Astrid (My rating: 5) - by Jerry G.
I write here mostly about British detective mysteries but good ones come from elsewhere. I previously mentioned one, the excellent French detective mystery Astrid. Astrid – an autistic woman with complete recall of the police crime archives (where she works) and the attention to detail that “normals” overlook – comes to partner with Raphaëlle, a rather flamboyant Parisian commander in the judicial police. While such a setup could be mere cliché, this French series shines with the greatest degree of sensitivity. Astrid is not a troubled soul but she is aware of what she does not understand in the behavior of the “neurotypicals.” She attends weekly social skills workshops for those on the spectrum – led by William, also autistic – to discuss the difficulties they encounter, how they react and perhaps what it means and how to respond. These delicate and often humorously touching sessions are highlights of the show. People with autism are involved in the series as consultants, writers and actors.
Sara Mortensen, a French-Norwegian actor who is not autistic, plays Astrid Nielsen with Lola Dewaere as Commandant Raphaëlle Coste. They are as polar opposite as possible: one unable to tolerate physical touch and who must follow strict routines in order to navigate through life (Astrid must write a script to follow before making a phone call) and the other compulsive, physical and unable to contain her emotions. But as they work together, they come to understand and depend upon each other. These are two strong women catching criminals!
Astrid is in French with subtitles. The two series so far provide some back story while providing various forms of the “locked room” mystery. With the help of her mentor at the archives, Astrid gradually comes to feel herself “capable” to do more than tend the files. Raphaëlle regularly breaks the rules as she leads her team and navigates around her own boss. The social skills group includes those with different forms of autism, including a Cherokee Native American who somehow wound up in Paris. They all come to play a role in support of Astrid. Being a French series, sexual attraction and its missteps also feature in the episodes.
A third season of Astrid has already appeared in France and will show up on PBS at some point. The first two seasons can be watched via Passport. I cannot recommend this superb series highly enough.
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