Big Neurodivergent Energy Books: 1-5

Branching out into books now. Most of the entries on today’s list are middle-grade novels and series, formative reading for a neurodivergent kid who’s looking to see themselves in their books. I loved some of these when I was a kid, and I discovered others a bit later in life. Oh, and I couldn’t resist putting a little Jane Austen in there too!

 

Bridge to Terabithia

It occurs to me that, with characters who could fall within the trope of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl, the most nuanced examples can often be read as autistic. Yes, Leslie comes into Jess’s life and makes it better, because she cares about chasing her passions more than what other people think of her, and she encourages Jess to do the same. When I was a kid, I was absolutely enchanted by the thought of a hideaway in the woods where I could create my own imaginary kingdom, where I wouldn’t have to think about any of the boring, frustrating, challenging things about “real” life. And I don’t know about you, but that feels like a big autistic mood to me!

 

Matilda

There have to be a lot of autistic folks who feel they’ve found a champion in the little girl who gets revenge on a bully with the power of her mind—which includes her encyclopedic knowledge from her extensive reading, her logical problem-solving, and her literal telekinesis. Three cheers for this hyperlexic kid with a strong sense of justice who’s misunderstood by her family but loved by the teacher who appreciates her extraordinary mind!

 

Pride and Prejudice

It makes sense that neurodivergent coding would jump out in a social satire, even one from the 1800s. It isn’t much a stretch to take an ADHD interpretation of Lydia or Mrs. Bennet, or an autistic read of Mr. Collins. Of course, though, this is mainly about the one and only Mr. Darcy, the most autistic Eligible Bachelor you’ve ever met. Given the age of the source material, it’s impressive just how many autistic buttons he presses for me, from his difficulty in unfamiliar social situations to his penchant for plain honesty over flattery to his tendency to say the impolite thing while doing the caring thing. So much love! 

 

A Series of Unfortunate Events

I already talked about the Netflix show, which feels so autistic in large part because it’s such an effective adaptation of the books. Oh, how I love Lemony Snicket stopping in the middle of the action to clarify things, define words, or reflect on the illogical nature of an expression. Nearly every character is happily obsessed with a particular subject that they’ve made their life’s pursuit, and I love that the Baudelaires process their emotions in such analytical ways. From the first book, I was utterly taken with this series, and I absolutely knew it was for me.

 

Time Quintet

Oh, Meg and Charles Wallace Murry, my beloveds! Incredibly smart, unable to fit in, willing to accept the impossible. I can totally see the Murry home as a place where it’s safe to be autistic in a hostile world, with only the twins masking reliably. Whereas Calvin might be the lone autistic in his family, high-masking to the point where he’s easily accepted by others, but he comes alive when he meets people like him. I love Meg for her anger, her insecurities, and her obstinate square-peg-in-a-round-hole-ness. These books were so formative for me growing up!

Big Neurodivergent Energy Shows: 6-10

Note: Just because none of these shows were listed in my 1-5 Big Neurodivergent Energy shows, it doesn’t mean any of them are less, either in their neurodivergent coding or in my love for them! This entry wound up heavy on the animation side, with three of the five shows being animated, which is kinda fun. I love all of these shows and their characters so much!

 

3Below

Neurodivergent-coded alien siblings for the win! I haven't posted about this show yet, but I have a ton of Y tu Luna tambien reviews in the can for it. I love that Krel and Aja both feel so autistic (probably AuDHD in Aja’s case) in such different ways, that they think and act very differently but are still there for each other no matter what. And I love that, while they’re aliens, their neurodivergent coding goes beyond “just” being alien—both had the same traits on Akiridion-5, they’re just perhaps more evident on Earth.

 

Bob’s Burgers

This is a show with a clear “freebie” character in Tina, the gateway neurodivergent-coded character who gradually opened me up to seeing the neurodivergence in the others—namely, the rest of the family! I love that all the Belchers feel autistic and/or ADHD in varied and interesting ways, and that they always love and support each other even when they don’t fully understand each other. Their different traits clash often, and both Bob and Linda are open about admitting when they don’t quite have a handle on things parenting-wise, but every Belcher has space to be who they are, which is fantastic to see.

