[suspenseful music playing]
Kate, I… I had a great time.
-Me too. -I… I think you're a real nice person.
[music fades]
I'm sorry, but Nashville may be a bit too far for me,
but I…
but I'm hoping we could just remain friends.
I'd like that very much. I understand.
-Oh, thank you. -Thank you.
[Connor] I… I know.
Well, you know what they say about long distance.
Yes, I agree.
-Yeah. But I'm glad we can remain friends. -Me too.
I hope next time you're around here, uh,
we could hang out sometime, maybe go bowling.
I would love that.
-Yeah, that'd be great. -Uh-huh.
So, uh…
-Yeah, I kind of have to call my mom. -I understand. It was nice meeting you.
-It was nice meeting you too. -Bye.
[Connor] Bye.
[pensive music playing]
[sighs] Oh well.
That's that.
[hopeful music playing]
[narrator] In Boston,
James is arriving home after a speed dating event.
Hey!
Yes, yes. Hello, how are you doing?
-Good. How are you? -[James] Good.
-Yes, I'm doing just fine. -[June] How did it go?
Oh, I think it went well enough, I suppose.
Unfortunately, only two out of the six women with whom I interacted
really interested me, as sad as that is.
Their names were Erika and Jackie, or short for Jacqueline,
so, you know, not too bad, not too bad.
Not being too picky?
No, I just wasn't feeling anything, that's all.
-That's fine. Aw. -You can't force something.
You can't force feelings where there are not any.
-Honey, I'm not. I'm not. -So I…
-Did you have fun? -Yes, of course.
That's the main thing, is to have fun. Right. To meet new people…
Yes, exactly.
-And it's too bad you weren't able to… -[phone rings]
Please, wait a moment. Wait a moment.
-Ye… Yes, hello? -Hey, James, it's Jen from speed dating.
-Oh. -It was really great seeing you.
Yes, of course, it was good to see you also.
So we've gone through all the cards,
and I just wanted to let you know, James…
[suspenseful music playing]
…unfortunately, you've had no matches this time.
-Oh. -I'm so sorry.
Of course, yes, no, I understand.
I haven't had any matches before, so I wasn't expecting any today.
But I hope you had fun at the event.
Of course I still had fun, thank you. First of all, I appreciate your honesty.
-Bye, James. -Of course. Have a nice day. Goodbye.
[sighs]
-Oh, honey, I'm sorry. -[James] I know, it's sad. Yes.
No, please don't worry about it. I… As I said, I…
-I… I… I have-- -It's gonna make me cry.
No, Mom, please, don't worry about it. I've gotten accustomed to it. Don't worry.
But I haven't!
[James] Yeah, so… [muttering]
-[June] I'm sorry. -Mom, please don't worry.
-Don't worry about it, okay? [sighs] -I'm not. Sorry, honey.
-Hang on, I just need a tissue. -[James splutters]
[June chuckles] Sorry.
-[Lawrence] There's always next time. -Yes, exactly.
[June sniffles]
-[James] Always another time. -There'll be another time.
-Yes, of course, absolutely. Yes. -Yeah. That'll be good. Good attitude.
Well, I'm sorry that you didn't have any matches.
[James] I know, thank you.
And hopefully in the future, you will find a match.
Yes, absolutely. That's my hope as well. Mm.
-I hope so. I hope so. -[James] Of course.
-[June] Okay. -Yes, thank you. Ah.
[sighs]
[grumbles]
-[Cian] Does that make you feel sad? -Yes, it makes me feel very sad.
I just expected him to maybe find a match, or at least one.
But… I'm just sad when it… this way.
We have to hope that he will eventually, you know?
[James sighs]
James, you wanna watch a movie with us tonight?
[James] Yes, yes, yes, definitely, of course.
-Okay. -[James] Yes.
Very good. Mm.
[Cian] If you could change one thing in your life, what would it be?
Not being single and finding a companion.
-[Cian] Finding love? -Yes.
[Cian] When it comes to dating, would you like some guidance?
Yes, Jennifer Cook would be very helpful.
I'd like to talk to her about how… how… about emotional regulation during a date.
'Cause that's something I struggle with, being open with a guy and what's…
what appropriate toys for me to bring on a date.
[hopeful music playing]
[narrator] In Florida,
autism expert Jennifer Cook is visiting Madison
as she prepares to step out on a date.
I was diagnosed as being autistic in 2011,
and since then, I've been working with neurodiverse individuals
to make their lives feel more empowered and enriched,
and a lot of times, that involves finding love.
-Hello. Are you Jennifer Cook? -I am. Are you Madison?
-Yes, I am. So nice to meet you. -So nice to meet you. Can I come in?
-Yes, you may. -Awesome.
[Madison] So I have a list of things to discuss.
Oh, that's fantastic. All right. That's really helpful.
Yes, I have OCD, so it helps me to write things down.
That's probably a really great way to reduce your anxiety, too,
is knowing that you've got it all written out.
Awesome. So I was gonna ask you, so you're getting ready to go on a date?
-Yes. -Yes.
Tell me what you're hoping to have happen.
I'm looking for… for a guy
that I… that I could eventually become companions with.
-Okay. -Like, we can become friends.
And then eventually we can become… become soulmates.
Oh, I love that. It's beautiful.
If he has very different interests than you, is that okay?
That would be fine. I need to work on compromising, something I struggle with.
I'm gonna draw something for you.
Yes. That's touching something on my list already.
Flexibility and compromise and being open.
That's already touching something on my list.
[Jennifer] I love that. Okay, so if we think of your comfort zone,
and when you're in your comfort zone, everything feels really easy,
where you know what to expect, and you know what you're gonna talk about,
and you know what you're gonna see, all those things.
