I can imagine that many in the entertainment industry would miss the fact that for many of us autism (and ADHD, etc.) is actually subtle and pervasive rather than immediately obvious. After all, they are trying to tell a story to what is very often a not particularly subtle audience.They've made no secret of pinching the idea from the French series, Astrid and Raphaelle. The main difference - and a big one - is that the UK version is played by an autistic woman, while the French one isn't.
Having seen both, I can see why the Astrid is popular, because the crime plots have more drama, have some more steamy affairs, but I found their central actor off-putting. I felt she was performing a pastiche of autism and could almost hear her autism coaches pushing her to add more vocal and physical ticks in her portrayal.
By contrast, Patience has a lighter touch. She still has the occasional shutdown and red lines that people keep trampling over, but her reactions felt human, not the mechanical ones shown by Astrid. One might almost expect to see a large key in the back of Astrid where they wind her up each day.
But as I say, Astrid is popular, sub-titled but I've seen commenters shouting in outrage that the UK version is a rip-off and 'How dare they?' and 'I prefer ground coffee, not Nescafe, so there!' You get the picture.I finish the Patience episodes feeling happy, not tense.
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