 

DuckTales

Much like Bob’s Burgers, this show can be viewed as a potent example of neurodivergence being genetic. From the triplets, to Donald and Della, to of course Scrooge himself, the whole Duck family feels packed with autism and ADHD—not to mention my beloved Webby! I like that all of them are weird and intense and obsessive, but that those traits make them excellent at adventuring, each in their own particular ways. Oh, and the show also ably demonstrates how neurodivergent folks tend to seek each other out. I swear, there’s not one neurotypical bird in this entire “extended family” circle.

 

Scrubs

Scrubs was a pretty early entry in the list of “my” shows. I loved its whimsy and wackiness, its collection of quirky characters, and its potent mixture of silly comedy and heartfelt drama. It’s been quite while since I’ve revisited the series, so I couldn’t as easily bust out a list of examples for my neurodivergent headcanons, but like Ted Lasso (another series Bill Lawrence was involved in,) this is a sitcom where the many quirky characters feel quirky in specifically neurodivergent ways.

 

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Like the book series before it, the Netflix adaptation of A Series of Unfortunate Events exudes Big Neurodivergent Energy. For starters, while a lot of the major characters—the noble ones in particular—are well-read and curious, and they all have one subject that they have a passion for. We’ve got Violet’s inventions, Klaus’s research, Sunny’s cooking (which itself was born out of her sensory-seeking behavior of exploring her environment with her teeth.) What are these if not special interests? And it goes beyond the Baudelaires. From herpetology to grammar to couplets, the series is full of eccentric characters who devote their time and attention to one overriding interest. Much respect!

Top Five Casting Decisions: Adult Guest Stars (A Series of Unfortunate Events)

One of the (very) many splendid things about the three seasons of melancholy awesomeness known as A Series of Unfortunate Events is its casting.  The main cast is all excellent – Count Olaf is such a tricky needle to thread, Patrick Warburton is so great as Lemony Snicket, and I adore all three of those kids.  But the casting is terrific all the way down the line.  Today, I want to celebrate my favorite performances among the guest stars, the characters who don’t appear in every “book” but who are no less vibrantly-painted for it (a few spoilers.)

Aasif Mandvi as Dr. Montgomery Montgomery

Man, Aasif Mandvi is so great as Uncle Monty.  As a guardian for the Baudelaires, he brings just the right balance of kooky and caring, while also demonstrating the flaws that will be his undoing.  He has limited screentime but makes a big impact; his little speech in “The Reptile Room” about not fearing every reptile (i.e. guardian) after one terrible experience (i.e. Count Olaf) is lovely.

Will Arnet & Cobie Smulders as Father & Mother

Okay, yes, this is a two-fer, and they also appear in the whole first season, making them feel like a bit more than guest stars, but a) this pair is most certainly a matched set and b) while they appear in a larger number of episodes, their role in each is very brief.  Watching season 1, I was uncertain where the show was going with these scenes of Mother and Father, but the more I see of them, the more awesome they get.  VFD members at their best, terrifically daring and full of esoteric references – although we never actually see these characters in action in the books, Will Arnett and Cobie Smulders are just everything they should be.  And that final reveal with them is just a gut punch.  Wow…

Max Greenfield as the Denouement Triplets

Even though I got it into my head years ago that Lee Pace would be perfect as the Denouements and so was bound to be a little disappointed at anyone else playing them, I can’t deny that Greenfield is pretty great.  He nails that ambiguity over which brother is which, appearing completely neutral even though we know that Frank is noble (along with the secret Dewey) and Ernest is wicked.

Tony Hale as Jerome Squalor

I never would have thought of Hale for Jerome, and in truth, he isn’t quite what I imagine for the character – you don’t see his conflict-avoidance featured so prominently.  However, Hale definitely captures the quality that most Baudelaire guardians share, which is probably the most evident with him:  he’s a decent, well-meaning person, but ultimately useless.  Throughout “The Ersatz Elevator,” it’s clear that he really cares about the children and wants to do right by them, but he consistently lets them down when they need him most.  More than any other, Jerome as a guardian can be summed up by these lines from Into the Woods:  “You’re so nice. / You’re not good, you’re not bad – / You’re just nice.”  That’s what Hale brings out.

Roger Bart as Vice Principal Nero – Bart is excellent in this role precisely because he’s so terrible:  dumb, vain, and above all, petty.  His habit of repeating people’s words in a high mocking voice always felt forced to me in the book, but Bart pulls it off.  His Nero is so base and punchable, and that’s exactly what the character ought to be.