Sometimes people say, "You have to get outside of your comfort zone."
That's where the magic happens.
It is true, but way out here,
if we were to put you in a situation
where you all didn't have anything in common,
that might even feel enough to make you feel…
-Panicked. And anxious. -[Jennifer] Panicked, right? And anxious.
We don't want that for you either.
If a guy liked horror movies, it would make me feel panicked.
-I hate horror movies. -Exactly.
What we want is,
there's this secret zone here.
Yes.
[Jennifer] Okay, and this is… a learning zone.
-Yes. -That's where we want you to be.
That learning zone is where things feel exciting a little bit,
a little bit nervous.
Comfort zone would be the fixed mindset, and the learning zone would be growth.
It's exactly that. You've got it, 100%.
And anxiety can make us be very… mm, rigid, right?
-Yes. -Inflexible.
Just by going out on a date, you're going into the learning zone.
-Right? -Yes, because a date is out of my routine.
Exactly right.
So one thing I do struggle with is emotional regulation.
[Jennifer] Mm-hmm.
And one thing that really triggers it is being called Maddie.
-I only like Madison. -Okay.
Being called Maddie can cause me to have a panic attack or even a tantrum.
You have every right to be called what you want to be called.
You can absolutely say, "Hi, I'm Madison, and I go by Madison, please."
Right? That's fine to say.
Yes, and then also, how many dolls sh… should… should I take with me?
Because some people say I shouldn't really be taking any for the date.
Okay, so do you like to take your dolls when you go out?
Yes, it makes me feel secure.
Then what I would say is, if you were to pick,
how does two dolls sound to you?
Two dolls sounds fine.
That seems to me like an okay thing to do.
Okay.
[Jennifer] I don't want you to feel embarrassed about who you are.
-Right. -Good.
At the end of the date,
if you decide that you wanna go out on another date with this person…
-Right? -Yes.
So that's when you can say,
"Would you like to go out on another date together?"
Okay.
Or what happens if you're like, "Yeah, I don't think so"?
How could you say that kindly, do you think?
[sighs] I don't know.
So I would say something like, "I've had, you know, a really nice time."
"I don't think we're a romantic match."
-Or "Maybe we can be friends." -Yes. Yes.
-There's one more possibility. -[Madison] Yes.
What if you're just not interested in this person whatsoever,
and you don't wanna be friends?
-[sucks in breath] -[Jennifer laughs]
-I don't know! -Okay.
So that's when you say, "I've had a nice time."
"I don't think we're a romantic match. I wish you the best of luck."
-Yes. -All right, girl.
-You're gonna have fun. -Yes.
That's the most important thing about all of this, is have fun.
Okay? And never be embarrassed about who you are.
Somebody's gonna be lucky to have you in their life.
-Yes. -[Jennifer] Mm-hmm. Yeah.
I love how Madison gives life to parts of the spectrum
that often get ignored or misunderstood.
She is bubbly. She is effervescent. She's outgoing.
I think that what's gonna be a challenge for her is conquering her anxiety.
And that's a pervasive issue for a lot of autistic people.
She's not alone in that.
It was really great to meet you.
I enjoyed… I enjoyed meeting you as… meeting you as well.
All right. Well, we will talk soon, okay?
-Okay. -Okay. Bye, honey.
-Bye! -Bye.
[dreamy music playing]
[narrator] In Hollywood…
[singing] ♪ I love you ♪
I love you too, Adan.
[narrator] …Dani and Adan are celebrating their one-year anniversary.
How would you feel for the both of us going away together?
I think it'd be great. I mean, how would you feel about going to Mexico, even?
[Dani] Well, I would definitely not mind about this.
I would definitely be interested.
It would be great if we just romantically, um, sleep together, all of this, and…
-Yeah. -You know what I mean?
-Intimacy. There's-- You don't-- -[Adan] That's right.
I know it's a delicate topic, but I would be open to it.
-Protection, of course. -Oh yes.
So I'm definitely open to that idea, as long as it's safe, consensual.
I'm glad, Adan.
And yet at the same time, it's like you do have to be careful
because a lot of people just go into it.
But, of course, health, uh,
sex… sexually transmitted diseases, et cetera.
-So, yes, it's about-- -I'm aware of this.
[Adan] Yes, you are.
[romantic music playing]
This dinner's gonna be great, but what I have planned next?
-You're gonna love. -[Dani chuckles]
-It's so beautiful to see the lights. -[Adan] Mm-hmm.
As the sun sets.
[Adan] Yep.
Reflecting this year on our relationship,
we've definitely come a long way from friends
to then becoming boyfriend and girlfriend.
We definitely got to spend more time, and I'm happy about that.
So how do you feel it's been going?
Well, I…
Well, for me,
just remaining a little speechless. I'm just, um…
definitely am so excited
and looking forward to what's gonna happen next.
As am I.
[slurping]
When it comes to relationships, there are always gonna be problems.
The taco of success always drips with the salsa of failure
because failure is what makes us grow stronger.
Adan,
I've got another surprise for you.
Have you now?
Maybe one of my OCs would love it. [creature snarl]
Oh, Scales. Don't be like that. [creature snarl]
Scales. [gasps]
[Dani] You have to wait for it. Wait for it.
[Adan] Oh my gosh.
Beautiful. I love how you, uh, character-- uh… cartoonized me.
-[Dani giggles] -[chuckles]
Oh my gosh. [giggles]
"It's been a year… is it time to do the deed?"
[chuckling gasp]
Oh my gosh!
Oh my gosh.
[Dani] Thank you.
[Adan] Mm-hmm. Mm. Mm!
