[whimsical music playing]
-[Cian] Hey, Connor. -[Connor] Yes?
[Cian] Are you writing yes or no while they're still sitting there?
Am I not supposed to?
[Cian] You might wanna wait till they've left. They can probably see.
Damn. I knew I'd messed that up.
[Cian] It's okay. They might not have, but maybe it's best to wait.
Right, probably best to wait till the end.
Remember what Optimus says.
"Wisdom can't be granted. It must be earned."
"Sometimes at a cost."
[exhales deeply]
Oh.
Hello.
[woman] Uh, how are you?
Fine, thank you.
Uh, I'm Connor.
It's nice to meet you.
Okay. Um…
Do you have any hobbies?
I'm basically a nature nerd.
-Huh. -Um, I enrolled in horticulture,
which is the study of plants.
I'm hoping to get a job, uh…
-Uh, to… -[yawning]
You all right?
-Sorry? -I said you okay?
Oh, yes, yes. I'm… I'm all right.
[bell dinging]
-All right, it was nice to meet you. -[Connor] Yeah. Nice meeting you too.
[lilting instrumental music playing]
Sasha, go ahead and sit down with Connor, okay?
Okay.
Hi.
-Sasha? -[Sasha] Hi!
What are you doing here?
[uplifting music playing]
[Cian] Has it been hard trying to find love?
[sighs heavily] Um…
I've had some trouble in that area.
I haven't… I've not had much success, very unfortunately.
I made an account on Instagram
to take advantage of my newfound popularity,
and I've certainly connected with a lot more interest…
many interesting people.
Some people even sent me gifts.
One user sent me custom, homemade soap. That was pretty cool.
[Cian] Have you had people reach out wanting to meet you?
Um, yes, as a matter of fact, there actually was one woman
who said she wanted to meet me.
I haven't met her in person. I don't know anything about her.
I'll have to see what she's like. Mm.
[hopeful music playing]
[narrator] In Boston,
James is getting ready to step out on a date.
[James grunts]
Ow! Damn.
I wanna make a good first impression. You know, I… I… I'm very fond of my hair.
I always try to take good care of it, you know. Mm.
There. I think that looks pretty good.
[pensive music playing]
-You gonna wear shoes today? -[James] Yes, Dad.
[groans] I was hoping that the weather would be warm enough to wear sandals,
but sadly it's not.
Well, if you're going on a… a date with a young lady,
would you wanna wear sandals?
-Make the best impression you can. -Yes, Dad.
Sandals ain't gonna do it.
[James sighs]
-Who is this? What's her name? -I'm not sure.
Her name is Jasmine. She contacted me through Instagram.
She's not the only one. Other people on Instagram want to meet me in person.
-Isn't that great? -I didn't know that.
-Oh, I haven't mentioned that? -[June] No.
Oh, just gotta find a way to make money off it though.
-[mutters] -[June laughs]
-Forget the money. Forget the money. -[Cian] What are you hoping for today?
Oh, I mean, I'm hoping she has a good personality, obviously,
and she's patient. I mean--
Don't forget that patience works two ways.
-Yes, Dad, I know that. -All right.
I'm 35 now, and I still haven't found the right person for me yet,
so that… that… that's an exercise in patience, don't you think?
-That's a good way of looking at it. -[James] Okay, right.
What else? It'd be nice
if she doesn't have any pets or any children, you know. It's like--
Pets are good. They're therapeutic, and they're loving.
Yeah, but I don't wanna have to compete with a pet for the woman's attention.
[chuckling] You're not gonna compete!
Do you think your mother and I had to compete against each other
when you came along?
You were an addition that helped cement us, okay?
Yeah, hold on. But, look,
I've been paying you back for your investment.
No, it's not--
-[June laughs] -A pet isn't going to pay… pay you back.
With love! A pet gives you unconditional love, James.
-I know-- -Isn't that enough?
So when you come home, and you have a bad day,
and the cat jumps on you, and he licks you,
and he purrs and he says, "James, I love you." You know?
-[giggles] -[sighs] No.
I'd actually rather a human woman do that than a cat, but okay.
-But, anyway, I better get ready to leave. -[June] Yeah.
Shoes and socks on?
[sweet suspenseful music playing]
-Have fun, all right? -Yes, thank you. Mm.
-Have a good time. -Yes. Of course.
-[June] Bye, honey. -Yes, goodbye.
[June] See you tonight.
-Definitely, yes. Goodbye. -[June] Bye.
I hope it goes well.
That'd be nice.
Yes, sir.
My name's Tanner.
I live here in Clemson.
The state is South Carolina, and the country is USA.
-[Cian] Beautiful. -Yes, sir.
-Hey, am I doing my eyebrows right? -[Cian] What do you mean?
Am I supposed to be doing my eyebrows… having eyebrows just like this?
Uh, eh, like this?
[Cian] You can have your eyebrows however you want.
I wanna make sure I'm doing my eyebrows the right way.
