Atypical is a new show on Netflix documenting the life of Sam Gardner, a teenage boy with Autism. It has all the trappings of a standard coming-of-age comedy, an awkward teenage protagonist, their feisty and outgoing sibling, and two trying-their-best but imperfect parents.

The main plot device, of course, is how Sam’s family interacts with him with regards to his status. Sam wants to find a girlfriend, something that many people in his position want, but have problems achieving. The series explores his various attempts at finding love, from online dating, to learning how to smile at girls who come into his work.

The episode is overall funny, but some of the jokes fall flat. I also did not like Sam’s sister Casey; her story arc seems boring and generic given everything else going on in the show. I did, however, like the interactions between Sam’s overbearing mother and his father, who wishes to grow closer to Sam.

Unfortunately, I cannot shake off the feeling that the whole series is a little mean-spirited. Autistic-coded characters are very tough to write without becoming hammy or offensive. One contemporary example is The Big Bang Theory. The character of Sheldon is admittedly never confirmed to be on the Autism spectrum, but his actions fit what an uninformed person would expect of someone with Autism. That show then plays off of those stereotypes for laughs.

Atypical thankfully avoids most of these obvious pitfalls. The writers and actors did some research to attempt to make their portrayal a little less offensive; however, unfortunately, I do not think they reached a sweet spot, but simply writing a show featuring a character with Autism is probably a step in the right direction.

Despite its shortcomings, Atypical should be an enjoyable watch. It may not be as funny or interesting as some other offerings, but it’s certainly not a bad show by most metrics. The characters could be better and some of the gags were mediocre, but I did very much enjoy the show.