Careful.
-Ready for the rest of the night, my dear? -Yes.
I'm glad to hear it.
Oh my gosh. Okay.
-Is it uncomfortable? -A little.
If you're uncomfortable with certain parts,
like me nibbling your ear, it's just, um…
Yeah, I mean, I'd like to keep it to the mouth, please. But I appreciate--
All right, that's fine. I respect your boundaries.
Thank you. Appreciate that.
What do you think about that final message?
[chuckles awkwardly]
Heh. I'm gonna say this. It made me speechless, but…
I know what you were talking about. But I gotta say this. [chuckles]
-As long as we keep it safe, you know? -Mm.
[Adan] So…
We are keeping it safe.
[romantic music playing]
Ready to go for a beautiful walk?
Oh, sure.
[Adan] All right. Keep those eyes closed, all right?
Okay, take that step.
Careful. Oh, I got you. Ready?
-Okay. This way. -How many more steps?
No more steps. Ready? One, two, open them.
[Dani gasps]
Oh my goodness!
Happy anniversary!
This is amazing.
I thought you'd love it.
[upbeat salsa music playing]
Making it up as we go.
Shake it… Oh, careful.
Oh! [chuckles]
Ready? Uh…
Turn… Oh, wait.
Oh, I remember now.
-Oof! My foot! -I'm sorry. Whoops, sorry.
[Adan] That's fine. We can still dance.
[Dani] Indeed.
[music ends with a flourish]
[narrator] In Tampa,
Madison is getting ready for a lunch date.
[tentative music playing]
Okay, so this morning, I was listening to Disney princess music on repeat
because I kept thinking, "I'll find my prince."
"Someday."
Hopefully, someday is today.
Thirteen on this wrist, twelve on this wrist.
Now it's even.
I'm excited to find out who he is and what his interests are.
And… and I can't even believe that I am doing this.
[Cian] Yeah? Why's that?
Because when I was diagnosed at two,
doctors told my parents I would never be able to speak and attend regular school.
I was involved in every activity, and, gee, it proved doctors wrong.
Now I'm a success story.
Raccoon eyes at the moment.
Hello.
-[Madison] Mom! Hi. -How are you?
-[Madison] Hey. -Can I have a hug?
-[Madison] Yes. -Oh my gosh.
-I'm so happy to see you. -[Madison] Good to see you.
You look so pretty in your green dress. I love it.
-[Madison] Thank you. -Oh man. It's a big day.
Mom, hopefully this guy will be my prince.
Oh my gosh. Well, you know, I was thinking about this.
I think the most important thing is that you have a really good open mind.
I think you're super happy and acclimated with all the friends that you've made,
and I think this is the one thing that… is kind of missing.
Yeah, that's the missing piece of the puzzle.
[mom] All I've ever wanted for Madison is to be happy.
When you have a child on the spectrum, the wins are so huge,
and the losses are so hard.
So can I do your hair like this? Give you a little volume?
Yes.
[mom] She works so much harder to do
what we all take so naturally and for granted.
We're super proud of the connections she's made
with her friends over the years.
But the one thing that she's never had is a companion.
Let's see. Let me look at you. Oh, you're beautiful.
For her to be able to meet someone
and connect and find love…
This is her time.
I looked at my princess dolls this morning
and… and thought… I'm like, "I wonder who the prince could be."
[mom] Your Prince Charming?
Yes, I wonder if it'll be a Prince Eric or a Prince Charming
or a Prince Phillip or, uh, someone like the Beast.
You know what? What if it's a combination of all of them?
Yeah, life is not a Disney movie.
It's not a Disney movie.
-Are you all set? Is there anything else? -[Madison] No, that's it.
[mom] All right. I think you're all ready to go.
My mom recently came up with the idea
that we should build a guesthouse in our backyard for me.
Somewhere to…
where my partner could visit me after a date.
-[Cian] And you can get jiggy with it. -[chuckles]
If that's how you wanna put it, yes.
[intriguing music playing]
[narrator] In Atlanta,
it's the morning after Connor's date with Kate.
You think you'll have rules in your guesthouse?
Yes, I will have a very strict set of rules.
[Lise] Hey, what about… Are you gonna take Coco with you?
Well, I mean, I wouldn't wanna be lonely. I mean…
Mom, I know you love her, but there comes a time
when life boils down to a few options.
This is now one of those moments.
I think we should let Coco decide.
[Coco whimpers]
If Coco walks over to me, then she'll choose to live with me.
She walks over to you, she'll stay here.
Does she know the gravity of this moment?
-[Connor] I don't know. Coco… -[Anna] She might not.
I'm sorry to do this to you, girl, but it's time to choose.
[Anna] Three, two, one.
-[Connor] Coco. Coco. Coco. -[Lise] Coco. Coco. Coco.
-Coco. Coco. -Oh, Coco.
-Oh, don't… don't toy with us. -Coco. Oh, Coco.
-Coco. [giggles] -[Connor] Come on, Coco. Come here.
I am sorry, but the gods have made known their will.
-[Lise gasps] Oh! -[Jack chuckles]
-[Lise] I am freaking out… -[Anna] She didn't even, like, waver.
Coco, congratulations.
You're coming to Falcon's Perch with me.
Once it's built, of course.
-[Lise] I am a loser in Coco's heart. -[Connor] She chose me.
-Stop looking at me. It's over between us. -[Coco whimpers]
-[Lise] Saucy little traitor. -[Jack chuckles]
Connor, how was your date?
[Connor] It was good.
Uh, she is nice, but she does live quite a ways from here, so…
Yeah. Well, you know what? I'm glad you met Kate,
and what you did identify is "I want someone who lives near me."