-[Cian] Have you ever been in love? -Um, no, sir. No, sir.
-[Cian] Ever been in a relationship? -Um, what's a relationship? I forgot.
[Cian] Like if you're dating somebody,
then when you make it official, you're in a relationship.
-No, sir. -[Cian] Ever been on a date?
No, sir.
[Cian] How would you describe yourself?
I'm polite. I have a good personality. And I'm a kind young man.
And I spread joy all around the world.
[suspenseful music playing]
[narrator] Tanner works at the Shepherd Hotel
in downtown Clemson.
-Hey, bud. -Hey, Midge.
-How are ya? -Good, you?
-How's your day? -Great. Yours?
-Good. -I'm so glad.
-What are you up to? -Yeah.
I'm vacuuming the rugs and vacuuming the floors.
I'm sweeping the bathroom floors, making beds.
I'm squeegeeing the windows,
and I'm restocking the bathrooms. I'm sweeping outside the front door.
So, your normal jobs?
-I'm doing my normal jobs. -You're crushing it.
Yeah, crushing it. I am.
-I'm proud of you. -Me too. I'm proud of you.
-Good job. All right. -Thank you. Love you.
-Love you. See you later. -See you later.
This is fun.
[gentle music playing]
[Midge] So I'm his younger sister.
He's kind of the reason that I work here.
He started and I was like, "I wanna work with him."
Um, he's been working here at the hotel for the past, like, year.
Growing up, I didn't think he would be able to hold a job like that,
um, but he does amazing.
Everybody loves him. He knows everybody who works here.
He never forgets a name. Yeah. Just… he's the best.
-Hi, Paige. -Hey, Tanner.
-How are you? -Hey.
Tanner, this is my mom, Ms. Leigh.
Hi, Ms. Leigh. How are you?
She's Nolan's grandma.
-It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Leigh. -Yeah.
-How've you been? -Great. How've you been?
-Been good. -I'm so glad.
-Hey, can I tell you a few things? -Sure.
-I'm living the dream up here. -[giggles]
Me and Frankie, we're party animals.
Hey, we were in the hot tub on… on… on Monday
and went into the gym to see Noah, Emily, and Blakely
with our shirts off in the gym. We… we had our towels on.
[laughs] I know it's crazy, but we did.
You better behave.
We'll behave, but, yeah, we just like to have fun, me and Frankie.
-[Paige] I know. -[laughs]
Yeah, I'll see you and Ms. Leigh tomorrow.
-I know. Love you. -I'll see you tomorrow, Ms. Leigh.
[whimsical music playing]
My man, Steve.
-[Cian] Do you live close by? -I live right at that building over there.
I work here.
-[Cian] Do you like this town? -Yes, sir, I love this town.
-Hi. How are you, sir? -Good. How are you?
-Doing good. Have a good one, sir. -You too.
-That's a cute dog. -[man] Thank you.
-Oh, Cian? -[Cian] Yeah?
-How's this smile? -[Cian] That's pretty good.
To have… having autism means when I was little,
I had trouble paying attention in school some.
But… but I know that autism is not a bad thing.
[Cian] No, it's not. And how long have you been single for?
I've been single for a very long time.
Since I've been on earth.
Since I was born.
[Cian] If you were to say on a scale of one to ten
how important it is for you to find love, what number would you choose?
I would choose 12.
[jaunty music playing]
-[man] Show us how to make hot dogs. -[Tanner] Okay.
[man] It's for… it's for a snack.
[narrator] Tanner lives with roommates Blakely and Frankie.
Oh, done!
Make it cool off for 20 minutes.
[Tanner] Yes, I'll make it cool off for 20 minutes. I'll make it cool off.
-You're awesome. -[Tanner] You're awesome too, Frankie.
Hey, guys, I want a girlfriend who wants to talk about history things
'cause I like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
-Yeah. -A girl should have the giggles.
-Giggles, right, Tanner? -Giggles, yeah, and chuckles.
Yeah, easy. You could tickle her or something.
Yeah, I can tickle her sometimes?
-[Frankie] Sometimes. -No.
-[Frankie] Sometimes. -No. No.
Yeah, because that's rude. But, yeah.
Right, it's rude to do that with a girlfriend.
-We can't tickle our girlfriends. -[Blakely] No, we cannot, no.
You could ask her, could I have a hug?
-I can ask her for a hug and a high five. -Yeah.
-Dance with her, sing karaoke for her. -[Tanner] You're right.
I could dance with her, sing karaoke for her.
Boom. That's what having a girlfriend's like.
-Boom. -Boom. Boom.
[jaunty music playing]
-Hi. -Sasha?
-Hi. -[Connor] What are you doing here?
I just, uh… I don't know.
[Connor chuckles]
-It's good to see you. -Nice to see you too.
I haven't seen you at work in a while.
I… I got a new job, um, at a place called SliceAbility.
-Oh, what is it? A pizza place? -It is.
