What I’m Watching: Atypical

Atypical: Season 1, Episode 6 “The D-Train to Bone Town” (B+)

I can’t picture Sam at a dance, but it certainly looks like he might be going. His initial reaction was exactly what I would have expected, which was to point out all the terrible things that would be around him at such an event. There are times where Paige doesn’t seem to get Sam at all, but I think she also wants to push him to be comfortable in certain situations where she knows he wouldn’t normally be, and therefore it was very sweet to see her suggest a silent disco so that he could come too (I was thinking the same thing as soon as he mentioned wearing headphones!). The notion that girls’ hair would be all messed up after being done was hardly a convincing argument, and I for one am never a fan of the excuse that so many other people have to be inconvenienced just to accommodate one person. Elsa did get quite a harsh reaction about her apparent selfishness due to Casey’s impending departure for another school and Sam being the subject of the dance, and I think she just needs to try being a bit more discreet about, say, wandering around the area where her new boyfriend lives. Casey getting iced out and having her clothes stolen was an unfortunate development, and it’s a good thing that her one friendship was quickly renewed. I enjoyed how Sam processed the information about having to visit all the bases first, and that Zahid knew him well enough to remind him that he knew all about otters as a reference point. Taking him to a strip club wasn’t a great sensory experience, but meeting a friendly stripper outside did prove to be helpful. Julia was angry enough about her ex leaving, and the news that she’s pregnant is something that I can’t imagine is going to sit well.