So if Nashville is a bit far for you, do you have, like, a limit
of where you would want someone to be or how far from you they'd live?
A few minutes or…
[Lise] I think an hour or so.
[Anna] You have us to give you rides.
Yeah, we can, totally. There's Uber and Lyft. You'd be able to use those.
-Expensive and unreliable. -[chuckles]
-Well, maybe we take on learning to drive. -Yeah. Might be slightly cheaper.
-I don't know. Car payments, insurance… -[Connor] Yeah, I don't know.
And of course, house insurance if I ever get my guesthouse.
It's called adulting, man. Welcome to it.
It'll bleed me dry.
I'll… I'll be bankrupt right into the ground.
I can't afford any of that.
Connor, that's very extreme. We don't need to go zero to 60.
[Connor] I'm being realistic.
[Lise] Just relax. Nobody's gonna let you go bankrupt into the ground.
We will handle your finances just fine.
You can have your guesthouse, maybe learn to drive and have a car,
and guess what?
Still have some money to do things.
Take people on dates.
-Yeah. -[Lise] And pick up the check.
[Connor] But know this.
If the check demands a tip, I never pay any higher than $5.
[Anna] What?
-[Jack] It's 20%… -Connor, you tip people $5?
Do you understand that waitresses and waiters don't make a lot of money?
That if you got great service and you gave someone $5, that's an insult.
[Connor scoffs]
What you call an insult,
I call luck.
[Anna] Well… [chuckles]
But I was actually hoping to one day maybe work myself toward riches.
That's fine. But you have to be a decent human along the way, okay?
Do you know what making sacrifices gets you?
A kick in the head and a spit in the face.
I don't know who burned you at your ripe old age of 25,
living a really nice life.
I don't know who made you this salty. But you need to take a few steps back.
You're being very pessimistic.
[chuckles] So what am I supposed to do?
Walk around with a cross around my neck wearing holy robes?
Shave my head?
Guess what? That's extreme over here.
You're talking about being here. Guess what?
There's a lot of gray, and there's a lot of middle area.
I know you are uncomfortable with gray.
You don't need to be here, and you don't need to be here.
-You can live here. -Yeah.
[Lise] You're just thrown because you didn't know something.
Tomorrow morning, I bet a million dollars
you're gonna wake up and you're gonna say,
"Jeez, Mom, I thought about that, and you're right about the tipping."
-That's how this goes. -But I know this for a fact.
-[Lise] What's that? -You don't have a million dollars.
From now on, do not make promises like that
unless you actually intend…
Do not say--
-[Anna] It's an expression, I think. -It's a joke.
[scoffs] It's not funny.
Listen, I'm picking up that you are really intense today.
What… Are you okay?
-I didn't get a lot of sleep last night. -Okay. Okay.
-Why are you guys always up till midnight? -[Lise gasps]
-Yeah. -Oh, was there too much noise down here?
Is sleep a foreign concept?
Here's the thing. I think this is all the more reason
we really need to focus on your guesthouse.
Our family sigil is three falcons,
and it's time for this little falcon to fly the coop.
[Cian] What are you nervous about when it comes to dating?
I would say I'm nervous about being rejected,
if it's a… especially if it's a guy that I like.
[Cian] Yeah. Are you a romantic person?
Once I find the right person, I will be.
[sweet, suspenseful music playing]
[narrator] At the St. Pete Pier,
Madison is waiting for her date to arrive.
[Cian] How are you feeling, Madison?
Excited to meet him.
Except I'm probably gonna order something off the kids' menu
'cause I'm a picky eater.
I don't like salad.
I wonder if my friends will like him. I wonder if my family will like him.
This is a big day.
[narrator] Madison is meeting Brandon.
He likes kangaroo pouches and massage chairs.
[chair rattling]
He doesn't like wobbly tables or touching fish.
-Hello. -[Brandon] Uh.
-Are you my date? -Yeah, I'm your date.
-I'm Madison. Nice to meet you. -Mm. Nice to meet you too.
-What's your name? -My name's Brandon.
Brandon, that's my dad's name.
Ah, yeah, that's… no, that's nice.
Yeah. Where are you from?
I'm from Florida.
-Yeah? What city in Florida? -Uh, Ocala.
-Ocala? -Yeah.
-That's in Northern Florida. -Yeah.
-I'm from right here in St. Pete's. -Ah, yeah, that's nice.
-So I made you a little something. -Oh, that's… that's nice.
[Madison] Because I'm originally from the Boston area,
and it's the Boston sports teams.
Yeah, cool.
So, um… do you have any interests?
Yes. I love to… I love to make jewelry. I made all my bracelets.
Oh, yeah.
And what are some things you're into?
I'm into making animated cartoons.
Do you like cartoons and animation?
Yes, I love cartoons and animation. I love the classic cartoons.
Oh yeah, I love the classic cartoons as well.
Like, you can't go wrong with Looney Tunes or Flintstones or Scooby-Doo.
[chuckles] Yeah.
-[Cian] Brandon, are you okay? -Uh, yeah.
Just a little nervous.
Yeah, I'm not nervous at all.
Yeah, I'm a really nervous coward. [chuckles] Yeah.
Yes.
So, um… uh, do you go to school or something?
-I'm out of school. -Oh.
-What do you do for work? -I work for a company that teaches…
uh, that aids in helping young adults with autism.
Oh my God, really? I have a passion for helping kids with autism.
Yeah.
Like, one… one of my interests is going to church.
That's a big part of my life, where I've met all my friends.
-Yeah. -Does that interest you at all?
Um…
I'm usually interested in going to gyms
and often going to walk around at the mall.
