REVIEW: "Astrid et Raphaëlle": Is this the best show on autism ever to hit the telly?
Indeed, is there a better portrayal of neurodiversity on TV?
My wife and I are addicted to crime thrillers in general, British mostly. So much so, as an American, I’ve started substituting our words for their British equivalents: peeler (cop); tosser (annoying); bugger all (nothing); grass up (inform); cuppa; and of course, telly…hence the title.
My family and friends have found lots of joy in streaming these shows, expanding into European crime shows from Iceland to the Mediterranean and everything in between. But one show we follow stands out among the best: France’s “Astrid and Raphaëlle.”
As an ADHDer and a fellow traveler in the neurodiverse realm, I wanted to address my autistic brothers and sisters immediately after watching the FIRST episode: If ASTRID is an authentic portrayal of the autistic community, then you must be pretty damn proud!
Please stop me here if I’m singing its praises too loudly. I hope I’m not. To one who overlaps your world juxtaposed with similar, yet unfamiliar, challenges, I would assume ASTRID’s creators pulled out all the stops to make this project as genuine as possible. They certainly nailed it in superb acting and production value choices.
The premise? Autistic police archivist Astrid Nielsen and neurotypical inspector Raphaëlle Coste work together to solve crimes in and around Paris. Never the ‘twain departments shall meet, as the Department of Judicial Police (DPJ) and Criminal Records Division are buildings and methods apart when we meet this unlikely pair.
We watch Astrid and Raphaëlle as they begin an awkward alliance, each from worlds that couldn’t be more opposite, along a storyline that evolves into a slow merging of the two.
This brilliant, quiet, seamless portrayal of an autistic world appears unapproachable to neurotypicals who don’t understand mental health challenges. The richness of characters developed and intertwined in relationships outside the (neuro) typical structure of a procedural drama. Cops and autistics interact with compassion and understanding like we’ve never seen before. All these come together to hook the viewer into a portrait rarely witnessed.
But what sets ASTRID apart from anything that’s come before it is an intimate, poignant, and exquisite glimpse into the autistic world through the eyes of Astrid and her support group friends. This is where the series shines, illuminating an aspect seldom seen by the neurotypical world.
A support group like no other, we meet two of Astrid’s friends:
—William Thomas, the group leader who is passionate about computers and trains, who sometimes helps Astrid find documents on a suspect's computer; and
—Max, who arrived in France at the age of eight and was non-verbal at that time. Speaking 14 languages, as well as more than 40 indigenous languages, he is Astrid and Raphaëlle’s translator and interpreter. No—these are NOT your neurotypical crime show characters seen on streaming TV.
We just wrapped up watching Season 3, with a fourth coming. Since I don’t do spoiler alerts, we’ll wrap this up here. Since it airs at different times all over the map, you’ll have to do your own Copilot or Google search to find ASTRID in your area. Treat yourself and FIND IT. In today’s media landscape, there’s no truer portrait of neurodiversity, particularly autism, than "Astrid et Raphaëlle." But if there is, please let us know. You have our ATTENTION.
© 2024 kskernen.substack.com
While I am not neurodiverse myself, this show has given me such an empathy and understanding for the challenges the neurodiverse go through on a daily basis. You are not signing it's praises too highly in my book. It is a brilliantly acted show - well written stories - and the main characters you cannot help but fall in love with because of all their subtle and not so subtle issues they are all dealing with. The actress that plays Astrid is just downright brilliant.
This is one of the best shows I have ever come across. Astrid is amazing and the relationship between her and Raphaille is fabulous, the way they interact, all heart-warming. The story lines, characters so superior to American crime shows. Its brilliant!!