-Oh, I figured. SliceAbility. -Yeah, SliceAbility, yeah.
Well… well, what…
S… um…
So,
uh,
have you been watching any good shows or movies lately?
I've been watching a show called House of the Dragon.
Oh, I've seen that one, every episode.
I have too. It's really good.
Are… so, you're looking to date?
Yes.
I am too.
-Oh, good. -Uh…
Crazy coincidence.
[exhales heavily] Well, I probably…
I don't know if I ever told you this, Sasha,
but I collect swords.
-Oh, very nice. -Yeah.
It's, uh…
-[bell dinging] -[Connor] Oh.
[host] Ladies on the move again.
-Nice seeing you, Sasha. -Good to see you.
Nice seeing you too. Oh, tight grip you got.
-[chuckles] Thank you. -Nice…
Sorry, uh, nice grip you got.
Thank you.
[Connor] Hmm…
Sasha's nice. We do have a lot in common,
but… but maybe it's best we just stay fr… iends.
Uh…
[groans uncertainly]
I mean, Sasha's interesting.
Maybe, like…
[sighs] I don't know.
[groans uncertainly]
She liked some of the stuff I like,
but… I don't know. I'm…
I'm conflicted.
I'm hyperventilating right now.
I think I need to take a break.
Yes.
[breathing shakily]
[gentle music playing]
[Connor] She's nice,
but the thought of actually being in a relationship is so confusing.
Be still my heart.
There is no yearning. Stop yearning.
No. No. No!
[sighs] No, no, no. This isn't love.
This is a crush. It's not love!
[exciting music playing]y
Who has my suitcase right now? The villains?
I don't know.
Got it.
Thanks!
[cheering]
Yes!
[narrator] Abbey and David have arrived in Kenya for their dream vacation.
Welcome to Africa, Abbey.
Thank you. You're the best boyfriend ever.
[narrator] It's Abbey's first vacation with David.
They're traveling with David's two sisters and Abbey's mom.
My suitcase is just hopping everywhere.
-[insects chirping] -[animals grunting]
[narrator] To reach their safari in the Maasai Mara National Reserve,
the group is heading out on a five-hour road trip.
-[sister 1] Jambo! -[all] Jambo!
[whooping]
Is that the actual safari?
[sister 1] No, girl, we're on the way to the safari.
-It is just so inconvenient. -[laughing]
[Christine] Oh my God, you guys.
[Abbey] Cows.
Oh, look!
[excited gasping, squealing]
-[Abbey] Guys! -[David's sisters] Oh my God!
What happened to the road?
I don't know.
-Giraffe! -[sister 1] What?
There's a giraffe!
-Is there? -There's a giraffe!
-Are you serious? -Yes, straight ahead.
-[excited squealing, laughter] -[squealing] There! There's a giraffe!
[Christine] Oh, don't scare him.
Giraffes have a very long neck.
That's how they reach leaves.
Giraffes are the world's tallest animals on Earth.
-[Abbey] Oh. -[Christine] He's gone.
[David] Wow!
-[Abbey] Thomson's gazelles! -[yells] Thomson's gazelles!
[sister 2 laughs]
-There's a zebra. -[sister 1] Where?
[sister 2] Oh, is that a baby?
I will protect them from predators. I will come and get you.
[David] Monkeys.
[Abbey] Are we almost there?
[Christine] We're here.
[laughter]
-[David] Here! -[all] We're here!
-[whooping] -Yay!
This is so romantic.
And we're gonna see lions together tomorrow.
I'm so excited. Are you?
Yeah! I'm more than that.
[pleasant piano music playing]
-[indistinct chatter] -Wow!
[Christine] It's been a magical year.
And Abbey's, like, in this relationship
where I feel like she's growing and learning
and becoming more independent.
-Oh my goodness! -Wow.
So separate from having someone that's your soulmate,
you got a kid who's helping her grow.
There's some seashells. Where did they come from?
I… They could be from the ocean?
[Abbey exhales]
[chuckling] You'll see him telling her to be patient and calm down
and, like, he's helping her, too, which is an amazing gift.
[Abbey] This is incredible!
[David] Yes.
[Christine] Never thought I'd be thrilled to hear these words.
"I don't need you."
[sniffles, sobs]
But, I mean, I'm psyched to hear that
because I don't want her to need me, you know?
[David] I love the view.
[Abbey] So do I.
-Thank you for bringing me here. -You're welcome.
-[Christine sniffles] -Aww.
-[sobs] -You too.
[both sighing happily]
[Abbey] I love you.
[David] I love you too.
[Cian] Do you have any dealbreakers when it comes to dating?
Oh God…
I do not wish to be too excessive here,
but, well, okay, I know I cannot handle having children,
so I do not wish to have children.
I definitely would like for a partner who has a reliable source of income.
I don't want a partner who is lazy
and does… and doesn't do anything to challenge and improve themselves.
Mm.
[suspenseful music playing]
[narrator] In the Boston Public Garden,
James is waiting for his date to arrive.
