A Kind of Spark

Part of the premise of "A Kind of Spark" is the idea that some people that we think of as autistic, are actually that way because they have magical powers. I find this to be a dangerous precedent, the idea that people who are different, are different because in actuality they have superpowers or an alien. It is the like the mom telling the kid, "You're special, all the other kids are just jealous." It has the right intentions, but it is a little misleading and insulting.

The show is very heavy handed with their commentary. Doing the parallel of kids with special needs being rounded up like it was a witch hunt. And the kids in this show, some of them are just the worst. The show writes bullies to be nothing more than strawmen to be knocked down. They will go out of their way to be a jerk and have absolutely no redeeming qualities. If you are wanting the audience to learn how not to bully kids with special needs, then you need to set up a more relatable antagonist. People should be able to watch and see themselves in the characters. They see the errors in their ways and realize, I should do better, otherwise I will end up like that person there. But when they are this cartoonishly over the top evil, it becomes impossible for the audience to learn that because no human being would act that way.

The child actors are all doing fine, the script is just beyond saving. I don't like it. The show comes across as preachy, standing on a soapbox and scolding their audience. And they aren't even good at being preachy.

It's a wholesome watch with a positive message, but not much to write home about. The premise is heartwarming and more of a mystery, so it will leave you on the edge of your seat, wanting to know what happens. There's also another story juxtaposed in with the contemporary setting and it's very slow-paced compared to the other story until you get to the end. I still found myself being interested in what was happening with the witches, even though I think it should've been paced a little better. It's mostly talky and not much doing until the last few episodes.

I do think the portrayal of the autistic characters were accurate, but some of the treatment I feel are outdated by 2023 standards. The portrayal of the harsh teachers and the bullying of autistic people for being different and smart were accurate to my experience, but I don't think kids in high school would insult someone for having an autistic meltdown or "not looking autistic". We are much more accepting of autism and other neurodivergent disorders than in the past.

I do like some of the characters. Addie and Maggie are the typical spunky girls, but they're good role models. They're positive people who will never give up on making a change. Frank and Audrey are nice supporting characters. I can't go in depth with Elinor since there will be spoilers. She does seem like a stiff person, but it all makes sense once you finish the season. I don't care for the twin sisters, though. Nina as a character had potential, but not much was done with her. I think more should've been done with her dealing with her arcs of the jealousy she has with her sisters and the fact that she caused her sister to get bullied by outing her autism and the strain it put on her relationship with her twin. Instead, that arc was dropped for a contrived typical teen plotline involving her trying to maintain popularity and a fallout with her boyfriend and everything with her gets resolved too quickly. Keedie doesn't really get interesting until the last two episodes, which I won't spoil. She mostly squabbles with her sister over nothing and mainly acts as a mentor for Addie. Jenny was very unlikeable until the end. She has a codependency on Emily, Addie's bully, but she wasn't sympathetic at all. I wanted to yell at her for being so attached to that wench.

I do wonder how they're gonna continue this series, though, as I don't feel like there's anything more they need to add.

I'm already aware I was/am NVLD, ADHD, and math learning disabled but as an adult realizing I totally fully fit enough of the ASD autism criteria, I can definitely relate to this show so much. It's not necessarily inaccurate to show autism representations as lacking empathy but it's great to show presentations of autism people might not be aware of yet. The representation of Addie as being hyper-empathetic is so good as that can also be a presentation of atypical empathy in autism where your emotional empathy is higher than allistic people (non autistic people/people without autism.) This show is amazing and as a hyper-empathetic probably autistic person myself the show made me cry of I think of sadness as well as for happiness at different times. I finished watching season 2 and all I won't spoil it but it was also amazing and so good. I really wish I could be friends with Addie and Keedie in real life and teach each other about our special interests. Also, season 2 shows complicated autistic rep of a bad home life and how they become bitter as a result. It's left in a way that it could be an end or definitely move on past just Juniper and show more stories with the characters in a 3rd season. But I won't say anything more about the amazing season 2 as not to spoil it.

I know this is a children's TV series, but I really enjoyed it as an adult viewer.

I thought the representations of Addie and Keedie were perfect and - as a late diagnosed autistic woman - I strongly related to both characters. I also appreciated the inclusion of neurodivergent actors in the show (including Caitlin Hamilton playing a "neurotypical" character).

I loved the presentation of a "normal" family - unlike the usual "look how much we have to sacrifice" trope. Nina and Audrey's characters were also great.

I also thought it was a great concept to show parallels with the witch trials and the way autistic people are treated in modern times.

This is a story of sisterhood, of standing together and fighting for the truth - and, ultimately a story of kindness and acceptance. We can all learn something from this show.

I watched this show in under 2 days which for me is amazing but I just couldn't stop watching it. The story is very interesting and unlike any other shows on autism which I've seen. First of all it showed autism in girls which is under-researched and generally talked less about than autism in boys. The main character and her sister both have autism and I love how they showed that different autistic people present differently, even within the same family. I also loved how it didn't fall into the trope of presenting autistic people are emotionless or rude. Both girls had personalities and were likable. It also didn't shy away from what it means to be autistic nor treat the girls like burdens or charity cases. The story mirrors a historical mystery and I found the revelations from that story just as heartwarming. It highlighted the challenges autistic people face but also gave a hopeful happy ending that for every bad person there's someone who wants to help. Educational and emotional, a wonderful show.