Review: As We See It

 I wish I hadn't started Amazon's new series “As We See It” on a night I didn't have time to binge because I most certainly would have kept going beyond the second episode.

The show centers on three 20-something roommates who are on the autism spectrum and their aide who are all try to navigate the world amidst its many challenges, some bigger and more complex than others, relatively speaking. One of the things I like best about the show is that the three main characters are played by actors who actually are on the spectrum.

So far my favorite roommate is Violet (Sue Ann Pien), who works at Arby's, wants a boyfriend and has no filter. As she's working the counter at Arby's she propositions a customer (it's all innocent and honest as far as Violet knows), resulting in a tirade by he customer's wife and a demotion for Violet to sandwich technician. Later, she meets a man she found on Bumble. He doesn't know she's on the spectrum and ends up ditching her because he thinks she's weird, which leads to a confrontation with her brother.

Rick Glassman plays Jack, a computer genius with very few interpersonal skills. He's almost Sheldon Cooper-like. His emotions play out in interesting ways when he finds out his father (Joe Mantegna) has cancer. One scene in particular made me, kind of, relate to him. In the cancer clinic, he tries to get to his father's file to get more answers and when he's caught he says to the nurse, “My father has cancer.” She tells him it's a cancer clinic; everyone has cancer. The look on his face must be the look I had a time or two when people didn't treat my mom and me as if she was the only person in the world to ever have cancer.

Albert Rutecki plays Harrison, the member of the trio seemingly the least ready to live on his own. He would just as soon stay home and watch “The Price Is Right,” followed by game show after game show than try – again – to walk half a block to the coffee shop down the street. Spoiler Alert: Joyous is the best way I can describe the moment he finally makes it.

The roommates' aide, Mandy (Sosie Bacon) is struggling with her own issues, not the least of which are not being accepted into grad school and trying to decide whether she should move to Berkeley with her boyfriend. As she's interviewing for an internship he recommended her for she tells her prospective boss (an expert in autism research) that (and I'm paraphrasing here) that it's not about them fitting into the world, it's about trying to make the world more inclusive.

So far, I think “As We See It” has taken a giant step in helping people see why that's right.