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!

The Book of Rannells: Bob’s Burgers: Season 9 – “Just One of the Boyz 4 Now for Now” (2018)

Another new Andrew Rannells project!  I love Bob’s Burgers, and it was fun to have Rannells, along with a few other notable Broadway voices, guest-starring on this delightful episode.

When heartthrob Boo Boo leaves the boy band Boyz 4 Now, auditions for his replacement are held locally.  Tina runs into a boy on the street heading to the auditions and is convinced they’re soulmates, so she disguises herself as a boy and sneaks into the convention center (no girls are allowed in) to find him.  Meanwhile, the rest of the family falls in love with a baby rat they’ve been tasked with taking care of.

I’ll start with the rat stuff, which fits nicely into the Bob’s Burgers wheelhouse of kind of gross but still weirdly endearing.  Linda making the rat a tiny table out of a bottle cap is funny, Louise naturally does a bad job of pretending to be indifferent to its cuteness, and I love how sincerely Bob says, “I like the rat more than any of you.”

But the real joy here is definitely Tina and the boy band auditions.  The episode sets up a good conflict for her, struggling to stay true to her latest crush while surrounded by cute boys and their butts, and it’s no surprise to say she finds it a challenge.  I love how she starts fantasizing at the drop of a hat, and I like how her fantasies are so clearly fueled by rom-com tropes (the guy friend who’s always been there for her after the popular jerk lets her down, the arrogant tool she shares love/hate chemistry with at the office, her boyfriend’s best friend who’s been quietly pining for her.)

Even better, all these daydreams are in song.  I love Bob’s Burgers’s musical episodes anyway, and when you throw in some Broadway actors playing the objects of Tina’s affection, it is on.  Rannells is joined by fellow Book of Mormon alumni Josh Gad (Elder Cunningham) and Rory O’Malley (Elder McKinley,) along with Daveed Diggs (America’s favorite fighting Frenchman/no more Mister Nice President!)  All three are a delight in their roles.  I’d say O’Malley gets the best song, Diggs gets the funniest scenario, and I’m most impressed by Gad; his singing is typically pretty hammy, but he plays it straighter here.  (Side note:  this must've been Broadway night on FOX, because Jonathan Groff also appeared as a guest star on The Simpsons!)

And, of course, Rannells.  He plays Hayden, another of Tina’s insta-crushes.  We know almost nothing about him as a character, since the brunt of his screentime is in a fantasy, but that’s okay, because it’s awesome.  While the other three guys all have great fantasies/songs, this one is my favorite.  Yes, biased, I know, but it’s also just super fun.  It features a tag-team with Gad, which conjures up Mormon memories, the scenario Tina dreams up for Hayden is awesomely ridiculous, and the song features some delightfully-Bob’s Burgers naughty space puns.

Very funny, obviously, and Rannells absolutely nails the boy-band sound in his voice.  Also, while he only has a couple lines of non-sung dialogue, it stills sounds like he’s doing a voice of some kind.  I appreciate that – even though Rannells has a pretty animation-friendly voice anyway, he still adjusts it to the character/scenario.

Recommend?

In General – Sure.  Bob’s Burgers is a fantastically odd show, and this is an entertaining episode.  Plus, Broadway actors!

Andrew Rannells – I would.  Even though it’s a small one, it’s still really funny, and the singing is excellent.

Warnings

Crude humor and mild sensuality (Tina really likes butts.)