‘Atypical’ Character Dies in Netflix Show’s Final Season

Atypical is a show filled with ups and downs for its cast of characters, but Season 4 takes the plot in a tragic direction for one recurring character. The Netflix comedy’s final season is on the streaming service now, and one familiar face doesn’t make it all the way to the end. The loss rocks one member of the Gardner family, in particular, leading to ripples through the rest of the season. Scroll through to learn more. Of course, spoilers are ahead.

Season 4 is filled with several health issues for the Atypical cast, but one person doesn’t survive theirs. Chuck (Karl T. Wright), the best friend of patriarch Doug Gardner (Michael Rapaport), dies early on in the new batch of episodes. His death rocks Doug to his core and ultimately leads him to put his own life in perspective.

The episode is tragically set up in Episode 2, titled “Master of Penguins.” Chuck is shown at work with Doug, talking about his retirement, which is just days away. “You’ll be stitching up some bozo in rollerblades, and I’ll be sipping a margarita with (my wife) Donna,” Chuck tells Doug, who notably doesn’t ever vacation. “I’m gonna travel, see my kids, and if I get bored: Chuck’s crusts. It’s my bread company.”

At the end of Episode 2, Doug and his wife Elsa Gardner (Jennifer Jason Leigh) attend a retirement party for Chuck, which is the last we see of him. At the end of Episode 3, Doug receives a concerning call from Donna. A visibly shocked Doug then reveals to Elsa that Chuck just had a fatal heart attack, meaning he died just as his retirement began.

This loss makes Doug question everything, including how he fits into the lives of his children, Sam (Keir Gilchrist) and Casey (Brigette Lundy-Paine). It moves Doug to make some serious changes, meaning Chuck didn’t completely die in vain.

Wright, who played Chuck in six of the show’s 38 episodes, spoke out on the farewell via Instagram on July 9. “All great things come to an end. What an honor to be behind the wheel with this dude [Rapaport]. #effortless,” Wright wrote. “Acting can sometimes feel like Gilligan’s Island, it starts out like a 3-hour tour and you end up on a 5-year journey. When I booked this gig I thought it was a one-off, but to my surprise there was #morechuck to come. Thank you [creator Robia Rashid, executive producer Mary Rohlich, and director Michael Medico] and the [Atypical] family for letting Chuck be a part of this amazing show all the way to the final season. [prayer hands emoji] Until we meet again! And to my fellow actors, work is work! Do you best every time you never know when a small part can turn into something special.”