Uh, and… and I like, uh, sitting at those massage chairs.
-[Madison] Yeah. -[child screams]
I'm getting distracted
'cause of the few noises in the background.
[baby crying]
[Cian] Brandon, it's a bit noisier than we expected.
Let us know if you wanna move outside, okay?
Okay.
Yeah, so you're not really big into, like, social stuff, I'm guessing.
-Right. -Have you been to Disney World?
Yeah, I've been to Disney World at least a couple of times as a kid.
Yes. Like, what is your favorite Disney movie?
Um, I don't have a favorite Disney movie, really.
And what is your favorite Disney ride?
I don't have a favorite Disney ride.
-Yes. -Uh-huh.
-[server] Hello. How are we doing today? -How are you?
-We're doing good. -Very good.
Question. When you put your head down, is that a type of stim you do?
Uh… yeah, 'cause I'm nervous.
I usually crouch down like this, uh,
to avoid being surrounded by other people.
Like, I have this chair right here to guard me.
-[muttering silently] -[child squeals]
-[Brandon] Thanks. Yeah. -[server] Of course.
Do you like soda at all?
Yeah, I love soda.
Coke. I'm a Coke addict.
My favorite holiday ever is Christmas.
I also love Christmas.
[Madison] Yeah? What do you love about Christmas?
Getting gifts.
I love decorating is the best part.
So are you into decorating at all?
Hmm. Not really.
[Cian] Brandon, just wanna make sure you're okay.
Kind of getting a little bit uncomfortable.
Just afraid how the noise may probably grow,
and then something unexpected might happen,
and then I'd be scared.
We could always find another table if he gets too overstimulated.
[Cian] We'll see if we can find a table somewhere quieter.
Okay.
[Madison mutters quietly]
-[Brandon] Yeah. -[Madison sighs]
[Cian] What are your thoughts on Brandon?
He… he's not as outgoing as I am, which is a challenge.
He's a nice guy though.
Got this.
[Cian] Brandon, is this a good spot?
Are you happy here?
[intriguing music playing]
-[Cian] Oh, well, hello. -Hi, Cian.
My name is Tanner, and I'm 25, and I'm still looking for love.
[Cian] It's good to see you again.
It's good to… it's good to see you again too. I missed you.
[Cian] Oh, I miss… we missed you too. Are you happy to be back?
Yes, sir. Hey, I'm glad we're doing this 'cause this thing is cool and unique.
[Cian] Know what else is cool and unique?
-Tell me. -Tanner.
That's right. So are you, Cian, and you, Dave, and we're all unique.
[Cian] That's true. What's been happening in your dating life?
Have you been on any dates lately?
I have not. No, I have not.
-[Cian] You went on a couple with Kate. -Yeah.
[Cian] So tell me what's happened with Kate since then.
So, I mean, Kate,
she's become my good friend, she's become my good friend,
and we're still texting each other.
[Cian] I heard she might have asked you to be her boyfriend.
-Um… she… she did. She did. -[Cian] And then what did you say?
Hey, this… Hey… hey, this won't hurt your feelings
if I… if I be honest, will you, Cian? I just wanna make sure it won't…
-[Cian] No, I want you to be honest. -Okay, I said, "No."
[whimsical music playing]
[narrator] Tanner lives independently in Clemson, South Carolina.
[chickens clucking on phone]
[Cian] You watching something interesting, Tanner?
Yes, sir, I'm looking at chickens.
[clucking]
[Cian] You like chickens?
Yeah, I do like chickens 'cause I like birds.
Because they fly. It's so cool that they have two legs like us.
[clucking]
-[Cian] Do you like eating them too? -Yes, sir, I like eating them too.
[crowing]
All right, you want to get a pizza to eat?
Uh, yeah.
Sweet.
[upbeat music playing]
[roommate 1] What would you like to buy?
I wanna get a pepperoni pizza.
-I wanna say a meatball pizza. -That's a good choice.
I'm going on a date with another girl on Thursday.
That's cool.
This is a blind date. I don't know what her name is.
I don't know what she looks like. Do you have a girlfriend?
-[roommate 2] I do. -Okay, what do you do together?
We're just walking together, go to the pool, go in the hot tub.
-[Tanner] In the hot tub. -Just gonna have fun.
Yeah, that… that's cool.
Yeah, it is cool for me.
[server] Here y'all go.
[Tanner] What do you call cheese that's not yours?
Nacho cheese.
Frankie, how long have you and your girlfriend been dating?
Like, three days.
That's cool. Do you like having a girlfriend?
-[Frankie] Yes, I do. -[Tanner] Why?
Because she's beautiful.
That a good reason. That's a good reason why.
And I… and I love her.
-I'm glad you love her. -Aw!
Yeah. [chuckles]
Was it something, uh, you… you loved in your body?
Because I kind of like her.
-Is she a Christian? -She's a wonderful person.
Is she very talkative?
-Sometimes, yes. -I… I want a talkative girlfriend too.
Okay.
And I want a girlfriend who's a Christian. And I want her to be a party animal.
Be respectful.
-Oh yeah, I want her to be respectful too. -Yeah.
I don't care what color eyes and I don't care what color hair she has.
And what color is she?
I don't care if she's white or Black.
That's fine with me.
-Would you go on a double date with me? -[Frankie] Yeah.
Okay, I'm glad. I'm glad.
-All right. High five to the date. -Thank you.
-Good luck, buddy. -Thank you.
[all] Yay!
[jaunty music playing]
[narrator] At Connor's house…
[Jack] What would you like to wear on your date?
-That one. -This one? Okay, sounds good.
…he's getting ready to step out on a date with someone new.
[boy] Looking good. Very nice.
