'Atypical' Season 3 Episode 6 review: Paige-heavy, 'The Essence of a Penguin' is heartbreakingly reflective and empowering
With Season 3, 'Atypical' has proved to be not just a story about a young man in the autism spectrum, but that of the people around him, the people who are influenced by him and those that he influences. Episode 6, titled 'The Essence of a Penguin', which to me is a very Paig-centric one (Jenna Boyd) is a perfect example of that.
In the previous episode, we learned that Paige has returned from Bowdoin, and this episode we learn exactly why. In one of the sweetest scenes in the series, we see Paige telling Sam (Keir Gilchrist) exactly what happened while she was at college, even though she was ashamed to do so. And, his silent yet sincere support for her at this moment shows just how much growth he has had as a character.
Paige understandably goes through many emotional highs and lows throughout the episode, and we see that she is trying to put on a brave front and continue being a go-getter despite everything that is going on. We could see her potentially slipping down a road of self-hate, resentment, and anger, but thankfully Elsa (Jennifer Jason Leigh) was there to remind her that she is not her circumstances. Paige's essence will always be that of a persevering, go-getter, even if she may not know what she wants to get.
This, as the title suggests, is the theme of Season 3 Episode 6, but if you were to explore the title quite literally, you would see that it is about Sam's pursuits of passing a project for his Arts class. As we have seen through the series, 'Will & Grace' star Eric McCormack plays the eccentric Professor Shinerock, and his assignment for Sam is to throw perfection out the window and depict the essence of a penguin. After a lot of studying and examining, Sam realizes that the essence of a penguin is that it stays. Despite harsh winters and the most dangerous environment, it stays and fights for survival, much like Sam himself who sees Denton as his personal Antarctica.
In the sidelines, we see Casey (Brigette Lundy-Paine) and Izzie's (Fivel Stewart) story progressing, with the latter finally addressing the big awkward elephant in the room. It is only a matter of time before 'Atypical' makes them a couple, but then there is Evan (Graham Rogers), who is an amazing boyfriend and is taking strides in personal growth. We cannot wait to see how this story unravels.
Elsa and Doug (Michael Rapaport) haven't really made much progress, with both of them skirting around their marriage being in shambles. From the trailer, we know that there is going to be an ultimatum coming soon, and that will certainly rush things along. We certainly can see that they belong together, hopefully, they will see it too, before Season 3 ends.
'The Essence of a Penguin' gets a B+ from us, for the brilliant storytelling of Paige's life. If not for that, this is a pretty insignificant episode, but her scene with Sam at the beginning, and the one with Elsa while wearing her potato costume make this episode a must-watch.