The Atypical Family has a great premise but lackluster execution thus far, so the primary objective of Episodes 3 & 4 when they debut on Netflix is to get the K-Drama moving in the right direction.
The constituent parts are all there. The premise is compelling — if a little thematically risky — and some compelling subplots are starting to develop. These will be the focus of the upcoming episodes, though one should also expect a bit of expansion to other members of the family and hopefully some more background about the nature of the Boks’ superpowers and where they come from.
Gwi-joo and Da-Hae’s Relationship Will Develop
Most of Episodes 1 & 2 revolved around Da-hae beginning to ingratiate herself into Gwi-joo’s life as a potential spouse by forming a relationship with his daughter. This is the kind of subplot that will presumably develop for several episodes.
The audience knows that Da-hae is up to no good, but the characters don’t, so it wouldn’t make sense to reveal everything too early. Plus, there’s intriguing drama here. Gwi-joo could fall for Da-hae and end up devastated by the revelation that he has been conned after coming to close to getting over his grief.
Alternatively, though, Da-hae could genuinely fall for Gwi-joo and decide against ripping him off, potentially pitting her against her con artist “family”. Time will tell.
Gwi-joo’s Powers Will Evolve
Episode 2 ended with the revelation that not only is Gwi-joo capable of still using his power to transport himself back to a previously happy moment, but he might not have understood the depth of the ability.
Gwi-joo believes that he is unable to touch people when he time travels. However, he managed to transport himself back and hold Da-hae’s hand at the mall, throwing this into question. Gwi-joo will have to interrogate his abilities on the back of this, though it will likely become clear that Da-hae is integral to them, only further complicating the core relationship dynamic mentioned above.
Subsequent Episodes Should Expand Their Focus
With Gwi-joo and Ha-dae hogging the limelight, subsequent episodes should give more time to other family members like Dong-hee, who also has a developing plot with her lover and her eating disorder. Her ability to fly is linked to her obesity; getting in shape will mean, ideally, recovering that power.
But this logic should also apply across the board. All of the Bok family need more backstory explaining the origins of their powers and how their present-day circumstances relate to their inability to use them. This is something that further episodes can — and I suspect will — dig into more deeply in order to add a lot more texture to the show, especially since, at the moment, it feels a little thin.
The Atypical Family Episode 3 & 4 Release Date and Where to Watch
The Atypical Family Episode 3 will be released on Netflix on May 11, 2024. The usual release time is 3:00 pm (BST), but sometimes this varies. The Atypical Family Episode 4 will air at the same time the next day, May 12. Each episode has an approximate runtime of around 60-80 minutes.
The Atypical Family airs on JTBC in its native Korea and on Netflix globally.
