{"id":30384,"date":"2022-05-21T07:00:18","date_gmt":"2022-05-21T14:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/?p=30000026738"},"modified":"2022-05-20T15:14:44","modified_gmt":"2022-05-20T22:14:44","slug":"love-on-the-spectrum-long-beach-subodh-garg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/hi-lo\/love-on-the-spectrum-long-beach-subodh-garg","title":{"rendered":"Will Long Beach’s Subodh Garg find ‘Love on the Spectrum’? The uplifting show lets us see his journey"},"content":{"rendered":"

Subodh Garg likes sharks, poke bowls and video game music. He doesn\u2019t watch television. He\u2019s a genius at math. He\u2019s also 33 years old and never had a girlfriend. And now, he\u2019s ready to find love.<\/p>\n

But unlike most men venturing into the perilous world of dating, Garg isn\u2019t doing it alone. He\u2019s got a whole production team filming his journey as a star on the new reality series \u201cLove on the Spectrum U.S.\u201d because Garg is also autistic.<\/p>\n

The new series, which arrived on Netflix May 18, is an American spinoff of the very popular Australian show of the same name. Each season follows multiple subjects on the autism spectrum as they venture into the world of dating, many for the very first time.<\/p>\n

Compared to shows like \u201cThe Bachelor\u201d where connections are rushed and the dates are highly orchestrated, \u201cLove on the Spectrum\u201d is the antithesis. The dates aren\u2019t edited to minimize the awkward silences or disguise stumbles in social scripts, like deciding who pays for a meal. Its cast members, who by way of their neurological differences, approach the idea of love and relationships from the purest of stances: They\u2019re looking to find connection, share common interests and be understood.<\/p>\n

For those reasons, \u201cLove on the Spectrum\u201d is a show any viewer\u2014neurodivergent or not\u2014could relate to. This season though, locals may delight in knowing Long Beach plays a part in a big way.<\/p>\n

By episode two of the six-part series, we learn that Garg lives in Los Angeles with his sister, though much of his screen time on the show takes place at his family\u2019s home in Long Beach. Locals may also recognize the waterfront backdrop at The Crab Pot in the marina, where he has his first date.<\/p>\n

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A screenshot of Subodh Garg and his date Rachel at The Crab Pot restaurant in the new Netflix dating show “Love on the Spectrum U.S.”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Garg\u2019s unique journey on the show is that he\u2019s never dated, unlike most of the cast who have either been on dates or been in a committed relationship. His doting mother, Anju, we learn has struggled to help her son in that department since she and her husband had an arranged marriage.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe come from a different culture, dating is not something I grew up with, so I have no idea how to help him,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019ll feel relieved if he finds love. I\u2019ll feel like I\u2019ve fulfilled my duties as a mother.\u201d<\/p>\n

One major critique of the Australian original was that its cast lacked any racial or ethnic diversity. This season, though, we see a major improvement with Garg, who is Southeast Asian, and Dani, who is Latina, White and Asian. There\u2019s also Steve, the oldest person the show has featured, at 63. For this, the show feels more inclusive and interesting, and it hits its message of proving to the world just how unique\u2014and loveable\u2014the neurodivergent community is.<\/p>\n

What \u201cLove on the Spectrum\u201d has always excelled at is showing the world that people on the spectrum live successful lives. Not just in the sense of having an amazing career, but by acknowledging their growth, highlighting their support systems, and celebrating their unique personalities and passions. Garg, for instance, has an amazing gift for numbers and can recite which day of the week any date fell on. But he\u2019s also kind-hearted and eager to please, as we see when autism expert Jennifer Cook visits Garg to give him a prepper on how to approach a date.<\/p>\n

While watching the dates play out, there\u2019s a good chance you as a viewer might have a sort of awakening experience where you realize the nuanced (and exhausting) social strategy that goes into dating, such as making sure the conversation is a 50\/50 experience or trying not to cut someone off while they\u2019re talking. It\u2019s amazing seeing them succeed in those moments. But when they falter, we also see the couples react with refreshing respect and understanding\u2014something most of us could likely do with a little more of.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not yet sold on \u201cLove on the Spectrum\u201d consider that there are few shows out there that give such a warm, uplifting and honest portrayal to the five million-plus people in our population on the autism spectrum whose wants and desires mirror our own. And maybe, it just might remind you of the beauty and bravery of being your authentic self, the person you are when no one is watching.<\/p>\n

It’s not just awareness anymore, April is now Autism Acceptance Month<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n