“Stop sitting on me like an egg. I’m not an egg.”
More masterful plotting and character this episode as Elsa and Doug confront the parents of Arlington, Sam’s bully. It’s a nuanced scene, with both sets of parents being old friends until the friends couldn’t be bothered with Sam’s autism as a child. Things go well until it becomes clear that they still have no appreciation at all that Sam’s autism was not a childhood phase. Most significantly, I think, this enables Elsa and Doug to bond once again.
Casey, too, while ignoring Graham’s texts, bonds even more with new best friend Izzy but her boyfriend Nate makes a pass at her, which she firmly rejects- but what to do now? Should she tell Izzy? And why on Earth should this be her responsibility?
The sweetest scene, though, is Paige being unable to be angry at an apologetic Sam- and her request for him to be with her at the graduation lock-in thingy, which sounds terrifying, leads him to try and stay at Zahid’s as practice. This doesn’t go well, as spending a night at a police station isn’t usually seen as a proper sleepover, but it’s nice to see Zahid get some proper development as someone who has all ambition knocked out of him by a teacher calling him a “loser”- and he finally applies to nursing school. He’d be very good as a nurse.
This is all superb. I think now I can confidently predict that Elsa and Doug will get back together, and so will Sam and Paige, but I think Casey may have trouble ahead.
Showing posts with label Graham Phillips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Graham Phillips. Show all posts
Monday, 12 August 2019
Wednesday, 7 August 2019
Atypical: Season 2, Episode 5- The Egg Is Pipping
"The egg is pipping!"
A pivotal episode this time, I think, in the wake of Doug's panic attack as it becomes clear he's struggling to cope. Elsa is finally back, and here to stay, it seems- the family needs her. But Doug is getting close to Megan and the two of them are getting on rather well. Does Elsa, still wanting her husband back, have a rival? I think that's the main question here although of course we also have the big row between Casey and Evan, which is interesting for all sorts of reasons. She and Izzy are genuinely friends now, and she's connected with the gang, but there's still a lot of snobbery directed towards her, which Evan spots immediately. Is he being over sensitive, defensive about his class background? Is Casey going too far to fit in? There's a lot going on here.
Sam is bullied by Arlo, too, although at least he makes a new friend. But he makes a big step towards financial independence with his own bank account- and immediately shows himself vulnerable to exploitation. Is this foreshadowing bad stuff due to happen now the season is halfway through? Are Casey and Evan about to split angrily and later reconcile? Is Elsa going to spend the rest of the season wooing Doug again, with Megan as a threat? Let's see. I suspect things are about to get serious.
A pivotal episode this time, I think, in the wake of Doug's panic attack as it becomes clear he's struggling to cope. Elsa is finally back, and here to stay, it seems- the family needs her. But Doug is getting close to Megan and the two of them are getting on rather well. Does Elsa, still wanting her husband back, have a rival? I think that's the main question here although of course we also have the big row between Casey and Evan, which is interesting for all sorts of reasons. She and Izzy are genuinely friends now, and she's connected with the gang, but there's still a lot of snobbery directed towards her, which Evan spots immediately. Is he being over sensitive, defensive about his class background? Is Casey going too far to fit in? There's a lot going on here.
Sam is bullied by Arlo, too, although at least he makes a new friend. But he makes a big step towards financial independence with his own bank account- and immediately shows himself vulnerable to exploitation. Is this foreshadowing bad stuff due to happen now the season is halfway through? Are Casey and Evan about to split angrily and later reconcile? Is Elsa going to spend the rest of the season wooing Doug again, with Megan as a threat? Let's see. I suspect things are about to get serious.
Wednesday, 17 July 2019
Atypical: Season 2, Episode 2- Penguin Cam and Chill
"You don’t live here any more, lady.”
After last week’s dramatic events we have an episode about everyone learning the ground rules for their new situation, literally. Elsa is staying with a friend and finding it hard not to keep turning up at the family home unprompted, or with an impromptu cooked meal-on the one hand a vibe grate Ute, on the second hand a desperate one, and on the, um, third hand an implicit statement that she doesn’t think Doug can cope. It’s almost heartbreaking how excited she gets when Doug asks to meet, but of course it’s all about establishing ground rules. Neither of them are comfortable in this scene, and both actors are superb.
Casey is finding her new private school bewildering, with no friends, snooty classmates, toilets hidden for fear of admitting that posh kids have bodily functions, hard lessons, and Kafkaesque food rules. She begins to understand a bit when she meets Nate, boyfriend of her tormentor and possible future love triangle material, who points out that his girlfriend is in fact jealous of her athletic talent.
Finally, poor Sam is confused by the ambiguity when Paige returns insisting that their relationship be “casual”. He insists on being told the ground rules but, as soon as Paige needs his emotional support, that goes out of the window. And because he hasn’t needed her support with what’s been going on lately, that’s not a relationship based on equal feelings. So he’s dumped. And, like many things this season, handling it rather well.
Another immaculately constructed episode. I’m enjoying this more and more.
After last week’s dramatic events we have an episode about everyone learning the ground rules for their new situation, literally. Elsa is staying with a friend and finding it hard not to keep turning up at the family home unprompted, or with an impromptu cooked meal-on the one hand a vibe grate Ute, on the second hand a desperate one, and on the, um, third hand an implicit statement that she doesn’t think Doug can cope. It’s almost heartbreaking how excited she gets when Doug asks to meet, but of course it’s all about establishing ground rules. Neither of them are comfortable in this scene, and both actors are superb.
Casey is finding her new private school bewildering, with no friends, snooty classmates, toilets hidden for fear of admitting that posh kids have bodily functions, hard lessons, and Kafkaesque food rules. She begins to understand a bit when she meets Nate, boyfriend of her tormentor and possible future love triangle material, who points out that his girlfriend is in fact jealous of her athletic talent.
Finally, poor Sam is confused by the ambiguity when Paige returns insisting that their relationship be “casual”. He insists on being told the ground rules but, as soon as Paige needs his emotional support, that goes out of the window. And because he hasn’t needed her support with what’s been going on lately, that’s not a relationship based on equal feelings. So he’s dumped. And, like many things this season, handling it rather well.
Another immaculately constructed episode. I’m enjoying this more and more.
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