Aspie characters on TV

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how about batman or the phantom of the opera?

I'm a huge fan of Dexter but I strongly disagree. Dexter was incredibly scarred by his mother's death and that left him "empty". Throughout season 1 he is cold/lacks empathy, organised, literal and has a routine. Now, if you ignore his mother's death scarring him, they could be interpreted as Aspie traits. Aspergers (as I'm sure your aware) is untreatable and will stay with your for life. Dexter however continuously evolves emotionally through the show from being able to break his routine, changing the Code of Harry, developing emotional connections and even showing a very large amount of empathy and guilt in the beginnin of season 5. If they were Aspie traits, I find it unlikely that he would have evolved so much in only around four years (maybe five, but I'm quite sure it is four).

You also mention his brother. Brian was even more scarred by his mothers death. He was sent to a rehabilitation hospital (I've forgot the proper name of the hospitals so that was the closest way I could try to name them) and he never showed any emotion at all. In fact, he is by far the coldest (pun not intended) killer yet to be on the show. In comparison, around the same time Dexter was able to make an emotional connection with Rita, even if it was only a very basic one. This, in my view, suggests that using his brother to try to show Dexter was not as scarred as is made out is not a very good argument to make as he is most definitely worse and it shows that they were both effected a great deal by what they saw.

I do not like reading novels so have not read the books but I have read summaries and in through using them you'd have a better argument as dexter never evolves but I am still not convinced as the shipping container massacre caused his desire to kill (I'll ignore the third books nonsensical explanation for his Dark Passenger), apathy and empathy. His apathy leads him to misunderstanding jokes and taking things literally and his father's teachings and warnings have lead him to following a routine.

The Trinity Killer is a far better possibility in my opinion but j don't think so. Just like Brian, his lack of empathy and apathy was caused by his sister's death which, not only did he understand what was happening as he was 10 but he also caused it and his anger caused by his guilt from, in his mind, having killed everybody in his family. There is also a very large gap in between then and his first kill and we have no idea what happened in between (all we know is he had a family and atleast one child). His routine is also him (as Lundy said) him trying to recreate his memory. He has very childlike behaviour when with the child so maybe you consider that something that could be pointed out as being considered an Aspie trait but that seems more like him trying to pretend he has his innocence again like the child. Really, I don't think any character in Dexter has Aspergers and although the characters may have traits they certainly (in my view) don't fit the criteria.

Chloe O Brien was mentioned before and that seems like a pretty safe bet.

Alternate Astrid in Fringe seems to have Aspie traits bit we've not seen her enough to make an accurate conclusion.

Hello
This is my second ever post
Newly discovered Aspie (undiagnosed but in the process)
I think The Observer in Fringe is very likely or at least he is modeled that way
Also I think the character of Ed(the father) on s**t my dad says is
I especially noticed it in the newest episode with the dog
I think the whole family shows traits so it might be in the Writers' influence

I also posted this in another forum but probably the wrong one

I think Merlin was
Intelligent, strong willed, very precise, scientist(magician)
Advisor to a more physically capable go getter
I feel that I am better as an advisor than a doer
Which gives me that thought

She does have Asperger's. Jasika Nicole based Alternate!Astrid's mannerisms off of her sister with autism.

not strictly autisic but the contractors in darker than black have traits.. like compulsions and a logical world view

I know this is quite a bump but I just noticed it now and I find that quite interesting. I wonder if it'll ever directly be brought up on the show. Thanks for that piece of information though. I think it'll make her character a bit more interesting for me from now on which is good as she's quite underdeveloped.

I think that both Watashi and Akashi-san from Tatami Galaxy are both Aspies.

Also, Bass.EXE from the Ryo Takamisaki manga version of Rockman.EXE could be one, too. He was an intelligent navi who could think for himself, and all the scientists, as well as their navis, scorned him. He then was supposedly betrayed by the only one who understand him, Dr. Cossack, and became a villian because he thought that all humans were disloyal.
I sympathized with him, his intelligence, and how nobody understood the guy.

Still, there is Sakaki and Osaka from Azumanga Daioh....

The blond guy in Notinghill (He was dancing alone while everyone was sitting, and tended to keep to himself)
The main character in 'Black Swan'
The dumb guy in 'Back to the Future' (McFly is redeemed by his son and is smart enough to write sci-fi. He just needed to be coached in the right direction)
The clumsy guy in 'Full Metal Jacket' (Army training was too much for him, and he became a victim of the other recruits)
Jesse Eisenberg's character in 'Zombieland'
Mr. Anderson (Neo) 'The Matrix'
Almost everyone in 'Big Bang Theory'
Probably Ross in 'Friends'

He's the first one I thought of He even said once that his parents were overly logical: "It's X degrees outside, therefore you'll wear a sweater!"