[Cian] How you feeling about meeting Jasmine, James?
Oh, I'm doing just fine. I suppose I…
At this point, I have enough practice and experience to not be too nervous.
[narrator] James is meeting Jasmine.
She likes…
-[eerie music playing] -Horror movies.
And walking on dry leaves.
-She doesn't like surprises. -[gasping]
Or speakers in public places.
[hip-hop music through stereo]
-Hello. How are you? -Yes, hello. I am James.
-I'm Jasmine. -Hi, very pleased to meet you.
-You look taller in person. -Oh, well, thank you.
I guess it's just… this is just how I am.
I… I must have got a lot of good nutrition when I… when I was younger, perhaps.
[giggles]
Yes. Aren't you so glad the weather improved?
It was raining. Now it's bright and sunny.
-Yeah, I am very happy. -Good. Good.
Um, so, the reason I reached out to you, 'cause I really liked your personality.
-And I think you're very attractive. -Oh, wow.
[hesitates] Thank you very much.
-Yes, you seem quite nice yourself also. -Thank you.
Mm. Yes. Yes.
Um, how to say… What, oh, it's, like, for… [mutters nervously]
Are you a little nervous?
Yeah, somewhat. But…
[mutters nervously] Mm.
-Mm-hmm. I understand. -Right.
What do you do for work? I'm sorry. That's… I ask everybody that.
I feel it's a good icebreaker.
Um, I am a pre-K teacher.
Oh, very good. That's always something we need. It'll never be obsolete.
Yes.
If it's okay that I ask, are you feeling nervous right now?
I am, kind of. I was very nervous this whole entire week.
Oh, wow, I see. Well, you're doing a very good job of not showing it.
-Thank you. -Oh, yes, that's… that's good. Oh, yes.
So, oh, yes, you know, I like how your hair is those colors.
I've had my hair dyed too. It's growing out to its natural color,
but you can probably still see some of the dye in it.
Is blue one of your favorite colors?
-Yes. -Oh, nice.
-As you can see. -That's pretty cool.
So, well, let's walk around the park.
We can keep conversing while we are walking.
-Yeah, sure. -Yes. Okay.
[gentle music playing]
[quacks]
[Jasmine] Do you like any movies?
Yes, definitely, definitely. I'm…
I am very fond of, like, Marvel, DC, Star Wars, et cetera.
Do you see movies a lot?
[Jasmine] Yeah, I like a lot of old movies.
Are you okay with me holding your hand?
No, it's no problem at all. Don't worry.
-All right. -Yes.
[Jasmine] All right.
I think one of my favorite silent movies is Nosferatu.
-Do you know that one? -I've seen that.
Oh, good. Yeah, that's one of the earliest horror films.
Very influential. In fact, it's now regarded as a classic.
Have you been to see any movies in the theaters recently?
I would like to go see Renfield.
Oh, yes, yes! Renfield, that's going…
I actually… I wouldn't mind seeing that one too, actually.
Yeah. Love it. It stars Nicolas Cage as Dracula
'cause, you know… Yeah, and I wonder if in Renfield,
Nicolas Cage makes any references to his role in Vampire's Kiss.
I wouldn't be surprised. Oh, yes. Mm.
[Jasmine] I don't think I've ever seen Vampire's Kiss.
Oh, no? Surely you've seen pictures of Nicholas Cage
with, like, this crazy look on his face.
This is the movie from where that image originates.
-No, I don't think I've seen that one. -Oh, okay. Oh, mm… That's fine.
[reedy electronic music playing]
I really like that instrument.
Oh, yes, it's… Mm. Yes, thank you.
[thunder rumbling]
-Looks like it's gonna start to rain. -It does.
We'll probably wanna head inside.
-[frustrated groan] Oh my God.
[Dani] When it comes to love and companionship, what is your dream?
My dream is to get married, have a house,
and it would be nice to raise a family.
Maybe adopt a child that I really like.
[Cian] Do you ever feel sad that you're still single at 28?
Yeah, a little sad, but I'm waiting very patiently.
Like what my aunt says,
life is not a race.
[Sandy] Is there a special occasion for having a drink?
-[Dani] It's Friday! -[shaker rattling]
-Double shot of this pink baby. -[Sandy] Oh, you gonna make that strong.
-Whoa! -Whoops!
[Sandy squeals]
-They smell so nice. -Mm.
Cheers. Here we go.
[shudders]
Too strong?
Too weird.
You wanna talk about Matt?
Well, Matt seems really nice.
And he talked my ear off with, um, with many different interests in cons.
However, he lives far away in San Diego.
I'm so happy near Burbank
because it's the animation capital of the world.
[Sandy] But he likes comics.
-Hey. -What? You're drinking already?
-Maybe. -[Dani] Patrick.
[Patrick] Your date was that bad?
So, Sandy and I, we were talking about Matt.
Matt and I had a fun, fun conversation.
