REVIEW: ‘The Atypical Family’ Episodes 1-2

The Atypical Family Episodes 1-2 plunges its viewers deep into a special family’s malaise. With the exception of those who marry into the family, each member has a special power. However, now plagued with modern chronic illnesses, the members struggle to activate their powers. The arrival of the mysterious Do Da-hae (Chun Woo-hee) proves to be the spark the family may need to heal. But her sudden arrival is not as innocent as it seems.

The Atypical Family Episode 1 starts off in crisis. A family meeting is held on the edge of a cliff by the matriarch, Bok Man-heum (Ko Du-shim), who laments how the family has fallen. She cannot have visions due to her insomnia. Her daughter, Bok Dong-hee (Claudia Kim), can no longer fly due to her obesity. Her son, Bok Gwi-ju (Jang Ki-yong), can no longer travel into the past due to his depression. Gwi-ju’s daughter, I-na (Park So-yi), has no powers.

Nothing comes of the meeting except Gwi-ju putting himself in harm’s way. On the surface, it looks like he is trying to kill himself in the ocean. His inner dialogue doesn’t help matters. Before it looks like he’s about to succumb, he is saved by a mysterious woman. As discovered in Episode 2, the reality is that he went in to rescue a stuffed bunny that reminded him of I-na. But in real-time, it looks like the desperate actions of a desperate man.

The Atypical Family Episodes 1-2 explore the convenience of the mystery woman’s appearance. Not long after the drowning incident, the woman appears again at a massage parlor Man-heum frequents. We learn her name is Da-hae, and she has a major impact on Man-heum. She is the first person to make the matriarch sleep successfully. With no hesitation, Man-heum invites Da-hae to the family home.

It becomes clear that this family earns the titular moniker of atypical. The familial home is spacious and eccentric. The wealth is painfully obvious, but through Man-heum’s visions, she has grown the family to heights never imagined. It’s why the poor health inflicting the house pains her. It reflects poorly on her, and it becomes most apparent in her conversations (and lack of empathy) towards Gwi-ji.

But in The Atypical Family Episodes 1-2, we learn right away that the family is more typical than we thought. Do-hae’s introduction into their lives shines a mirror on every single member. All of the relationships are strained. They are trapped inside their own narrative, but Man-heum is easily the aggravator. As her family’s issues reflect poorly on her, she does what she can to motivate, even if it’s in poor taste.

Bringing Da-hae into the picture, Man-heum jumps the gun and hopes that the young woman can one day marry her son. It would force him to move on but provide an opportunity for more children. It is her way of helping but does little to address the root of the issue plaguing Gwi-ji. He needed to save people, but he couldn’t save the ones he cared for most.

All of these issues quickly boil to the surface in Episode 1. An invite to introduce Da-hae to the family (and forgetting I-na’s birthday in the process) results in a giant argument between Man-heum and Gwi-ji. I-na, having long since faded into the background, seems too emotionless to be the catalyst for the argument. However, a sad flashback shows how much she blames herself for her mother’s death and her father’s depression. The only one who makes a genuine effort to comfort her is Da-hae.

The teen directs a lack of trust toward Da-hae. Here is a woman who may end up replacing her mother. However, Da-hae isn’t as trustworthy as she makes herself to be. As revealed throughout The Atypical Family Episodes 1-2, she is a good liar.

And her family has an orchestrated formula of targeting men and taking them for what they are worth. In the case of Gwi-ji and his family, the scheme seems to involve all the family members this time. While it is unclear what they’re attempting to gain from the family, the family’s wealth makes it a seductive target.

Revealing the scheme early on in The Atypical Family Episodes 1-2 shifts the expectations from this female lead. Every interaction she has once the first lie is revealed makes us question what is genuine and what isn’t. That’s why when she does everything she can to orchestrate moments between her and Gwi-ji in Episode 2, it is easy to hope the man won’t give into her wiles. Her helpful actions with I-na go a long way in slowly crubmling his hardened exterior. This becomes evident when he flashes back in time at the end of Episode 2.

The convenience of Da-hae’s inclusion into the family reads a bit too quickly in execution. Perhaps this has to do with Man-heum’s urgency not being fully explained earlier in Episode 1. Or, perhaps it highlights Man-heum’s desperation to fix her family. However, her immediate jump to marriage doesn’t quite make sense based on the dialogue provided, even with Da-hae’s resistance. As a plot point, it needs more development to be easily digestible.

The one storyline presented so far in The Atypical Family Episodes 1-2 that will need more than Da-hae’s help to make it salvageable is Bok Dong-hee’s inevitable weight loss journey. The portrayal of obesity and Dong-hee’s addiction to food is not subtle and, occasionally, is handled quite crassly. The fat suit Claudia Kim dons to embody Dong-Hee’s figure does little to work against stereotypes. It’s 2024. Stop clothing thin people in fat suits.

There’s likely a fair reason for why Dong-hee is addicted to food. It has not yet been explored as of the conclusion of The Atypical Family Episodes 1-2. However, this early in, it doesn’t seem like the subject is going to be handled with care. There are fat jokes and constant digs at her weight. It read like the role is meant more for cruel laughs than anything meaningful. Given how image-conscious Korean society is, it is doubtful this aspect of Dong-hee’s role will change.

As a whole, The Atypical Family Episodes 1-2 takes good time to illustrate how typical this family is. Sure, they may be super-powered. But much like normal people, their special talents can fade when illness takes hold. Da-hae and her family’s manipulations may be the thing that blows a lid off their own issues. But, for now, it’s unclear if the series has sturdy enough legs.

The Atypical Family Episodes 1-6 are now available on Netflix. New episodes premiere on Saturdays and Sundays.