Possibly Claude Greengrass from Heartbeat, though he may just be eccentric.

No one has mentioned Abed from Community. In the beginning of the first season, another character "diagnoses" him as having Asperger's, through out the show, other characters refer to how he is "different" or odd. Although Abed is a bit of a caricature at times, I love how he is shown as being obsessed with television and how he relates best to people by comparing their problems to issues that characters from television programs have faced. I can relate to having thought in such a way. I have long said that I learned everything I know from television, and many of my sentences have begun with "Well, according to popular situation comedies...".

Community is a fantastic show, btw. Sadly, most people haven't seen it.

I was just about to say abed! He's one of my favorite fictional characters of all time. I remember watching when the show premiered and saying "Haha! That's exactly like me!" about Abed.

That sounds so much like myself....

Christopher Walken's character in "Blast from the Past". Eccentric, and a genius, and most people misunderstood him. He hides with his family in an underground refuge thinking the cold war has become a full scale nuclear war. The years go by, and he loves the refuge and refuses to leave. His wife and son don't agree with him.

Another character that was probably an Aspie:

Eddie Guathierhttp://trueblood.wikia.com/wiki/File:Eddie_Gauthier.JPG, the fat vampire in True Blood's first season. Lafayette took blood from him because, in case you don't watch True Blood, vampire blood or V is a powerful drug for humans, and Eddie Gauthier had no problem giving his to Lafayette.

Eddie Gauthier rarely left the house and, in one occasion, Lafayette told him that there were many things an immortal vampire could do to enjoy life, and Eddie Gauthier just told him, he didn't care about any of that, or something like that.

Eddie Gauthier didn't survive past the first season. He was kidnapped by Jason's girlfriend, drained of most of his blood, and then staked by Jason's girlfriend.

How about Ferb from Phinius and Ferb?

My very first post on this forum...

I know it's been said that Dexter has APD (maybe in the books but not in the tv-series)

But except for the killing ofcourse i can very much relate to Dexter and the way he thinks at times.

Especially the way he tries to make the best with his relationship with Rita.

I have a relationship for almost 10 years and some episodes of season 3 and 4 i really felt like i was saying these things... it was very weird to watch it...

A female friend of ours just started watching the first two seasons and told my gf that dexter reminded her of me.

I really didnt dare to say that i felt the same way...

Somebody once posted this on this forum to prove that Dexter doesnt have APD after a long debate so i've added some of it below..

He is definitely not a sociopath. People often say "sociopath" without knowing what it means.

Here's the checklist for antisocial personality disorder (AKA sociopathy).


1. Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest;
Other than his obvious hobby, Dexter obeys the law as well as anybody else. Sociopaths enjoy breaking rules. Dexter is very meticulous and rule oriented.


2. Deceitfulness, as indicated by repeatedly lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure;
This one Dexter does match, but only because he was taught in this way. If Dexter grew up without the social skills training of Harry, his aspie traits would be more recognizable(he never smiled as a child, which is an autistic trait). Also if you pay attention, Dexter very rarely lies. He plays with words much like I do. Rita-"What are you doing?" Dexter-"Just finishing up a little project". Dexter tells Rita almost everything he does wrong (hitting Paul, sleeping with Lila).


3. Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead;
He is very rarely impulsive, and regrets when he is. He plans ahead quite well.


4. Irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults;
He almost stabbed a bully in school, but that does not point to sociopathy. I'm sure many people on wrongplanet have had similar thoughts.


5. Reckless disregard for safety of self or others;
Dexter is anything but reckless. He is careful in most things he does.


6. Consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations;
He is good at maintaining jobs obviously. He doesn't appear to suffer financially either.


7. Lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another.
Can also be linked to Asperger Syndrome, but he is capable of remorse. Remember his brother?

Dexter is kind of a Schizoid, not a sociopath, or an Aspie. Remember, the creators of the show want you to think what he witnessed as a child made him what he is. Maybe an Aspie who sees his mom being kiled would grow up to become like Dexter, but it is more likely that a normal person would develop schizoid traits after witnessing such an event. Then again, I am not a psychiatrist, so if you are welcomed to disagree with me.

Last edited by rpcarnell on 26 Jul 2011, 9:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.