What he displayed is
that he has a really nice Peter Parker haircut from Spider-Man,
and if we are in a relationship,
then he would drain me.
What do you mean?
-He would drain me financially. -[Patrick] How do you know?
Well, it's because he drinks lots of beer. Well, he's a beer drinker, just like you.
-Excuse me. -[Patrick] Yeah.
Who's judgy here?
-See? See? [laughs] -[Patrick] What's this?
-Bartender. -[Dani] Yeah.
So you… the bottom line is what?
I had a long-distance relationship before.
I don't wanna go through the same experience again.
-So… -[Patrick] Into the frog pile?
-[Sandy chuckles] -Into the frog pile.
All right, so…
[Patrick] What's next?
[Dani] The search for love continues.
[sighs]
I want an adult, mature relationship.
We explore,
especially intimacy.
-[Sandy chuckles] -[whines]
But you keep rejecting guys, so…
You know, you have to eventually give somebody a chance, Dani.
[Dani] Well, I've been thinking about Jake lately.
You think you guys have a potential to date?
[Cian] Is Jake a friend of yours?
He was… he's a great friend of mine, since we've been friends since six months,
when we first met each other at San Diego Comic-Con.
Jake is a wonderful musician. He teaches music classes.
And he also has a passion in animation.
I'm impressed by him.
And you think Jake's ready for an "adult relationship" and intimacy?
Jake is experienced.
-Yeah. -[Patrick] He has references?
-Like, what do you mean? -[Sandy and Patrick chuckle]
You said he was experienced.
You mean checking out his size of his banana?
[Sandy laughing] No…
You know what I mean? Banana.
-We know what you mean, Dani. [laughs] -[Patrick] Yes.
A lot of people think girls on the spectrum
don't think that way, don't think about sex, but you do.
Because girls can be horny too.
[laughing]
-Here. -[Dani] It's good to try something new.
-Try it, Patrick. -What is this about?
[Sandy] So, cheers. Best of luck with your dating life.
Thank you, Sandy.
Variety is the spice of life.
-[shudders] -[Patrick] Ugh.
[Dani] Hmm.
[Patrick] Not good.
[bell dinging]
[Connor] Get a grip, man. Get a grip. Get a grip!
This is… this isn't love. This is straight-up delusion.
Maybe one date couldn't hurt.
[anguished groaning]
[line ringing]
Hey, Mom.
[Lise] Hey, how's it going, bud?
Um… [sighs]
I… I… I don't… I don't know what happened.
[Lise] Hey, dude, it's okay. It's all new.
Mom, you're not gonna believe… you're not gonna believe it.
Sasha, uh, who used to work with me at Kroger, was here, and she…
Please, for the love of God, don't get excited that--
[Lise] I'm not getting excited. Connor, I'm here for you right now.
She seems… nice. We have a lot in common.
[Lise] Dude, go for it.
I know, I know, I know, but I just feel a bit conflicted, is all.
[Lise] Okay, listen, that's normal. All this is normal feelings.
Is there anything else you wanna tell me about Sasha?
[Connor] She's seen House of the Dragon.
[Lise] Awesome, dude!
[Connor] She, like, rides horses and--
[Lise] Oh, cool.
She can't really be the one. I mean…
[Lise] You're not finding the one tonight, Connor. There's no rules tonight.
I know that you freak out when there's no rules.
-Right. -[Lise] The objective is, meet new people.
Get dating experience.
Nobody is renting a church for you to get married. Okay?
[Connor] Oh, good. Of course.
[chuckling] Man, I've been watching too many medieval series.
[Lise] You have to take the pressure off yourself.
I want you to take some beautiful, deep breaths
and make your body get lots of oxygen
'cause that's gonna make you feel so good and calm down.
-Okay. -And get back in there.
'Cause that's what we do, right? We keep pedaling our bike, right?
The bike can fall over if we don't pedal.
-Right. -And I know you got this, man.
I got this.
-[Lise] You got this. -Yeah, okay.
[Lise] Get your ass in there. Take a breath.
All right.
[Lise] All right, I love you.
Thanks.
-[Lise] Okay, bye, bud. -Bye.
Okay.
[bell dinging]
[breathing deeply]
Hey. Nothing's set in stone. Who knows?
-I'm taking… -[woman] You doing okay, buddy?
-Yes. I'm okay. -[woman] You're in your Zen place.
-I love it. -Namaste.
[breathing deeply]
[exhales deeply, trills lips]
[narrator] In South Carolina,
autism expert Jennifer Cook is visiting Tanner
as he prepares to step into the dating world.
I was identified as being autistic ten years ago.
Being able to read social cues and figure out social situations
can be tricky for anybody,
especially for people on the autism spectrum.
Hello. Are you Tanner?
-Yes, ma'am. -Nice to meet you. I'm Jennifer.
It's nice to meet you.
So one of the things that I get to do
is to help kind of decode those implicit social rules.
-I see you've got your Clemson Tiger. -Yes, ma'am. Can I offer you a seat?