-Look good. Look fresh. -I'm actually feeling pretty dapper.
-You look it. -[Lise] You're looking pretty dapper.
[Cian] By the way, Connor, who's this?
[Connor] Uh, this is my other brother, Ben.
He's pretty smart and experienced in dating.
Thank you.
What are you hoping for today when you meet her?
Put simply, I'm hoping for sparks.
If she's brunette, you have a great date,
and there's the sparks, sweaty palms,
you're gonna hold her hand, try to give her a kiss?
[Connor sighs] Mom, come on. I'm already feeling nervous as it is.
Okay, I'm not trying to…
A first date, you can keep it tame. Remember the tier system, Connor?
-[Connor] Yes, the tier system. -So tier 15, what's the deal with that?
That's, uh, the birds and the bees.
What do we do with it?
Stay away from it. We stay away from it. Don't do tier 15.
And so what are tiers one and two?
Tier one is hugging, tier two is kissing.
[Cian] So what are tiers three, four, five, six…?
-[Lise] That's what we wanna know. -That's what I wanna know.
[Lise giggling]
Honestly, Connor, I feel like if there are sparks flying from… from both sides…
[Connor sighs]
…you will almost be able to feel that.
Basically, it'd be like the same way a rider bonds with a dragon.
-What… what's that? -Yeah.
[Lise] I remember when I first met Tony.
You went up to Tony and told him to stay away from tier 15 with me.
-Yeah. -[Lise] You told him that several times.
[sighs] I guess some foolish part of me
was still hoping you and Dad might get back together,
but now I know better.
-Yeah. Everything worked out. -And Tony's awesome!
Yeah, it all worked out. Let's talk about kids.
I've actually never… I've never truly asked you that.
Ah, yes, I know. I know. Children are no picnic. They're expensive.
Do you want kids?
Do you know what? Yes.
Very much yes. I would one day want to have a child,
and damn the expense!
I have a question for you.
If you met this woman, you loved her,
you… she… you find out she can't have children.
Or worse, what if I can't have children?
-[Lise] That happens. -[Ben] There.
It would make me very sad if I couldn't have children.
I'd wanna go to a fertility clinic and have my sperm checked.
-I think we are way ahead of ourselves. -I think you're okay, Connor.
How about we go to tier one and hug somebody?
-Yeah. Don't do tier 15. [chuckles] -[Ben] But don't do 15…
[Ben] What's the plan?
The plan is play croquet, have fun.
-And…and, uh, hopefully tier one. -[Ben] Good stuff.
[Lise] All right. Let me have a hug. Let me have a tier one.
-Oh, all right. -All right.
Have a good time. I want you to have fun.
-[Ben] See ya, Connor. -See ya.
Show no mercy.
-I never do. -Okay.
-[Jack] Have a good one. Have fun. -[Lise] Have fun, bud. See you later.
[Coco whimpers]
[duck quacking]
What a lovely day.
-[sweet, suspenseful music playing] -Uh…
[narrator] Connor is meeting Georgie.
She likes bird watching and eating competitions.
She doesn't like croutons
or people watching loud videos in public.
[Connor] Uh…
-Oh. -[Georgie] Hello.
Hello.
-I'm Georgie. -Hi, I'm Connor.
[both] Nice to meet you. [chuckling]
-Oh, sorry. -No, it's fine.
We said it at the same time. That was a bit awkward.
I have four siblings.
-So I'm used to talking over. -Oh, I…
[Connor] What a crazy coincidence. I have three younger siblings of my own,
and sometimes I could shout and nobody hears me.
I feel the same way. I'm the oldest.
Well, that's something we have in common.
Um…
You wanna find somewhere shady?
Yeah, that would--
Yes, I believe I would.
Perhaps there.
-Okay. -After you.
Thank you.
[Connor] Oh, hey, look! There's a gazebo.
[Georgie] That looks like a good place to stay cool for a while.
Yeah. You know, Georgie, when I was younger,
my father used to take me and my siblings to this place,
and we'd throw bread to the ducks.
[Georgie] Really? I love ducks.
-[Connor] Me too. Ducks and turtles. -[Georgie] Turtles!
Oh, look. That one's looking at us. Hello!
-They're freshwater turtles. -[Georgie] What are they doing?
What you're looking at, Georgie, is mutualistic symbiosis.
It's a kind of symbiotic relationship that benefits both life forms.
For example, that turtle is eating moss off that other turtle.
-[Georgie] Aw, that's sweet. -It'll both…
It'll both clean the receiving turtle's shell,
while at the same time fill the other turtle's belly.
Everyone wins.
[Georgie] That's awesome.
Look, they look like they're kissing.
[Connor] Kissing?
That is preposterous. Turtles don't have lips. They have beaks.
[chuckles] Yeah.
[quacking angrily]
-[Connor] What's with the aggression? -[Georgie] That poor duck.
[Connor] Wait. Wait, it's not… Is it?
[Georgie] What?
[Connor] Do you think it's… mating season? Oh God. Cover your eyes.
Well, thankfully, you'll never see me doing that to a woman.
Ever.
No, I know better.
[sweet, intriguing music playing]
[narrator] It's been a week since James went speed dating,
and he's catching up with his brother, William.
-[William] How's it going? -Oh, yes. Hello. How are you doing?
-Good. Good seeing you. -Oh, yes, of course. Of course.
-How was work today? -Not bad!
Good. Glad to hear that, yes.
My day… Here, grabbed a lemonade for us as well.
Oh, thank you very much.
-Cheers. Good seeing you. -Oh, yes, of course. Thank you.
-[William] How was your day? -Oh, just fine.
Nothing out of the ordinary. That's how I prefer it to be.
