From its beginning, the Netflix sitcom Atypical has told the story of teenager Sam Gardner, a young man with autism who is navigating his way through high school and college. As the series continues, it begins to explore the lives of his family members in greater detail.

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Sam develops relationships of his own outside of his family as well, including friendships and romances, while his sister, Casey, and parents, Doug and Elsa, all deal with their own fair share of issues and social relationships. The series' main cast is relatively small compared to other Netflix series, but that doesn't mean each of its core characters is particularly likable.

Izzie

Izzie looks confused in the passenger seat of Casey's car in Atypical

Starting in season 2, Atypical introduces the character of Izzie, a girl at Casey's new private high school who bullies Casey relentlessly and makes her experience there generally miserable.

It is eventually revealed that Izzie is, in effect, using bullying as a way to hide her feelings for Casey, which makes her character and their storyline fall prey to a particularly tired and offensive stereotype. Izzie could have been a good character if they had started off on better footing.

Elsa Gardner

Elsa Gardner looks confused in the family kitchen in Atypical

Elsa Gardner usually means well. As a hyper-protective mother, at least to Sam, Elsa has defined much of her adult life by being the mother of a young man with autism. She struggles to be close with Casey, but she also struggles to maintain a healthy relationship with her husband, Doug, as well.

In the first season, she even carries out an affair with a local bartender, just so she can have the excuse of finally doing something for herself. It's a mistake the series is still trying to build Elsa's character back from.

Paige Hardaway

Paige Hardaway smiles at Sam in their high school hallway in Atypical

Paige is a lot. From the moment she's introduced, it's clear that she's incredibly Type A and has her whole life planned out. But it's also clear that she's one of the only people who want to take the time to get to know Sam, and understand him for who he is, and not just his diagnosis.

When Paige's attempt at college doesn't go exactly as planned in the series' third season, she is forced to recalibrate and figure out what she wants from life, which allows for her character's layers to be peeled back more than they had been before.

Doug Gardner

Doug Gardner drinks a beer and sits in an armchair with a smile in Atypical

Doug Gardner might not be the world's best husband or father, but he puts in an effort. He struggles to understand his son, Sam, but on multiple occasions, he tries to learn more about his world, particularly through understanding why Sam loves penguins and their world order so much.

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He's also incredibly forgiving, tolerating Elsa's mistakes, but also willing to put himself first when he needs to. His close bond with both Casey, and her ex-boyfriend, Evan, are also clear highlights of the series.

Casey Gardner

Casey Gardner sits in bed with a smirk on her face in Atypical

Casey Gardner is many things: a gifted track star, a supportive little sister, and a young woman trying to understand who she is as she explores her sexuality. Her character has had one of the more nuanced journeys during the series, though it has not been without faults.

Casey and Sam's close sibling relationship is arguably one of the series' strongest points, though Casey's stumbling attempts at navigating her relationship with Evan alongside her new interest in Izzie could have been written much better.

Evan Chapin

Evan Chapin sits on the couch with Casey and Sam in Atypical

Though Evan may most likely be on the "losing" side of the love triangle between himself, Casey, and Izzie, it's clear that he's arguably the best person in the triangle, and one of the series' best characters at that. Awkward and goofy, Evan has never done anything wrong during his time in the series.

Except for a pre-series incident in which he stole a tuba, Evan is a pretty perfect guy. He's a supportive boyfriend, a great friend to Sam as well, and he even has well-established career goals and dreams that allow him to forge a surprising but welcome bond with Doug.

Julia Sasaki

Julia Sasaki opens the door to her therapist's office in Atypical

It's often hard for series to work in therapy in ways that don't feel cloying or didactic, but Atypical breaks the mold with the introduction of Sam's therapist, Julia Sasaki. Although there's an awkward storyline in which Sam projects romantic feelings onto Julia, her character is otherwise a welcome voice of reason and support.

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Julia is a kind, compassionate, brilliant young woman who has helped the Gardner family in immeasurable ways. She also goes through her own unexpected journey, with her struggling relationship and her pregnancy, which provide an interesting complication to the series.

Sam Gardner

Sam Gardner sits on the hallway floor in front of lockers and wearing headphones in Atypical

As the series' protagonist, Sam receives some of the series' most impressive development and focus. The Sam at the beginning of the series is markedly different from the Sam after three seasons of development.

Though he still has his behaviors, his preferences, and his unique and atypical mannerisms, Sam has come a long way from the young man who closed himself off from the world around him and preferred the way penguins live. He has a girlfriend, he has real friends, he's thrived in college, and so much more.

Zahid Raja

Zahid Raja holds a tablet and gestures with one finger in the air in Atypical

While Atypical may be Sam's series, the world of the show could never have accounted for the breakout star it produced in the form of Sam's coworker and best friend, Zahid Raja. Effortlessly portrayed by the hilarious and scene-stealing Nik Dodani, Zahid is often just as awkward as Sam, but he believes he's the coolest person in every room.

Zahid takes it upon himself as his responsibility to teach Sam the lessons of the school of life, particularly when it comes to women and dating. And while their adventures are more often misadventures, it's clear that these two are a great duo, and Zahid is one of the series' best creations.

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