That would be fantastic.
-Thank you very much. -You're welcome.
What I have mostly found is that,
regardless of who or how you are on the human spectrum,
neurodiverse people want to be loved
and find their special someone just like everybody else.
So I hear that you're going on a date tomorrow.
Yes, I'm going on my first date tomorrow. I'm going to the zoo, Greenville Zoo.
That's gonna be so awesome. Okay, hold on. Let's check something out here.
-Let's pretend. -Okay.
So let's pretend we're walking along at the zoo.
If this… pretend I'm your date.
-Just pretend. -I'll pretend.
Okay, where would you stand?
I'm assuming I would stand in the front.
Okay, tell me why you think that.
Because… because I'm the boyfriend, and… and she's the girlfriend.
-Okay. -I'm gonna lead her.
And I'm gonna let her follow me and… and show her around at the zoo.
Okay. I hear where you're coming from.
-So, here's the thing. -Yeah.
So stand in front of me, like you said you might stand in front of me.
-Right. -All right.
Do you know what we can't do?
What can't we do?
-We can't look at each other. -Oh, that's right.
We can't talk to each other very well either, can we?
-No, we can't. -Hmm…
-But you know what? -What?
If I'm going on a date with you, I think I wanna look at you,
and I think I wanna talk to you.
So let's try this again.
-Yes, ma'am. Let's try again. -Okay, let's come back here.
Yes, ma'am.
When you're dating, nobody is the boss of anybody, right?
-You guys are together. -Right.
Okay. So, what are we doing?
-We're walking next to each other. -Next to each other.
Yeah. And that way, we can stop anytime we want.
You could say, "Look at the orangutans," and I would say, "Oh wow!"
Then I could turn back to you, and we could talk.
-Okay! Yeah! Yes, ma'am. -Yeah?
[triumphant humming] I love it.
One more thing. Okay, we're gonna pretend something.
This pen, if I'm holding the talking pen, I do the talking.
If you're holding… It's okay. You can hold it.
Okay. If you're holding the talking pen,
you get to do the talking. Right?
Okay, so we're gonna pretend we're walking along.
Just pretend to tell me about some animals.
Okay, I can… There are orangutans. There are black-headed spider monkeys.
There are giraffes, alligators,
a black swan, ducks, flamingos,
snakes, spiders,
a giant tortoise, turtles,
and alligators, and snakes,
and red pandas, and a… and an owl.
And cheetahs.
And… and lions.
But no gorillas. Hey, no gorillas, no rhinos, no baboons, no mandrills.
And no… no… no hippos, no elephants,
no warthogs.
And they don't have any meerkats. And they don't have any ostriches.
And that's all the animals I can remember
that they don't have at the Greenville Zoo.
Okay, but now here's a question.
I learned a lot about all the facts that you told me, didn't I?
Yeah.
But did I get to share anything about me?
-No, you… you did not. -That might make me feel kinda sad.
Yeah, uh-huh.
We don't want our date to feel badly, right?
No. Right. No, we don't want our date to feel badly.
-So let's take turns talking. -Yes, ma'am.
So maybe you could point out something with the animals,
and then you could say, "What do you think?"
-Okay. -All right.
-Yes, ma'am. -So say something about some animals.
I think that orangutans are so cute,
and I think they're… they're smart like us.
What do you think… think about the orangutans?
Thank you for asking! That makes me happy. That makes me feel like you care about me.
I think they're cute,
and I bet they say a lot of funny things. Do you think so?
I think they do. I'm glad you think they're cute.
So it's about taking turns and making sure
that both people get turns to talk.
-Right. -Right? Okay.
-So, you feel ready? -Yes, ma'am.
I think you're ready. You're gonna have a great date.
-I'll walk you to the door. -Thank you, kind sir.
You're welcome, kind ma'am.
Tanner is amazing.
He is a ball of energy. He's got so much life in him,
and he is proof positive that people on the spectrum,
that autistic people can be incredibly outgoing
and genuinely interested in other people and what's going on in their lives.
Great working with you. And thank you.
The only tricky part, I think, for him, is just remembering to be by her side
and asking questions, not kind of hoarding the conversation,
making sure that they're interacting
and, um, being able to just relate to one another.
-Bye-bye. -Bye-bye, Jennifer.
[Jennifer] I think he is in for a great and wonderful adventure.
[thunder rumbling]
Let me know if you'd like me to open the umbrella I have.
Okay.
I'll specifically hold it over you, I guess, just… just to be polite.
Mm-hmm.
I… I really like him. Um, we have a lot in common.
And I think we can hit it off.
If he feels like he wants to pursue this.
[gentle music plays sweetly]
This place looks very quaint.
-In which chair would you prefer to sit? -Um, I'll sit right here.
-Okay. Um… Yes, I… -Oh, thank you.
Sorry. I hope that's not too weird or unusual for me to do that.
-Oh, no, it's not that weird. No. -Okay.
Most people don't do that, so that's pretty cool.