-Tell me about this past weekend. -Oh, yes. I went to a speed dating event.
-Nice. -Yes.
Unfortunately, I did not have any matches.
I mean, it's okay. Speed dating is… It's gotta be hard, you know?
Several of the women wished to have children.
Let me see. I think a few of the women had pets of some species.
[chuckling] Some species! Was it an instant no?
Uh, I don't quite remember the exact words I said, unfortunately,
but I tried to keep positive by saying if I did keep pets,
I'd prefer cats over dogs.
-Okay. -But, you know…
[William] That is a good way of answering that question.
So have there been things that, like, you have been noticing…
[James yawns]
…that, "Hey, maybe I should do this differently"?
-Nice yawn. [chuckles] -I am the common factor.
That suggests I'm doing something wrong, but mom and dad told me…
said I should be more positive. It might just be bad luck.
I don't wanna contemplate the idea that I did anything wrong, you know?
Oh, agreed. Because you don't wanna change yourself, but at the same time,
it could be more of a fishing in the correct pond type of thing.
Oh, I hope so. I…
[William] Maybe speed dating isn't for you. Try other things.
-I'll have to try something else. Mm. Yes. -Yeah.
Well, how about your, uh, your Instagram following?
What type of communications have you been having on there?
I guess I've been interacting with some women
who, I don't know, could possibly be something.
-Sure. -I don't know. I'll have to wait and see.
[William] One of the nice things about Instagram
is that if a lady is reaching out to you proactively,
you know she's probably already somewhat interested.
Yes, that is good.
[William] Well, I think it's good that you, uh, bounce back
from the speed dating event where you didn't get any matches.
Right.
I mean, ultimately, the best piece of advice, like, legitimately,
is just be yourself.
There's no way you can keep faking being somebody that you're not.
Oh, no, certainly not.
It's just finding the person that can be with you when you're at yourself
is just the best thing you can do.
-Exactly, yes. -So…
My life is pretty good right now.
My life is probably the best it ever has been.
Trying to find a special person, you know, with whom I can, you know,
share all the moments of my life is obviously my top priority right now.
It's pretty much the only thing I don't have, really.
Yeah. I mean, persistence. Persistence is key.
Yes, yes.
I'd like to be in a serious relationship before I'm 40.
You know, that would be nice.
-I'm eager to hear how it goes. -Of course, absolutely.
-All right. Head out? -Okay.
[James] Good. Yes, very good. Very good, then. Mm.
[jaunty music playing]
[Madison] It's nice out here.
[Brandon sighs]
[music fades]
-Are you feeling better out here? -Yeah, kinda.
What did I have for you?
Like, I… Did you want these still?
Uh, yeah.
Bruins, and I have a… your… your Patriots one too.
[Brandon] Oh. Yeah.
Thanks for the dolls.
No problem.
Yeah. You know, I used to carry videotapes and DVDs with me around a lot.
So you collect videotapes and DVDs?
Uh, yeah, yeah.
-Yes, like how I collect dolls. -[Brandon] Yeah.
Yeah, I tend to collect toys too.
Yeah, what toys do you collect?
I only collect, uh, plush dolls.
Oh my God, me too!
[Brandon] Yeah.
[Madison] What plush dolls are you into?
Care Bears?
[Brandon] Uh…
[chuckling] I'm not into Care Bears.
[Madison] I love Care Bears.
[server] Got that fried shrimp with sweet fries.
Awesome.
[server] And that cheeseburger for you.
-Thanks. -[server] Mm-hmm.
Shirley. Anything else I can grab for you guys?
-Uh, no, thanks. -[server] No? We're all good?
-Yeah, I'm all good. -[server] Enjoy.
[uneasy music playing]
Can I put my earbuds back in while I'm eating?
-[Cian] Sure. -Okay.
-How does this help you? -[Brandon] Uh…
The white noise?
[Madison] Yes.
It helps drown out background noise so that I don't hear anyone around me.
Hmm?
Yeah? What is it?
This means I have something to say, but I have food in my mouth.
Oh, okay.
The parades must not be for you because there's a bunch of screaming and…
Yeah.
It's… Eh…
-Hearing screaming? -Yes.
And screaming noises are obviously obnoxious.
I loved going to the… the 4th of July parade growing up.
[Brandon] Mm-hmm.
-[Madison] In my hometown. -Mm-hmm.
[Madison] It was a huge thing with a bunch of reenactments.
They'd reenact from Plymouth Rock
up through 9/11, up through today.
Yeah.
[slurping]
So do you still live with your family?
[sighs dejectedly]
-[server] Everything was good over here? -All good.
-Huh? -Can I grab this for you?
-Thanks. Yeah. -Of course.
And also… I'll ask you…
[suspenseful music playing]
[Madison] Do you wanna split the bill?
Since this is my first time dating,
uh, do you mind if I pay for the bill alone first?
-Yes, of course. -[Brandon] Sure, yeah.
-[Madison] Of course you may. -Thanks.
-[server] Here? -[Brandon] Yeah, yeah.
-[server] Okay. -Okay. Do I pay with this?
-[server] Yes. -Okay.
-[server] Thank you. -You're welcome.
-[Brandon] Oh yeah. -They're supposed to take the book.
-You're welcome. -So I wanna say something to you.
It was so nice to meet you, but I don't think we're a romantic match.
Uh, I do feel like we are a romantic match,
but it's just that I'm not comfortable
being in public places where there's people.
Um, I'm… I'm being honest with you.
-Yeah? -[Madison] Yes.
Like, I just want someone who loves going out.
That's very important to me.
Yeah, I see.
And you're not that for me, unfortunately, but I do wish you the best of luck.
