50 Fun Facts About Atypical

What does Sam Gardner recite aloud to calm himself in Atypical, a trick he later teaches his father?

Four penguin species are Sam's go-to list when he is overwhelmed, and Doug borrows the trick during his own panic attacks.

Atypical was first developed under the name of which continent, the special interest of Sam Gardner?

Antarctica was the show's original title, and the finale's last image is Sam walking out of his front door and standing there.

What does Paige organise for the Winter Formal in Atypical so that Sam can cope with the music?

A silent dance, with everyone hearing the songs through headphones, is the plan Paige gets voted through after Sam objects to the noise.

Which restaurant chain, named in Atypical's final episode title, hosts Sam and Paige's key dates?

Olive Garden is where Sam meets Paige's family in season one and where, in the finale, he tells her that he loves her before he leaves on his trip.

Which fictional electronics store employs Sam and Zahid in Atypical until it closes in season four?

Techtropolis is where Sam and Zahid became instant friends on Sam's first day, a meeting shown in a season three flashback.

What does Doug build for the Winter Formal in Atypical, giving Sam a place to apologise to Paige?

An igloo made by Doug is where Sam admits he is unsure of his feelings, and where Paige decides they should not get back together.

Which therapist in Atypical tells Sam that autistic people can date, then becomes his crush?

Julia has to stop treating Sam in season two, because his being in love with her creates a conflict of interest.

Which sport earns Casey Gardner a scholarship to the private school Clayton Prep in Atypical?

Track is Casey's ticket out of Newton High: Clayton Prep recruits her after a 400-metre win that her whole family manages to miss.

Which vehicle is Doug's workplace in Atypical, one he shows to a girl from Sam's support group?

An ambulance is Doug's office: he is an emergency medical technician, a career that Casey's boyfriend later decides to follow.

Which Hateful Eight Oscar nominee plays Elsa, the overprotective Gardner mother, in Atypical?

Jennifer Jason Leigh did double duty on the series, starring as Elsa while also serving as one of its producers.

Which pizza-place worker dates Casey in Atypical after his sister brings her a thank-you cake?

Evan asks Casey out when his sister Beth delivers the cake, her thanks to Casey for standing up to a bully at school.

Which Clayton Prep teammate warns Casey not to cause drama in Atypical, then becomes her girlfriend?

Izzie starts out hostile, but the two bond over caring for their siblings when a teacher makes them sit in a room to settle their feud.

Which university do Casey and her girlfriend both hope will give them scholarships in Atypical?

UCLA also shaped the show off screen: its creator consulted a professor from the university's autism research centre for accuracy.

In season one of Atypical, Elsa Gardner has an affair with a man named Nick, who works as what?

A bartender, Nick meets Elsa on a night out with women from a class she has joined, and Casey later rides past and sees them kiss.

Which actor, a regular on Boston Public and Prison Break, plays the father Doug Gardner in Atypical?

Michael Rapaport came to the role from sitcoms: he headlined The War at Home and had a recurring part on Friends.

Which Canadian actor, the lead of It's Kind of a Funny Story, plays Sam Gardner in Atypical?

Keir Gilchrist leads a double life away from the screen, as vocalist of the grindcore band Whelm and the death metal band Phalanx.

Which career does Zahid reveal he dreams of in Atypical while he and Sam sit in police custody?

A nurse is what Zahid wants to be, and in season three he nearly throws it away by planning to elope on the day of his exam.

At Newton High's graduation in Atypical, what does Sam read out on behalf of a hoarse Paige?

The valedictorian speech is Paige's, but she has shouted herself hoarse defending Sam, so he delivers it with his own running commentary.

Which illness is Zahid diagnosed with in Atypical's final season, prompting Sam to learn to drive?

Testicular cancer is the diagnosis, and it proves treatable; Sam wants to be able to drive his friend home after the surgery.

Why is Casey suspended from high school in Atypical's first episode, after defending a bullied girl?

Punching a classmate, the daughter of the school's main donor, gets Casey suspended; the girl had graffitied an insult on a locker.

In which US state is Atypical set, home to the Gardner family and the fictional Denton University?

Connecticut is the setting, although the series was actually shot on the other side of the country, in Los Angeles.

Which criticism of Atypical's first season did its makers answer with new casting in season two?

A lack of autistic actors was the complaint, so season two cast eight performers from The Miracle Project as Sam's peer group.

What has Sam written about Paige in Atypical that sends her storming out of a Gardner family dinner?

A pros and cons list about Paige upsets her when she takes Sam's notebook to read it, yet he follows her out and asks her to be his girlfriend.

Which attraction houses Stumpy, the animal Sam saves in Atypical by spotting her odd behaviour?

The aquarium is also where Sam's family finds him when he goes missing in season two; a trainer confirms Stumpy has a parasitic infection.

Which program draws Sam to Denton University in Atypical after he flees an art school interview?

