Atypical season 3 was released on Netflix this past Fall and it is everything… and more. While I won’t give you too many spoilers, the reasons for watching the show (particularly the third season) are summed up in the last episode. It is heart-warming and real and portrays characters in difficult situations as survivors, not victims. Here are some of the topics covered you have to look forward to, plus possibly some inspiration and a tear or two:
1. Characters opting out of easy for extraordinary.
A friend goes out of his way to keep a promise to his best friend. A high school student going through an identity crisis chooses to dedicate her time fully to training for her dream college sports team. A wife who had an extramarital affair spends months trying to get her family to forgive her, even when she’s rejected by them.
2. A broken marriage beginning to be put back together.
Not in a quick, cookie-cutter way, but in a way that feels raw- a rollercoaster of emotions, working through feelings of frustration, sadness, and disappointment; learning and respecting boundaries; healthy ways to heal; taking responsibility for one’s actions.
3. A teenage girl navigating through the struggles her identity and relationships face since she realized she had romantic feelings for her female best friend.
While this is a very personal experience, varying from person to person, the ultimately honest way in which Casey goes about it is admirable. One of the most endearing aspects is Casey and her now ex-boyfriend’s care, respect, and love for one another, even post break up.
4. Dealing with not meeting your college-life expectations.
A very intelligent, dedicated, and motivated high-schooler goes off to her dream: college. While she thrived in high school academically and socially, upon arrival into college-life the case is very different, leading to sadness, rage, and low self-esteem. In this episode, we see her internal struggle begin to be resolved.
5. Honest dating communication.
In the era of ghosting and using others to numb the pain of a prior heartbreak, we could learn a thing or two from a simple sit-down date between a man who is married and a woman who is single. While the woman has always known he is married, they had never had a date like this one, where something might actually develop from it. The woman expresses her concern, stating she doesn’t want to start anything between them if he isn’t sure about whether or not he is going to separate from his wife. He responds saying he wishes they’d met at another time, being honest about not being sure.