I see. Understandable.
Yeah, I did enjoy spending time with you.
Yeah. And thanks for spending time with me.
Yes.
[Brandon sighs]
[clears throat]
[pensive music playing]
[Madison] I see.
[Cian] See you later, Brandon.
-Yes. -[Brandon chuckles]
Bye.
Bye, Brandon.
[Cian] So what do you think, Madison?
Hopefully, I meet a guy who's outgoing, a guy who loves traveling.
The guy I met today, he wasn't into any of that stuff,
and it broke my heart.
Cian, there… there… there's so many fish in the sea,
which is a good saying,
and there's so many more fish that I'd love to meet.
Fish as in guys.
[intriguing music playing]
[narrator] At the Shepherd Hotel in Clemson,
Tanner is catching up with his mom, Nicci, and sister, Midge.
So, Tank, you and Kate didn't really end up
being boyfriend and girlfriend in the end?
-No. -But y'all are still friends.
Oh yeah, and… and… and our friendship will never die.
-[Nicci] I love that. So sweet. -That's right.
So, Tank, on this next date, like, what kind of girl are you looking for?
What do you want her to be like?
Yes. I'm glad you asked me that, Midge. I want her to be very talkative.
-[Midge] Yep. -I want her to be beautiful.
And I… I… I don't care what color eyes. I don't care what color hair she has.
You know what's interesting?
How some people in different places, personalities are… are different.
Yep. Like, depending on where you're raised, or…
[Nicci] Right. Everybody's different.
That's right, yeah. Some, it seems like they're in bad moods all the time.
[both laugh]
Well, maybe some people
'cause some people don't smile quite as much as maybe we do.
We live in a smiley part of the world.
-[Tanner] Yeah? -Yeah, we do.
And sometimes when I'm quiet, you don't think that's part of my autism?
-When you're quiet? -[Tanner] Yeah, when I'm quiet.
-Well, okay, I don't know. -Sometimes I don't have anything to say.
When you were a very little boy, you were very quiet then.
That was probably a lot because of your autism.
-Probably so. -Things were hard for you to understand.
And the way you dealt with it was by just not talking and not saying a lot.
'Cause things were very overwhelming and confusing.
But then after we did homeschool, everything got much better, right?
-Uh-huh. -And you started talking more.
-[Tanner] Yeah. -So, yeah.
In some ways, when you're quiet, it is your autism.
-Yeah. -[Midge] And that's okay.
[Nicci] It's great.
-Some people are quiet and reserved. -It's who you are. Nothing wrong with it.
It'll be very cool, whoever you go on a date with,
if she has something like autism, you can learn about what she has.
-[Tanner] Yeah. -So you're not feeling any nerves?
-I'm not. I'm not. -[Midge] Well, good job, Tank.
When guys are around girls, they're like, "I don't wanna mess anything up.
-[Nicci] It doesn't matter to you. -No, it doesn't bother me.
-You're a stud. That's why. -You really are.
Of course I'm a stud muffin. No doubt about it.
-[laughs] -No doubts.
-That's right. Nobody doubts it. -[Nicci] Nobody does.
-[Midge] Stud muffin, for sure. -[Nicci chuckles]
[pleasant music playing]
-[gasps] Look! A duckling! -Where?
-It just went behind that… -[Georgie] Oh, I can't see it.
-Here, look. -Where?
Right there.
[Georgie gasps] Baby!
I love babies.
[Connor gasps] Dragonflies!
[Georgie] Wait, those are dragonflies?
[Connor] There's this show I like, it's called The Dragon Prince,
and in it, the dragonfly is actually the--
-Like the serious animated one? -You know it?
-I love it. -[gasps] Oh my God.
Uh, the little boy with the curly hair, I can't remember his name.
[Connor] King Ezran?
Oh yeah, I forgot he becomes king after a while.
[Connor] Oh, good.
For a second, I thought I just gave away a major spoiler.
[Georgie] No.
-Edit that out. -[Georgie giggles]
[sweet instrumental music playing]
[Connor sighs] So, uh…
I like what you've done with your hair. I like the use of the braids.
[chuckles]
You… I mean it, you just… you just don't see that nowadays.
-Thank you. -Yes.
-My compliments to your hairdresser. -[chuckles]
If you don't mind me asking, Georgie, on the subject of dating,
what exactly do you, uh…
I don't know. Uh, what exactly do you look for?
Well, to be honest, I never really had a date.
-Shocking, I know. -[chuckles]
It's kind of tough to know what I'm kind of looking for,
but I've never really done it.
Yeah, I… I know what you mean.
I… I didn't know what to think, how to feel.
For a second, I thought I had even gone mad or something,
and that… that's, like, one of my biggest fears, going crazy. Oof!
[Georgie] Same.
I mean, I have, don't get me wrong, I've dated, yes,
but I… I just… I could never find…
[Georgie] The right one?
-Yes. -[chuckles]
So, um… would you like to go find somewhere to play croquet now?
-Yeah, sounds good to me. -Ah, sounds good.
As always, ladies first, Georgie.
[Georgie] Thank you.
[Cian] Talk to me, Connor. How's it going? She can't hear you. It's okay.
I… I think…
Georgie's amazing.
We have so much in common. We both like The Dragon Prince.
We both like… both have taste in old-fashioned things.
I mean, when I saw her standing there,
I thought to myself, "Whoa, who is that?"
This may be my imagination, or I might be saying things too early,
but I think I may be feeling some sparks.
She's very… very good-looking.
She… she is very good…
[in dramatic British accent] It may be too early to say for certain,
but I think I have found my Bonanza.
[theme music playing]
[music fades] laying]