Atypical

Molly McGrady

Atypical

            This week I decided to check out the show Atypical, which I actually heard about in WACT when we did that Mis en Scene picture thing. It definitely stuck out to me and seemed like something I would enjoy, a big part of that being because the main character has autism. I am a communication disorders major, so I have been able to learn quite a bit about autism, and this might be weird but I am honestly so fascinated by the disorder. I wrote a couple of papers about it last year and just think that people with autism have so much to them and in a lot of cases are capable of things that neurotypical people aren’t, although most people don’t know this at all and don’t take the time to look into it.

            As far as the show itself goes, I thought it was fairly good. Some of the acting was not all that great, but the storyline was interesting enough that it didn’t completely make or break the show. Basically, the main character, who has autism, decides that he wants to start dating and is beginning the process of figuring out all the odds and ends of doing so. The odds are not very much in his favor as far as getting a date though, because the sources of information he is getting from are for the most part bad influences. He tries to find advice on the internet first, taking from a video of a guy advising to insult girls to get them to like you. He also sits and observes the way boys at his high school talk to girls, which is mostly just catcalling. Finally, his coworker has taken to trying to help him get a date, but he doesn’t give very good advice either and is really intense and kind of a prick. Not to mention his mother, who is crazy protective and doesn’t want him to have anything to do with dating. Somehow, against all these odds, he ends up getting a date with a girl who is in college. She seems to really like him and see past all the quirks. They end up going back to her dorm to, well, you can probably guess what she has in mind. However, touch is something very uncomfortable a lot of times for individuals with autism, and he freaks out and pushes her off the bed. Yikes. No coming back from that. But by the end of the episode he decides to dedicate his dating energy into his therapist, as they have a very good connection. I would say overall the show was something I enjoyed, it made me laugh a few times, as well as get a little mad and do some thinking; these are my favorite kinds of shows personally. Currently, I feel like I barely have time to breathe let alone watch an entire series, but maybe I’ll come back to this show once I get a chance (Christmas Break…? Stay tuned).

            Anyway, jumping back to the original reason I was intrigued by the show and my thoughts at the beginning, I seriously think more people should watch this show. Hopefully people would learn a little something about autism, because from all I have learned about it the portrayal of the disorder in this show was accurate in a lot of ways. Obviously, it’s a show and so things are definitely over exaggerated, but still pretty true. A lot of the character’s tendencies honestly remind me of Sheldon Cooper, but then again this character has a lot of mannerisms characteristic of the disorder, although it is never explicitly mentioned in the show of him being on the spectrum. But seriously, just like a mini rant, I have heard some really ridiculous things about autism that have only enhanced my belief that people don’t actually know anything about it. The biggest being this girl last year in my public speaking class doing a speech about euthanasia and how it should be more easily utilized by people who want to end their life more peacefully and not suffer. All fine things. UNTIL she used autism as an example of a disorder that people who have it might want to be euthanized. Ooh, I still get heated when I think about this, kinda pathetic I know, but seriously?! It’s a cognitive disorder, that makes no sense, why on earth would someone with autism want to end their life…? This is a case in which research would be a very handy tool. Also, there’s this woman named Temple Grandin who is my actual hero and completely industrialized and moralized the cattle farming industry, who also happens to have autism. Highly suggest anyone and everyone to watch the movie they made about her life and/or her TED talk. Sorry for the rant I’m done now I promise. Atypical was a really good show I would definitely recommend to anyone!