TV/Movie Portrayals of Autism/Asperger's

Post Reply New Topic

Sometimes I wonder if Sherlock from the BBC Sherlock Holmes series has Asperger's. He's certainly not a 'high-functioning sociopath', as he claims, since he does show a lot of concern about the people he cares about.

Watson suggests as much in "the Hounds of Baskerville".

Also, I'm pretty sure I've read that 'high-functioning sociopath' has never been a thing.

Yes, blubberdick cumberbund actually says in several interviews that the modern version of the character is based on 'someone with Asperger's'.

Really? I saw other interviews after "The Imitation Game" in which he kept saying he was tired of people calling his characters autistic, since practically every review of the movie called his portrayal of Alan Turing as showing him with Asperger's. He sounded downright annoyed in one interview. Was he changing his mind, backtracking, or just didn't want people to think he was playing Turing as having Aspergers? Did he base Sherlock on someone he knew, or was he just generally working some characteristics in?

Might as well add Eugene from the walking dead.

After last nights episode I feel sure he's supposed to have Aspergers.

I was kind of thinking that as well. Not totally sure yet where they are taking his character. However, here's a brief clip of an interview I found with the actor who plays him. He addresses the AS question.

http://www.accesshollywood.com/videos/j ... gers-48573

Eugene is going to end up either dead or saving humanity.

I watched an old episode of Criminal Minds in which Aspergers figured promintly. A psycho took two families hostage, one of the hostages was an aspie boy. Spencer Ried started talking about Aspergers traits and how some past geniuses are thought to be Aspies. His female colleague said "like you". He ignored it. Later the collegue apologizes for suggesting he had Aspergers and hoped he was not offended. He said "none taken" asked when she said that. He then notes the boys room reminded him of his room when he was a kid. Then the colleague says his directness is what she loves about him and they both agree that people bieng indirect wastes time

Yeah, here's one of them(skip to 4:50):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... -detective

I don't think it's supposed to be an accurate portrayal of Asperger's, they just borrow from it.

Shoot, it's not available outside the UK. What does it say?

I think I found it here, at 3:50 not 4:50: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5y7i1pLpfI
BC is a bit confused about the difference between a sociopath and Asperger's, which in my mind are complete opposites, but then, he's not a psychologist. *Ahem* Someone once said, "Do your research." I think it applies here.

I have a blog on this, does anyone else want access and to make profiles? Problem is I'm going to be gone for two years in under a week.

http://autisminfiction.tumblr.com/

There's this Aussie movie from the 80's which is pre-Asperger's but I reckon he's a definite - classic comedy. Called Malcolm

Rumor has it Eugene on the walking dead did something this evening during a fight that suggests autism but not the kind we want to be associated with.