Atypical: Season 3, Episode 9 “Sam Takes A Walk” – Recap, Review (with Spoilers)

Things with Izzie hit a very disastrous place as other relationships seem like they are either recovering or are at the best place they’ve been for a while.

Sam's drawing of dying penguins.

Things with Izzie hit a very disastrous place as other relationships seem like they are either recovering or are at the best place they’ve been for a while.


Network
Netflix
Director(s) Robia Rashid
Writer(s) Robia Rashid, Annie Mebane
Air Date 11/1/2019

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Recap

You Forgot About Me: Doug, Elsa

While we have fathomed many reasons for Elsa cheating on Doug and their relationship hitting the skids, it seems it all boiled down to them forgetting each other. With Sam taking up so much time, and Casey when she got the chance, Elsa forgot she had a husband. She knew the kids had a dad but as for someone who enjoyed being her priority and maybe a bit selfish with her time? That was forgotten.

And while Doug seems to understand that with kids things change, it seems he wasn’t expecting them to change so drastically. Making the fact Sam is more independent, and Casey as well, leads to that awkward period of, after years of putting the kids first, now two adults have to rediscover who the other person is. This makes Elsa and Doug finally having uninterrupted alone time valuable, for they actually get to talk and have a sense of intimacy beyond the physical. Making it seem they truly can work on them as a couple and not them as parents or people sharing a living space.

Comment Down Below
  1. After all that has happened, do you support Elsa and Doug getting back together?

The Possessive Izzie: Izzie, Casey, Sharice

Izzie is in a weird place. Like Casey, she is experiencing feelings for a girl and getting to play them out, for the first time, and she isn’t sure how to handle it. And while acceptance of people being queer is at an all-time high, getting to the point you accept your own person being queer is a totally different thing.

For example, Casey, with Sam, when he catches her and Izzie kissing, acted as a litmus test. One that helped Casey see if Sam could accept it, her parents should be easy. However, with Izzie, be it because she doesn’t have that kind of support, how difficult the journey was to get to this point, or the fear of what could happen if she comes out and then Casey maybe leaves her for Evan, she is much more reserved.

Izzie at the track meet

Thus leading to a back and forth which makes the regional meet the perfect time for Casey to reconnect with the forgotten Sharice – her former best friend. Someone who is brought up to speed and sort of sees Izzie as a villain. Which Casey refutes, at least until she catches Izzie making out with some guy. Leading you to wonder, is Izzie messing with Casey’s head since she sees her as competition to get a scholarship?

Comment Down Below
  1. Is Izzie messing with Casey’s head or is struggling with her sexuality as much, if not more, than Casey?

Go Get Your Man Sam!: Bob, Sam, Zahid, Paige

As much as Sam would love to find someone to replace the role Zahid played in his life, that is seemingly not possible. Evan is gone, Paige has her own bias, and no one else really is as consistent as Zahid. So, as he works on a rather morbid project, he faces the death of not just penguins, a topic he is passionate about, but the death of a friendship.

At least until Bob reveals, on top of living in the store, Zahid and Gretchen are about to elope. Leading to Sam remembering how Zahid noted he is self-destructive and had Sam promised to keep him from doing something which would jeopardize school. So, with Zahid deciding to get married on the day of an important exam, Sam sets aside his feelings to interfere.

Collected Quote(s) & .Gifs

If you have a heart, you’re political
— Professor Shinerock

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Review

Highlights

Understanding How Relationships Change After Children

Elsa and Doug talking, as Elsa holds the game she made for Sam.

One thing we haven’t really factored when it comes to Doug and Elsa is that Elsa is someone with tunnel vision. Like when Sam is focused on something, when she is thinking or working on a thing, that is all she sees. Which, to Doug, what she saw was the children, and while switching from one to another she may have saw him, but she didn’t really see him. At least in the form of her partner and not, as said above, as the father of the children.

And in seeing this struggle, it reminds you how people don’t really prep for how children can change a relationship, and it also helps you understand why some forego having children of their own. For considering all the time and attention you can get from one person, and then going beyond splitting it but moving down their priority list? That is a lot to accept, and it’s hard enough, for some, to deal with seeing their partner be affectionate with someone else, so imagine being unable to talk about feeling neglected because it is a kid who you are competing with.

Izzie Dealing With Her Sexuality

Everyone’s coming out story isn’t the same, and considering Izzie’s background, even if Casey is now down, it doesn’t mean things will be smooth sailing for her. First off, unless Casey, it isn’t clear if she’d have as easy of a time being out. We don’t know what her mom is like, nor her grandmother, and while her home life isn’t the best, there is at least a roof over her head – for now.

Second, like Casey, while she recognizes she feels passionately about someone of the same sex, there is the challenge of reconciling also having feelings for a guy, and how does that play a role? For bisexuality isn’t conversed about well and that may leave Izzie to question if she likes both, is there just something about Casey, or if she has become dependent on her and that is a driving force?

Lastly, lest we forget, as much as the douche whose locker is between Casey and Izzie’s exists, that isn’t Izzie’s boyfriend. Unlike Casey, she isn’t fresh out of a relationship and doesn’t have someone to go back to if things don’t work out well, and that’s scary. On top of that, taking note of what Sharice said, it could be embarrassing depending how people frame their relationship. “Did Izzie turn out Casey and steal her from her boyfriend?” Who wants to hear that?

May Sam & Zahid Reconcile?

While Zahid is on the outs, Sam made a promise. One that he plans to keep and could be the key to him and Zahid reconciling.

Low Point

Wanting More Of Gretchen

But, with that said, I wish we got more of Gretchen. She is someone who we’re supposed to hate yet, honestly, while not for everyone, she seemed like she wasn’t that bad. Gretchen was someone who pushed Zahid to grow up a bit, and if he pushed back when it came to changing his look and other things, they could have been a better couple. Instead, she stole something to become an instant villain, and we were made to unquestionably hate her. Which, when it comes to vilifying people, we shouldn’t be surprised. After all, outside of Sam’s family, Atypical doesn’t necessarily give people the chance to be human.

On The Fence

The Stop & Go Handling Of Paige

Paige and Sam talking.

Though Paige has become more than Sam’s girlfriend throughout the season, she still remains in this odd place of trying to be fully autonomous but not getting the time to do so. Now, granted, this show is a little more than a half-hour and to adequately address things an hour would be needed. But, the issue with hour shows is that you need to have things worthy of that time commitment. Paige, Gretchen, and many others, do not push the idea that they are worth an additional 30 minutes for ten episodes.

Thus leaving you in this weird place of wanting more yet not wanting another show, like Daybreak, which seems to be longer than what it needs to be.

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