Journey of discovery
RELATABLE: ‘LOVE ON THE SPECTRUM’ IS A MUST WATCH
The innocence, joy in small victories makes this breathtakingly beautiful.
Finally, there is a reality show that lacks the kind of mindless codswallop that programmes like Housewives, The Kardashians, Love Island and a string of other mind-numbing bandwidth thieving programmes possess.
Love On The Spectrum is just so very different. There is no cliché that can describe it and no harsh words to be directed at it because it is honest to the point of brutality; it is a mirror that’s held up to us all, a lesson in love we all need to take on board.
Netflix has done well to have the gonads to produce a series that’s funny in its innocence and embarrassing in its dynamic. Because we have all been there, done dates.
But it takes a set of autistic, neurodiverse characters on the spectrum in a series that is, in essence, about purity and love, to take us back there, and show everyone how it’s done, and how we may have erred and faltered in relationships.
The series, and there are two: Love On The Spectrum and Love On The Spectrum Australia, follows a diverse group of young adults with autism as they endeavour to navigate and sometimes, circumnavigate the world of dating and relationships.
Unlike typical reality dating shows, this show is sensitive, respectful and honest.
And it’s a window into the lives of people on the spectrum, showcasing their challenges, triumphs and the myriad ways in which they experience love and connection.
We meet their families; we learn about autism.
If you have not watched Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman’s Rain Man or Netflix’s The Good Doctor, then you had better see this one, because as poignant as the film and the medical series were in creating a deeper understanding and realisation, an awareness of autism, Love On The Spectrum takes us beyond that, on a journey of emotional discovery.
The series does not hold back on sharing joy and sadness of the participants in the show.
It is filmed and edited in such a manner that viewers are invited into a world that nobody ever gets to see and experience.
We get to see their growth, their heartache and the way people on the spectrum consume the world, and relate to each other.
The innocence, the absolute joy in small victories, the expectations they set for themselves and how, slowly, participants learn to let go and to love. It is breathtakingly beautiful.
When watching Love On The Spectrum, you can forgive yourself for a laugh or two as well.
Because, just like people who are not on the spectrum make mistakes and do silly things, so too do the participants.
It’s okay to share these moments, and it’s okay to experience the emotion for yourself. Otherwise, how do you learn?
Critics of the show often refer to the fact that Love On The Spectrum marginalises and stigmatises autism or neurodiversity. They kowtow to a misguided woke agenda in this case. Because simply by having the courage to share their lives and their personal quests for love, affection and acceptance, a greater audience can take a leaf from every moment and cut and paste into their own lives. It is relatable.
The show is addictive, it’s a collection of life truths told by people who defy the norm: not simply because of a disability, but because of their courage, purity and determination. Qualities we should all endeavour to emulate.