I got home from my writing retreat in Galveston today to find out that Roomie M and T were raptly watching The Good Doctor, which is a show focusing on a young autistic surgical resident named Shaun Murphy developing his medical career--and this time, they know he's autistic. Like. The writers know, and there's got to be someone on the spectrum on the writing staff, but clearly not everyone on it, but... they are trying very hard. I think Shaun rings truer to me than any character since Abed from Community.

There were a lot of things I was enjoying about the show, but here is the moment where I just fell, uncontrollably and unreservedly, in love:

Shaun walks into a corridor and spots a young man fighting with several people trying to restrain him, flailing uncontrollably, and notices: the young man is nonverbal, overwhelmed, and the more people who try to touch him or shout, the harder he pushes back.

Shaun says "you're scaring him" and is ignored (and probably not heard). He says louder "You're scaring him." and then "You're SCARING HIM" as he intervenes, and as the doctor handling the patient and the aides listen, as they back away, the man stills and relaxes and stops fighting. "He's not psychotic, he's autistic." From another character who is, implicitly and explicitly, an autistic professional in the middle of his goddamn job, and demanding that neurotypical professionals in a position of power listen to his expertise and adjust their behavior accordingly.

I don't think I realized how much that mattered to me, seeing that.

( It's not perfect, but what is? )