For three seasons “Love on the Spectrum” has given dating shows a new lens. On a streamer full of “Too Hot to Handles” and “Temptation Islands,” this Netflix series strives to help participants on the autism spectrum find their happily ever after.
Creator and executive producer Cian O’Clery told TheWrap that interest for the show has only increased. Several participants on Season 3 were eager to join after being fans of the show themselves.
“They’re there for a reason. They want to find love, and they want to be a part of this experience, and that’s it. There’s no hidden agendas,” O’Clery told TheWrap. “They trust us and we trust them.”
O’Clery said the show could not have been made without the mutual trust and respect between him and the participants. He is not only an executive producer on the series, he is also the director and shoots second camera, inserting himself right in the action. His voice can even be heard off-screen in some scenes, giving the participants a pre-date pep talk or a post-date debrief.
“Love on the Spectrum” Season 3 features a new and returning cast of characters all looking for love. There’s Abbey and David, whose love story took them to Africa last season. The happy couple is now thinking about marriage, as they celebrate their anniversary. Dani and Adan are reaching a new milestone in their relationship. They must decide if a roadblock in their relationship could warrant a breakup.
Other fan favorites Connor, James and Tanner are still looking for love, but with one season under their belt, feel more self-confident. Newcomers Pari and Madison took a gamble on love by joining the series. Madison specifically signed on because she was inspired by Abbey and David’s love story.
“The ensemble approach is really important because it allows us to kind of explore that whole spectrum, and no one person has to carry this whole burden of, what does it mean to be an autistic person,” co-creator and executive producer Karina Holden told TheWrap.
The Atlanta-based, animation-loving Connor said that joining the docureality series has changed his whole concept of dating.
“Love’s not easy, but you gotta put in a little work, but ultimately it’s rewarding,” Connor told TheWrap. “I like to live safely, but I’m not afraid to take a risk.”
“The show has given people a lot of confidence in themselves. So for the new participants, they have watched and been really encouraged by the storylines that they’ve seen,” Holden said. “It’s a big leap of faith, isn’t it? You turn your life over to be seen by the whole world, and so it’s a commitment. It’s a commitment to change.”
With the help of his mother and three siblings, Connor has jumped headfirst into the dating pool and even surprised himself along the way. His relationship with his mom is on full display, and Connor explained to TheWrap how sometimes he has to reign in his mom when she makes his love life too big of a deal.
“How do I push it?” his mom asked.
“Usually by getting all excited and giddy like some high school sophomore,” Connor replied.
“Sorry not sorry” she says.
After having a panic attack at a speed dating event last season, Connor has started to feel more comfortable on dates. This season one potential suitor made him exclaim “Dove sei stato per tutta la mia vita? It’s Italian. It means, where have you been all my life?” Connor told TheWrap.
Newcomer Madison’s mother told TheWrap that she was shocked by her daughter’s commitment to the series. In one standout moment, Madison introduces her new romantic connection Tyler to her parents and brother. Moments into the introduction, the young lovers start to kiss, eliciting surprised but supportive reactions from her family.
“For me to go from where Madison was prior to the show, never having a boyfriend, never dating to then seeing her in my kitchen locking lips with Tyler. I was like, what is happening? It was the most amazing thing,” Madison’s mom Jenny said. “It was like going from zero to 10 without seeing any of the process.”
On Madison’s second date with her Cowboy King, the new couple shared their first kiss. “We were too busy making out to watch the sunset,” Madison told TheWrap.
Three seasons into the series the executive producers said that they are still learning from the participants. For O’Clery he said the participants are much “easier people to film with” than those he worked with in the reality world. For Holden she said she has taken their kind honesty into her own relationships.
“That ability to just drop your defenses and stop pretending that things need to be a certain way, and just speak from the heart, in the way that our participants in ‘Love on the Spectrum’ do, you can get to a place quicker because you’re just being honest,” she said.
The series has not only exposed audiences to a diverse range of people with Autism Spectrum Disorders, but it has also had lasting real world effects. Since the show aired in 2022, several organizations have started dating workshops, speed dating events or dating skills courses inspired by the show.
“Globally, the understanding of autism has expanded because of the series,” Holden said. “We’re really proud of that.”
For the first time, one of the participants on the series is looking for a queer relationship. Though Pari does not exactly define her sexuality, she is interested in dating women for now. Madison also represents an underrepresented group of people on the spectrum, O’Clery said. She is extroverted and looking for a social partner to match. O’Clery also noted that females are often under diagnosed on the autism spectrum.
“Autism presents itself in different ways,” Madison said. “One of my favorite autism sayings is, if you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism.”
“Love on the Spectrum” Season 3 is now streaming on Netflix.
