Everything’s Gonna Be Okay (TV)
Written by, directed by, and acted in by Autistics, Everything’s Gonna Be Okay is some of the best fictional Autistic representation on TV.
When their dad dies, Nicholas becomes the guardian of his two younger half-sisters, Matilda (Autistic) and Genevieve (allistic). Josh Thomas—the show creator who also plays Nicholas—made sure to cast Autistic actors to play the lead Autistic characters: Matilda (Kayla Cromer) and Drea (Lillian Carrier). He also based his character on himself—an idiosyncratic queer man trying to navigate (and cope with) life and relationships.
(*Caution: SPOILERS)
After the first season started to air, many Autistics took to social media, wondering when Nicholas’s character was going to be diagnosed too. The Autistic community’s reaction to his character, as well as a personal wonderings, caused Josh to reflect on his own Autistic traits. He later sought out identification and did the world the service of having his character on the show go through a similar process—making it a truly authentic representation of late-identification (at least for a wealthy white man in California—but hey, they’re valid too!).
The only big issue I have with his “coming out” process, is that when he tells Matilda about his suspicions, she immediately rejects the idea (only to accept it a few minutes later). This to me is completely unrealistic because Autistic radar is strong. We sense each other out and it is NEVER a surprise when one of our friends or family members tell us that they’re Autistic too. We’re more like, “Yeah, I know. Took you long enough.”
The show takes a nuanced look at autism, parenting, friendship, and love that often challenges typical norms and expectations. According to Thomas, he wanted complex characters that the audience would sometimes like, and sometimes not be such fans of—much like real life.
While some of the language and framing is not as affirming as I’d like, the show’s creator took care to represent a marginalized group in a sensitive, relatable, and authentic way, and as a result, was able to make an important self-discovery that validated his experiences of the world.
(Available in the U.S. on Hulu)