Big Neurodivergent Energy Shows: 11-15

Mostly sitcoms today. I feel like sitcoms in general lend themselves well to neurodivergent interpretations, with lots of quirky characters who have outsized reactions to things. But there’s a difference between “yeah, I could see that” ND interpretations and “omg, autistic/ADHD AF!!!” ND interpretations. And these shows? Far more the latter!

 

Abbott Elementary

I went into this show knowing that a lot of autistic folks claim Gregory, and he’s positively spectacular—episode about safe foods! Not a drill! But I wasn’t prepared to get bowled over by the rest of the cast, especially my beloved Janine. She and Gregory are my favorite workplace sitcom will-they-won’t-they since Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt (surprise, surprise!) A beautiful show with room for all kinds of brains, including Melissa being canonically dyslexic!

 

Community

It’s not just Abed, which it is. It’s not just some of the other characters, which it is. It’s the lovingly intricate pop culture references and long-game commitment to bits. It’s the theme of broken, lonely people who are better when they’re together. It’s the turn of the jokes and the depth of the existential crises. A beautifully autistic show that’s often brilliant and sometimes messy, one that resonates with me on so many levels.

 

Good Omens

Production on season 3 has paused for now, which is good (ugh, Neil Gaiman, why?), but even if my feelings about the show have grown more complicated due to behind-the-scenes issues, I still really love these characters and their relationship. I love how Aziraphale and Crowley both feel autistic to me in completely different ways, which contributes to them fitting so well together despite having such different sensibilities. Really excited to see these two find their happy ending!

 

The Good Place

Like Community, this is a show with a great “freebie” autistic-coded character in Chidi, but he’s just a gateway to discovering how neurodivergent the show feels as a whole. I love every single one of the characters and how they interact with one another, the wordplay is delicious, and I love the notion that people aren’t “good” or “bad” but are always capable of better, especially with the love and support of those around them. And come on, this is a network sitcom that regularly features ruminations on moral philosophy! You love to see it.

 

We Are Lady Parts

I feel like there’s some strong overlap between neurodivergence and punk, so this show might’ve had Big ND Energy no matter what, but the neurodivergent coding is definitely strong with this one. Most of the characters give off a vibe, but most especially Amina and Saira. Like Aziraphale and Crowley, they have such polar-opposite traits but fit together so well. I love both of them so much, and I adore the show’s heart, bite, and quirkiness.  

Top Five Christmas Episodes: Sitcoms

I love holiday episodes of TV shows, and while Christmas stories can be hit-or-miss – too sappy/cheesy, recycled storylines about obsessing over the “perfect gift” – I’ve seen some really fun ones as well.  These five episodes can be enjoyed any time of year, but they’re even better around the yuletide.

“My Own Personal Jesus” (Scrubs – Season 1, Episode 11)

Right off the bat, you have Turk’s childlike Christmas excitement compared to everyone else’s holiday fatigue (I love J.D. and Carla lethargically discussing their least favorite parts of the season, as well as J.D.’s forced cheerfulness about going to mass for “some church crackers!”)  The show doesn’t touch on Turk’s faith a lot, but it always does a nice job when it comes up, and it’s at its best here.  I like the storyline of the particularly ugly Christmas Eve on-call that leaves Turk leaving hopeless and abandoned, and his desire to find a sign that God is looking out for everyone who’s hurting.  Plus, how can you not love Dr. Cox as the Grinch?

“The Bath Gift Item Hypothesis” (The Big Bang Theory – Season 2, Episode 11)

Okay, I know I just griped about “finding the perfect gift” tropes, but it’s amusingly subverted here with Sheldon’s logic-fueled attempts to anticipate the value of Penny’s gift to him and find an exact equivalent.  I love the ending, which offers one of the first “sweet Sheldon” moments of the show.  Leonard’s right – it is “a Saturnalia miracle!”

