“You need to watch…”
This sentence has been constant my whole life with interchangeable titles. The soprano. Dead wood. Seinfeld (I’m old). Very bad. game of thrones. Year after year, decade after decade, someone tried to blame me for what I was missing in my free time.
Upon hearing this advice, I always smiled and behaved politely as my insides were filled with fear, annoyance and disappointment at the messenger for wasting my time. (People and their stupid shows, right?)
He said that, You need to watch Love is on the spectrum.
Unlike the lead characters in the shows mentioned above, the main characters exist a lot It’s not brought to life through chemistry between writer and actor.
Threads on a lot They are ordinary human beings who live brilliantly and beautifully with autism. They are brought to life by the magical alchemy of unconditional love and family. None of the actors play a character. They are personal. The only character they know how to be. In the world of TikTok, the world of the quick fix, Netflix finds itself portraying people who have waited their whole lives to be embraced as themselves. The result is nothing short of glorious.
The show’s conceit is simple, and on first review, a bit harsh. Take some autistic people and film them going on a date. Almost always their first date. never.
Admittedly, I was very uncomfortable watching these first dates. Conversations are stalled and confusing. There is a great deal of silence. -There is social anxiety. Inappropriate things are said. There are panic attacks. It’s hard to watch, honestly.
But then there’s… something. That thing that lives dormant in most of us is nostalgic memory. This thing is a connection. An impossible, long-range shot of snow in a July-type contact. Then, for the viewer, there is an almost selfish sense of relief.
We are not comfortable with too much silence. When we have social anxiety we tend to run away. when a lot Finding that divine spark, that connection, they unknowingly and unmercifully leave us all off the hook for the holds we brought with us to the door. Watching people on the spectrum find their soulmate is like watching flowers grow through concrete.
It can take some time. It’s been a lifetime for our team.
While watching Love is on the spectrumI realized I was feeling something I had never felt before watching TV. victory. I cried while crying tears of gratitude. victory. Only my new heroes could accompany me to that destination. I am deeply humbled to have had the privilege of watching them.
You need to watch Love is on the spectrum.
Jay Mohr is a writer, actor, comedian, and podcast series host Mohr stories. One of the final episodes, which can be watched here, finds Mohr sitting with him Love is on the spectrum Star Connor Tomlinson.
