The Healing Powers of Dude

THE HEALING POWERS OF DUDE: NETFLIX 8 Episodes: Middle school is tough enough as it is and having a social anxiety disorder further complicates 11 year old Noah Ferris' life who's been home schooled up till now. Dude, who failed to make the grade at service dog school is now Noah's support dog and as such, is allowed to accompany Noah to school, much to the dissatisfaction of the school principal, who besides being somewhat of a dick to begin with, is also a cat person who has it out for Dude and he becomes Noah's nemesis, sort of like the Jane Lynch character from Glee. Dude is a bit of a scamp and we're given privy to his thoughts via voice over and the little fella is really trying his best, he just isn't very good at it. Giving all their support to Noah is Mom, Dad, kid sister, and a couple of 'outsider' kids he meets on the first day of school. Even tho the kids have short resumes, you'd never know it because they turn in very credible and funny performances with great comic timing. Through some very clever special effects, we get to see and hear what's really going on in Noah's mind, allowing us to experience what he's feeling in stressful moments. I have inside info that the show is based on real characters. It reminds me of The Wonder Years and is a show for the whole family. It's heartwarming, with smart dialogue and delightful characters. Score: 9. Watch it! ... even if you don't have kids. In the spirit of transparency, I may be only a little biased, because Noah's sister, Embry is played by my granddaughter, Laurel Emory. 1/18/20

Cute show but I don't like that Dude is an emotional support dog because ony service dogs have public access not ESA's.

Watch the show! We had the most incredible time creating this series. Everyone from the producers, to the camera operators, to the directors, to the background actors, to the actors- everyone involved. We all worked so hard to create a story that would speak to the viewers and address a hard subject in a sensitive and uplifting way. We hope you love watching the show as much as we loved creating it for you.

I loved it! I also have social anxiety, not to the extent the character has but I really related to it. The way they portray this disorder might be exaggerated, but I actually liked that, because anxiety is overwhelming and you can see that through the exaggeration. It made me laugh and it also made me tear up. I really liked how they integrated the dog, how he could understand Noah and see what Noah was imagining. I found it to be a great show! I'm waiting for season two now!!

I see some bad reviews and i think it's very important to remember that this show was made for kids. The way Noah's social anxiety is portrayed is exaggerated so that kids can empathize more with it. I personal have social anxiety and i was watching along with my little sister. I immediately thought "wow if this show was around 10 years ago my life would've been so much easier". It's so nice to see representation and mental health issues explained to kids in a subtle and enjoyable way.