Scientific illustration is Ms. Whitaker's suggestion for Sam, made after she spots the drawings that fill his notebook.

Which emergency sends Casey to hospital during a family dinner in Atypical's third season?

Appendicitis strikes just as Sam is describing his good first day at Denton University, cutting the celebration short.

Which condition does Casey learn is behind her boyfriend's fear of tests in Atypical's third season?

Dyslexia explains why he ducks out of a ride-along with Doug: the career he is considering means passing a written test.

In Atypical, Casey's boyfriend admits he was expelled from school for stealing which items?

Brass instruments were his haul, and he is hurt when Casey finds the story funny, right up until she kisses him.

At the children's restaurant Sal E. Sour Cream in Atypical, Paige works dressed as which food?

A potato costume is Paige's uniform at the party restaurant, a low-paid job she takes after dropping out of college.

Which impulse purchase does Paige sell online in Atypical, unaware that the anonymous buyer is Sam?

A canoe is one of the online shopping splurges that leave Paige more than $6,000 in debt during her unhappy spell at college.

Which hot food does Paige throw at a college schoolmate in Atypical, landing her a hearing?

A scalding burrito is what Paige hurls at a schoolmate who teases her, and the hearing ends without her being expelled.

What does Zahid's girlfriend Gretchen steal in Atypical, prompting Sam to report her to their boss?

A Fitbit, in turquoise, is what she takes from the electronics store; reporting it gets her banned and costs Sam his best friend for a while.

Which inventor shares a name with Sam's pet reptile in Atypical, for whom he seeks a guardian?

Edison is Sam's tortoise, and Zahid's doubts about acting as his guardian set off an argument between the two friends.

Which service for autistic children does Elsa turn into a business in Atypical's second season?

Haircutting becomes Elsa's business with a push from her friends, and by the season finale she is taking bookings through her own website.

What does Sam break into his therapist's house to leave for her in the first season of Atypical?

Chocolate-covered strawberries are the gift, and Doug, who gave Sam the lift there, has to drag him out before anyone sees.

Which Roseanne star joined Atypical in season three as Professor Judd, Sam's ethics teacher?

Sara Gilbert plays the professor who fails Sam for not speaking up in her seminar, then lets him write a paper instead.

Which Will & Grace lead plays Professor Shinerock, Sam's art teacher, in Atypical's third season?

Eric McCormack's casting was a reunion of sorts: the show's creator wrote for the last season of his sitcom's original run, straight after graduating.

Which stand-up comedian, Pat Patel in the Murphy Brown revival, plays Zahid in Atypical?

Nik Dodani went on to make his Broadway debut as Ogie in the musical Waitress in 2021, the year the series ended.

Which actress, the young Bailey of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, plays Paige in Atypical?

Jenna Boyd began acting at the age of three on Barney & Friends, and appears as Paige in every season of the series.

In Atypical's finale, Doug's recurring dream of a 54 to zero tennis score points to 54 of what?

Vacation days: Doug has 54 saved up, makes the link to the dreams about his late work partner, and uses them to go with Sam.

What does a grieving Doug keep in his fridge in Atypical after his work partner Chuck dies?

A sourdough starter that belonged to Chuck is Doug's keepsake, and he snaps at Elsa and Sam when she throws it out by mistake.

Which former How I Met Your Mother producer created Atypical and wrote its first episode?

Robia Rashid also stepped behind the camera, directing one episode in each of the show's last two seasons.

The actor who plays Sam in Atypical was earlier Marshall Gregson, the lead's son, in which series?

United States of Tara ran on Showtime from 2009 to 2011, and he was a co-star for the whole of its run.

Sam flees the waiting room before an interview at which real art college in Atypical?

Rhode Island School of Design had been Sam's target, and the art portfolio he prepares for it briefly goes missing before the interview.

Which band's concert does Doug attend with his friend Megan in Atypical, to Elsa's fury?

Fleetwood Mac is the gig, and by the end of the same episode Elsa is telling Doug that she thinks they should separate.

Which real college first waitlists and then accepts Paige Hardaway in Atypical's second season?

Bowdoin takes Paige in the end and she wants Sam to attend too, but by the middle of season three she has dropped out.

Which animal figurine, hidden around the house, must Casey find on every birthday in Atypical?

A gorilla nicknamed Ickle Bickle is one of Sam's birthday rituals for Casey, which begin with a wake-up call at 3:15 am.

Which Atypical actress, who plays Casey's girlfriend, was a childhood martial arts world champion?

Fivel Stewart won her world titles in 2002 and 2003, and learned to rig and perform fire stunts from her stuntman father.

Which Horrible Bosses director is an executive producer of Atypical and directed its first episode?

Seth Gordon, who made his name with the documentary The King of Kong, directed the opening episode and one more in season one.

In Atypical's finale, which state does Professor Judd suggest after Sam's study trip is cancelled?

Alaska is the fallback she offers, but Sam assumes she is joking and later decides to travel without any programme at all.