Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starsDon’t expect perfection
Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2022
I have mixed feelings about this show. First, it is absolutely groundbreaking that three autistic actors were cast in main lead role. And actors are superb!!!!! I also do like that the show is filmed in a wholesome and bright style. There are a few exemplary NT characters and a few conflicted or misguided ones.
The rest is garbage. Both autistic characters and NT characters are caricatures of stereotypes - this is how filtered and doctored the dialogue is.
There is also ABA-like philosophy promoted. ABA is abusive towards autistic people and misrepresents autistic neurotype as a disorder, abnormality, a problem.
All the talk about normal was offensive and reductive. This line of thinking fit Violet but then it infected everyone else like a virus.
Representation matters but wrong representation matters even more because it is actively harmful. This show slowly moved into wrong representation of autism.
I took personal offense at everyone constantly refers to referring to autistic characters as “person with autism”. It created a disturbing parallel with Jack father’s cancer for me. Like autism is the cancer plaguing the main cast. This is a dangerous and reductive representation of autism. Autism is a neurotype, a type of a brain wiring, not something that needs to be cured or erased.
Another failure of these series is to show autistic experience of the world. They tried to do it with sound: raising it a little when Harrison enters a new environment but then lowering the sound 5 seconds later. Autistic brain that is sensitive to sounds will not magically lower the disturbing level of sound. This is ableist thinking. They could have achieved the same results if they talked about autistic aids such as headphones. They could lower the sound once Harrison puts his headphones on.
The show would play music if Jack get overwhelmed. Trust me overwhelm does not feel like a pleasant tune playing in your mind.
Sound is not the only sense heightened in autistic experience. This show failed to SHOW us how it feels to have an extremely sensitive brain (autism is not only sensory processing but it is a frequently shared experience). When Harrison didn’t like the feel of a suit, we didn’t know whether it is because of show’s fat phobia message or because of textile sensitivities. But then miraculously he was able to tolerate his suit for hours. This is unrealistic. Most autistic are sensitive to some sort of tactile input: it can be fabric, socks, or touch. But all of the autistic characters, including drama club, had no problem wearing stylized 3-4 piece outfits. This is not a TRUE depiction of autism.
Being always direct and not having a filter can be an autistic trait but it is not universal. There is a wide range of communication styles and abilities. The show missed the mark making everyone nauseatingly direct one second and very sweet or apologetic another second (Violet).
And, last but not least. What a privileged group of kids. And the privilege of it is not addressed. Not all autistics people have their parents paying for them. Many work and other rely on governmental puny support. Jack’s math doesn’t add up.
$720 on food? Ridiculous. Why is Jack’s salary around $40k for a software engineer? Does he work part time?
Violet. Violet is beautifully portrayed with all her depth and difficulty. But she is mistreated by the series. The skill she needs to work on the most is learning to find a safe space if she feels the meltdown is coming. The show substitutes Van’s desire to not deal with Violet’s emotions with his sexist concern for her safety. Why is everyone allowed to have sex but not Violet? Violet’s goals should be sensory balancing, better emotional regulation, and understanding of interpersonal boundaries. All of these are lofty goals and she might be able to make a very slow progress. But in their absence, we are seeing a neglected autistic woman who wants to experience life but gets no support. Only a cage.