Second season of dating show falls off line from respectful to exploitative

Web Exclusive:

When Love on the Spectrum was first released, it became an instant hit. Many were interested in gaining a more informative eye as to what dating looks like while on the spectrum. Set up with the premise of having neurodivergent persons date through the help of dating coaches, the show portrayed a variety of interviews with the dates, main characters, families and friends, interactions on dates, and a multitude of deep dives into how candidates felt. Not only did the show focus on romantic aspects of these candidates’ lives, but also the platonic facts that come about when searching for ‘the one.’ However, a large majority of the audience was quick to point out that the show depicts autistic people in a strange light, often having the candidates come off as quirky, codependent, and strange. So how did the second season compare to the first? 

Unfortunately, it was staged very similarly with recurring themes of the dating candidates being portrayed as kooky and quirky. When looking at the show through a positive perspective, one can find the authenticity and warmth of candidates refreshing and eye opening. Many candidates are in tune with their emotions and want a truthful and honest connection, a revitalizing aspect of the show that many other dating shows fail to portray or even look for. The so-called ‘realness’ of the candidates makes the dating aspect of the show so much more invigorating as the viewer can truly connect and empathize with how the dating world works. Overall, the show provides a new freshness to the genre and world of dating shows, and not only does it show a new aspect to dating but it also provides some much needed representation of day to day life for neurodivergent individuals. 

What first stands out when one watches the show is the use of music to portray the candidates in a certain way. Whenever the candidates talk about their emotions, special interests, hardships, backstories, or simply when they speak, the music has a strange and sometimes offbeat tune. In comparison to other dating shows, candidates on Love on the Spectrum aren’t depicted with an interesting, fun, and upbeat tune. Instead, the music played is most often sporadic and mild with weird pauses in the tune and random sharp noises interjecting at random times. One of the best examples of this mismatched music is the contrast in the type of tune when first introducing the candidate Connor and his family. Connor’s mother, Lise, pops up on screen with a soft, gentle, and heartwarming tune as she confabulates about her son and his experiences in life thus far. On the contrary, when Connor comes onto the screen the music switches to an eccentric and peculiar tune even though Connor articulates the same message as his mom; he talks about his life so far, what exactly interests him, and what he’s looking for in a partner, yet the show still separates the tone of the two interviews by overlaying such differing music during the scenes. 

Outside of the musical aspect, the show also unnecessarily captures incredibly sensitive and private moments between many of the candidates and their families. It’s no surprise that when you combine dating, something that contains a large variety of emotions, and neurodivergent persons, who can easily become overstimulated by said emotions, there’s bound to be a conflict or tension at one point or another. Filming someone who is clearly overwhelmed and overcome with emotions that they cannot manage is a common theme throughout the show. However, this directive choice also causes a question to arise; is filming sensitive moments exploitative? From one angle it very much does seem like the cameras are harassing these candidates as they try to regulate themselves and get back to baseline. From another angle, the ability to view the ups and downs of neurodivergent persons provides more insight and understanding for the viewer. 

All in all, at face value, the show was incredibly interesting, fun to watch, and easy to digest with an extraordinary and entertaining cast of characters. However, when digging deeper into the content and merit of the show one can easily recognize many problems that arise with producing a show about personal matters such as dating. Overall it was enjoyable to view at some parts and hard to watch at others, making it mediocre at most with some interesting social commentary sprinkled throughout the episodes.

by Zuzanna Sobkowiak

Published February 26, 2024

Oshkosh West Index vol 120 issue V