else that could be explored with Sam in this way, especially as he balances living away from his parents with college.

Instead, he’s able to get out of academic probation just a little too easily by helping out Sara Gilbert’s Professor Judd. She’s so impressed with Sam’s attention to detail that she offers to be his academic advisor (surprising to me he doesn’t have one assigned?) and gives him the points he needs to pass his Ethics class.

It feels as though they could have a great relationship and that Professor Judd would be a helpful mentor to Sam as he navigates college. But instead, he has the revelation he needs to go to Antarctica — and he needs to happen right away.

The Antarctica Trip

The pieces are almost there, but it feels as though we’re skipping ahead too far in Sam’s journey. I can’t help but think that if the show were to have at least one more season, we would have seen everything I mention above be explored in more detail first. 

That said, it does make complete sense that Sam would find purpose in making such a trip to study penguins. It’s something he’s passionate about, and it’s quite the motivation to overcome some of the struggles he has because he’s on the spectrum.

That’s all wonderful to watch. It is, however, a disservice to the character to depict him as so impulsive over the decision at first.

Sam is more logical than he comes across with this at first, and yes, he eventually makes a proper plan and begins to prepare in a way that makes sense, but I don’t buy that he wouldn’t have approached it all more methodically from the beginning. 

It’s also just a little too convenient that upon making the decision to take this trip, he finds a program through the school that would send him to Antarctica right when he’s ready to go.

The attention to detail when it comes to Sam’s Autism is a strong point in all of this, especially because it’s not overdone.

His reactions to food, sleeping arrangements, and even the sound of swishing from the pants he’d need to wear all come into play. And his support system is a big part of how he’s going to make this all work.

It’s a family affair

I adore Sam and Casey’s relationship, and one of my favorite scenes is Casey taking Sam to the cooler at Sally’s to prepare him — and showing him what he can really handle, swishing pants and all.

Sam’s parents have differing reactions to the whole thing. Elsa is, of course, concerned. And you can’t blame her. This isn’t just any excursion Sam wants to go on — it’s a dangerous one.

Sam’s dad comes around sooner, especially after he deals with his own grief of losing his best friend. He also points out to Elsa that she needs to start having a little more faith in her son and believing in him. 

I see this as another really realistic interaction. Any point would likely be worried about their child wanting to go on such a trip, but when that child is Autistic, the reality is that there are going to be a few more struggles to overcome. And it’s going to be harder to let go — heck, she has a hard enough time letting go when he first moves in with Zahid.

This is something Elsa’s worked on a bit throughout the series because she has been just a little too overbearing and overprotective of Sam at times. So by the end, it’s satisfying to see her let that go — as best she can — and just be proud of what her son is about to do.

More satisfying than that, though, is how Doug becomes involved.

I have to say, I was finding it frustrating at first that no one in Sam’s immediate circle offered to go alongside him or find someone who could, especially when the program he was going to go with initially was canceled. But the payoff — that Doug realizes he’s saved up 54 vacation days, and now he has a great way to use them — that’s the tearjerker.

Throughout the season we see a little more background about Sam’s relationship with his dad and that period of time when he left while Sam was young. That makes the fact that he asks to go with Sam to Antarctica even more important, and Sam’s open acceptance of the idea just as sweet. Of course Sam’s dad should go with him. Of course he should.

Thematically, this works well too because the fact is, Atypical isn’t just about Sam. It’s about the entire family and their own individual struggles. In fact, this trip will wind up being just as therapeutic for Doug, and it’s no doubt going to help him bond with Sam more. It’s a perfectly satisfying ending, and one that really does feel hopeful.

Sam’s friendships

I’d be remiss if I didn’t back up a bit to discuss Sam’s relationships outside of his family. As his dad points out, he does have a lot of friends by his side lately. His relationship with Zahid is an important one that also stays at the core of the season, not only because they live together, but because Zahid learns he has cancer.

The good news is that surgery is all he needs, but at first, Sam doesn’t even register the bad news because he’s so focused on his own problems. 

Once he makes that connection, Zahid becomes a priority for Sam in a big way. He wants to be the one to drive Zahid home after his surgery — but to do that, he’s got to learn to drive. This is a big deal, but it feels so simple because of his motivation. 

Sam also has his friends from school who are all supportive in their ways when it comes to Sam’s trip. I only wish we could have seen more of those interactions as well. 

Sam and Paige

Speaking of things I’d like to have seen more of, Sam and Paige’s relationship is decidedly strained this season. They’re both on their own journeys — Paige moves up the latter at a job she realizes she doesn’t want, and all the while, she’s wishing for more affection for her boyfriend.

She also doubts him more than anyone at first about his trip, and doesn’t say so in the nicest way. It all feels so genuine, though, including her frustrations. But what the two realize by the end, is that because they have their own goals, they really can’t make a relationship work right now. 

It ends with dessert at Olive Garden, with a sweet, honest conversation. It’s an emotional moment and both actors do a stellar job of driving home those feelings.

It’s another scene that makes for a really satisfying ending, partially because it’s also open-ended. It wouldn’t be hard to believe that these two will find their way back to each other in a few years. 

Casey’s Anxiety

The other major thread of Atypical Season 4 revolves around Casey, and her story is a heartfelt one that in some ways, mirrors Sam’s a bit. 

On top of navigating the stress of running at her new school, keeping her grades up, and trying to get into UCLA, Casey is feeling like an outsider when it comes to her sexual identity. Her relationship with Izzie is still fairly new, and when she’s thrown into a club at school that brings LGBTQ+ students together, she realizes she doesn’t know where she fits in there either. 

The signs are there early on, including the notice of her damaged cuticles. Then Casey starts actively trying to sabotage her career at this prestigious school, and it all culminates in her freezing up at an important race. 

Almost all of this is powerful to watch, and somehow, the fact that it’s so subtle at times makes it all the more important to see on screen. Her anxiety struggles are yet another thing I wish we could have seen more of, and I guess largely what I’m trying to say is that I wish we had a few more seasons. There’s so much more story left with all of these characters. 

Though there’s also plenty of story in this season that detracts from the more interesting stuff, and that’s a shame. It almost tries to do too much in too little time.

Casey’s story does end in a way that’s satisfying as well. She takes charge of her own life and decides she’s going back to her old school. It’s wildly empowering that she makes that decision. The message is that sometimes, it’s braver to quit.

And sometimes, ambition isn’t everything. Casey’s still going to have opportunities, but by doing this, she alleviates her stress and gets to enjoy running again. 

It even helps her relationship with Izzie, which is a great way to end too. Drama aside, it feels more satisfying to keep them together, all alongside Casey’s realization — and more importantly, her proclamation — that she’s actually bi.

Final, personal thoughts

Overall, the season works well, and as I’ve said, it feels largely hopeful. As a parent of a child with Autism, this show means something even more personal to me.

Seeing Sam succeed in relationships and achieving his goals shows what can be possible, and the way the parents react — and still have plenty to learn — is something I relate to deeply. 

While the show hasn’t handled everything perfectly, I think this particular season showed Sam’s Autism in a way that felt more genuine and more specific to him as an individual person than perhaps it did in earlier seasons.

Elsa’s quick question to Sam about whether he’d like his headphones during a loud party is just subtle enough, and Sam’s journey becomes about his character specifically and not just about being a person with Autism. 

Atypical truly is a feel-good show. There’s plenty of humor and there are plenty of real moments, all in a way that doesn’t have to feel so heavy. It’s a series that I’m grateful for and will certainly miss.

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What did you think of the final season of Atypical? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Atypical is currently streaming on Netflix. 

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What to Watch on TV: We The People, Atypical, grown-ish