“Comparative Religion” (Community – Season 1, Episode 12)

Sure, it’s a little convenient that every member of the study group is a different religion (and even more convenient that some of these religions are forgotten 98% of the time,) but it leads to a good storyline with Shirley’s put-the-Christ-in-Christmas party.  And we can’t forget the Dean as Mr. Winter, the over-the-top PC, completely nonspecified holiday figure of his own creation.

“An Eric Forman Christmas” (That ‘70s Show – Season 4, Episode 12)

Of course Eric’s efforts to direct the church Christmas pageant are plagued with mishaps and nearly doomed to failure.  His friends’ outrageous demands for their roles are excellent, I love the visual of Pastor Dave tied up with Christmas lights, and the “circle discussion” about Christmas specials is a classic (I especially like Kelso fiercely defending Rudolph’s sexuality.)

“How Lily Stole Christmas” (How I Met Your Mother – Season 2, Episode 11)

Here’s a Christmas episode with a bit of a bite, since it’s all about a feud between Lily and Ted that starts when she discovers the horrible, unnamed word he called her when she and Marshall were broken up.  Stealing all the Christmas decorations is very Aldrin justice – the visual of all of it hanging up in her tiny apartment is terrific – and the whole plot gives us some great scenes between Lily and Ted.  I also love Marshall’s stint playing Santa’s helper for the U.S. postal service.

Top Five Homage Episodes: Community

Community is one of the more ambitious sitcoms I’ve ever seen; it’s constantly moving its characters in unexpected places and trying new things.  One aspect that really makes it stand out is, of course, its penchant for meticulously-detailed homages to other movies, TV shows, and genres.  After a lot of deliberating, these are my top five.  (Note:  it’s not that season 5 doesn’t have any good homages – it’s just that I could only pick five, and you can’t beat the first three seasons!)

 

 

“Modern Warfare” (Season 1, Episode 23)

 

The first paintball episode is easily the best.  At the time, we weren’t used to Greendale descending into anarchy at the drop of a hat, so it’s novel to see the school become a war zone over the course of a paintball game.  The episode is crammed with great war-movie tropes:  heroic sacrifices, double and triple bluffs, Mexican standoffs, and wistful conversations about what they’ll do if they ever make it home.

 

 

“Basic Rocket Science” (Season 2, Episode 4)

 

Using a (terrible) spaceflight simulator to riff on Apollo 13 was a great idea.  I like watching the study group pull together to “pilot” the simulator, and I love Abed as the rueful “It should be me up there” man-on-the-ground talking them through the program.  It’s a fun race against the clock, and I never get tired of the running gag that it’s a KFC-sponsored simulator.

 

 

“Documentary Filmmaking:  Redux” (Season 3, Episode 8)

 

I haven’t even seen Hearts of Darkness, but that doesn’t stop me from adoring this episode.  Abed’s film documenting the making of the Dean’s commercial for Greendale is just a riot.  As the commercial gets ever grander and more out of control, the Dean slides further and further off the rails, culminating in one of the funniest climaxes the show has ever had.  So much insanity, and how great is it that they send up something like Hearts of Darkness in the first place?

 

 

“Pillows and Blankets” (Season 3, Episode 14)

 

Another documentary homage, this time Ken Burns’s Civil War miniseries.  As in all of these examples, the strongest humor comes from pairing the lofty tropes (somber Civil War documentary) with silly subject matter (heated feud between Troy’s blanket fort supporters and Abed’s pillow fort followers.)  The narration, maps, and photography are perfect, and I love the dramatic readings of text messages – fantastic device.

 

 

“Basic Lupin Urology” (Season 3, Episode 17)

 

This Law & Order parody is stunning in its specificity.  The study group’s mission to discover the culprit who destroyed their biology project is hilarious, and the episode hits every beat of a classic Law & Order story.  And come on, who doesn’t love Abed and Troy’s good cop/bad cop routine (especially when they trade places halfway through?)