Oh, yes, yes.
Very good, very good.
-But it's very gentlemanly of you. -Oh, yes, thank you very much.
All right. Mm.
Yes. Um…
So, um… [sighs]
…if I may ask, do you have any siblings?
Um, yes. Um, I technically have five siblings.
-Oh wow. -Yeah.
If it's okay that I ask, are they all from the same mother?
Um, no.
Oh, good, good, because, I mean, it would be… [mutters]
We wouldn't want one woman to go through six pregnancies, now, would we? Uh-oh.
-[server] Hi, how are you? -I'm doing very well. How about yourself?
[server] I'm good, thanks. Could I get you something to drink?
[James] I would… oh…
Actually, wait. Would you like to go first?
Thank you. Um, I would like a cranberry juice, please.
Lemonade of some form, if you have lemonade, please.
-[server] Sure. -[Jasmine] Thank you very much.
I'm sorry, I don't wanna keep talking too much about myself, but I've done…
I love mountain climbing. I've climbed Mount Monadnock twice,
and my brother and I have climbed both Mount Washington and Mount Adams,
the two highest peaks in New England.
Yes. Have you ever climbed any mountains?
-Um, no. -Oh.
Um, my mom has climbed up Mount Washington.
-Oh, very nice. -She actually… actually, she drove up.
Oh, I have to be honest,
I actually think I consider driving up the mountain to be cheating.
That's just my opinion, mind you.
-Cranberry juice. -Thank you.
Thank you very much. Great. Thank you. Mm.
[slurping]
Mm!
I'm so sorry.
-It's okay. -I admit, I like hearing myself talk.
If I… if I don't stop to give someone an opportunity to speak, I can ramble on.
I'm so sorry. But--
Do you have any actors that you really like?
Oh yes. I'd say probably my favorite actor is Vincent Price.
-Oh, I love Vincent Price. -[giggles]
I love that… that smooth, eloquent voice that he had, yes.
Plus, he was in some great movies.
He was really good in, um, com… comedy horror movies too.
Oh, yes, like, he was in The Raven with Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre.
More a comedy, but he was good there.
He was in Edward Scissorhands, his final role.
Pretty minor, but what else?
Any other old actors? Well, Christopher Lee. Oh!
When Peter Jackson was filming his Lord of the Rings trilogy,
Lee had to correct him
on what noise a person makes when they're stabbed.
They wouldn't be able to scream loudly
because they're losing oxygen, losing blood. So…
[pained moan] It's a quiet, subtle noise that someone makes when they're stabbed.
'Cause he was in World War II,
so he would know what noise someone makes when they're stabbed.
Yeah, so… so… so, yeah, that was pretty cool stuff.
But if I may ask, like,
what exactly are you, mm, seeking in,
you know, in a potential relationship, in a potential partner, or whatever?
-Mm. -[Jasmine] Um…
Well, I would want him to be kind.
-Of course. -Um…
I would like to be able to be comfortable around him.
-[James] Of course. Makes sense. -Um…
He doesn't have to be the smartest person.
I would just like someone to be able to talk to.
I would just like someone to confide in.
I would like if they confided in me as well.
Right, I understand. Um, oh, I'm trying to think.
I would be seeking a woman who is friendly and easygoing,
um, who challenges me to con… to improve myself,
but who helps me keep a realistic assessment
of my strengths and weaknesses, I suppose.
-Mm. -Mm-hmm?
Yeah, I would really love to, um… spend my life with someone
who has, like, around the same values that I have.
-Okay. -Um…
I wanna start a family with that person.
Oh, I see. Um…
um…
I… I… I… uh,
since you mentioned that, I suppose I should mention, um…
[sighs]
-You wanna take a drink? -Oh, yes.
Sorry. Whenever I get nervous, my throat gets dry.
-I'm sorry. -Yeah, that's fine.
Mm. [swallows loudly]
[pensive music playing]
[Cian] So, what's happening, Dani?
[Dani] I'm… I'm gonna call my friend Jake
to see if he would be interested on going on a date.
Okay, let's get started, then.
[line ringing]
[man] Hello. How's it going?
How's it going? It's doing fine.
How's it going with you, Jake?
[Jake] It's going pretty good today.
-There is one-- -What about yourself?
It's doing fine. So there is one question I have for you.
[Jake] Okay.
I know we've been friends for a long time,
like, um, six months since we've met from Comic-Con.
[Jake] Mm-hmm.
But I've been thinking about more than just friends.
-[Jake] Mm-hmm. -Would you like to go on a date with me?
[both chuckle nervously]
[Jake] Um…
[whines]
What's the matter? Did cat got your tongue?
[Jake chuckles]
Yeah, that'd be great.
Oh yes! Yes, yes, yes!
I'm so… definitely am so excited about this.
[Jake] Okay, yeah, me too.
It would be good to get an opportunity
to kind of see how much, uh, chemistry we have,
you know, as far as communication goes and stuff.
Okay! [chuckles]
Great talking with you, Jake.
-[Jake] Okay. -All right. Bye-bye.
[Jake] Bye.
[inhales deeply] Oh my goodness!
He says yes.
Isn't that right, Minmins? Isn't that right? Ooh!
[giggles]
Right, Minmins? Right, Minmins?
[chuckles]
I'm going on a date. Definitely going on a date.
[chuckles]
Ah!
[heavy rain pattering]
[James] Um…
oof, ooh… Yes.
God knows my mom wants to have grandchildren someday.
[James] Ah, I see. Mm.
Um…
let me see.
Okay, so I guess I…
[mutters nervously]
I have to be honest,
I really cannot see myself being a parent and raising children.
I'm so sorry.
-Oh, okay. -Um, oh, yes… Oof.
I'm so sorry. I don't think I'm cut out for that kind of thing, unfortunately.
-Oh, but… -It's fine.
-Mm. I'm so sorry.
[slurps, swallows loudly]
I… I think it's getting a little bit late.
We probably have to be calling it a night now.
-Yeah. Mm-hmm. -Mm. Yes.
Ah.
[gentle music playing]
[James] Oh, uh…
Okay, so I had a wonderful time tonight.
How about yourself?
-I had a very wonderful time too. -Good, yes, excellent.
So, um, you know,
I really don't wanna cut into your feeling of having a great time,
but I do have to be honest.
You said you want to have children.
I know I don't want to have children.
That's something about which I've been certain for a long time,
for much of my life.
If you wanna have children, you should,
so it would be wrong for me to… to wanna get in the way of that.
That wouldn't be right,
so I feel it would be better only if we were just normal friends.
I… I… I… I'm so sorry about that.
Okay, that's fine. Thank you for being genuine with me.
Yes, of course. No, I believe honesty is always the best policy.
[Jasmine] Okay.
There's no reason to cut off contact, mind you.
We can still communicate with each other through Instagram, you know.
Okay.
Yes, thank you.
-[both] Mm. -[Jasmine] Okay.
-Have a… have a very nice night. -Thank you.
-Absolutely. -Bye.
Yes, goodbye. Mm.
[jaunty music playing]
[narrator] At Connor's house,
it's the morning after his night of speed dating.
I almost can't wait to hear the details of last night.
-[Lise] We're all on the edge of our seat. -[Anna] Mm-hmm.
So you were sitting there,
and the first one stops by and talks to you?
Yeah.
She seemed nice enough. We had similar interests,
but… wasn't really big on nature,
so hiking would have been out of the question.
-Yeah. -So, you didn't see an equal sign there?
-No. -Well, let me… let's skip ahead.
Were there any yeses for you? Let's go there.
There was Sasha, who used to work with me at Kroger.
We had a lot in common.
Okay. So, she… did you write a yes or no?
I at first wrote no, but then I… [sighs] …maybe against my better judgment,
I put a yes.
Maybe something inside me,
not love, mind you, maybe it was something inside me saying,
"If you don't say yes now,
you're gonna regret it for the rest of your natural life."
-I love that, that you-- -[Anna] So exciting.
I love that you pushed yourself.
And, Connor, nobody was telling you
you were going to the speed dating to find a wife.
-[Anna] Yeah. -Yeah, maybe you're right. You're right.
Like England itself,
I still keep one foot in the Dark Ages.
-[whines] -[laughter]
-I don't have a response. -[Tone] Don't know where to go with that.
I don't even know.
Okay. So then, did you follow up
and ask when we're gonna find out if you made a match?
[Connor] They said they would give me, uh, a shout tomorrow.
They're gonna call us today? What time today?
-[Connor] I don't know. -Are you on the edge of your seat?
[exhales deeply] Just a… a bit uneasy.
Uneasy about what?
Starting a relationship, finding love. I mean, this is all new for me.
It's all a huge step. I… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
Slow down your breathing. It's ex… it's exciting.
I can already feel myself hyperventilating.
Okay, listen. This is what we're gonna do.
We're gonna calm down. Did this happen last night?
-You get this anxious? -Yeah.
I got anxious that I actually
found an equal sign.
Hey, you know one of your favorite movies?
Back to the Future, and that song from Huey Lewis?
"The Power of Love."
You've never dated in your whole life. You're 23.
It's just new feelings that you've… that are being woken up inside of you.
You just felt something you never felt before, right?
-That what you're saying? -Yeah.
-Did you get sweaty palms and… -Did you get kind of, like, butterflies?
[chuckles] Butterflies?
Try locusts.
[laughter]
-Locusts are good. -Yeah. Yeah, they are.
What? Why?
-'Cause it's doing something. -There's feelings happening.
-There's something happening. -That's exciting.
Let's see what happens here, man. It's gonna be good.
[phone ringing]
-[phone assistant] Gina Speed Dating. -Oh!
-cell [phone ringing] -[sighing nervously]
Hello?
[gentle suspenseful music playing] vously]