A New Conversation & a New Show! Holmes’ Cinema Clues!By Cinema Agent Dr. Stephanie C. Holmes

A New Conversation & a New Show! Holmes’ Cinema Clues!

By Cinema Agent Dr. Stephanie C. Holmes

Like many ideas in our family, Holmes’ Cinema Clues didn’t begin as a formal plan. It grew out of ordinary conversations that Dan and I have had for years about movies, characters, and the way certain stories linger with us long after the credits roll. Every once in a while, a scene or a character will capture something so familiar that it feels like the writers somehow stumbled onto a truth we’ve been trying to explain for years.

Those conversations are what eventually grew into Holmes’ Cinema Clues.

The show is our way of exploring how film and television portray neurodivergence, whether intentionally or accidentally, and how stories can help us understand one another better. Sometimes we will laugh at the quirks of a character. In the words of Larry the Cucumber (VeggieTales, another Holmes’ Favorite), “I laughed, I cried, it moved me, Bob!”

Sometimes we will critique the writing. Sometimes we will celebrate a portrayal that feels surprisingly authentic. And sometimes we will use a film moment as a doorway to talk about real-life neurodivergent experiences.

The show really has four kinds of “cases” we plan to investigate.

Case Type 1: Neurodivergent-Coded Characters

Some characters are written intentionally as neurodivergent. They may be described as autistic, ADHD, or otherwise neurodivergent within the story itself, or the creators may confirm that the character was meant to represent a particular neurotype.

These portrayals can be incredibly meaningful, but they can also be uneven. Sometimes the character is written with insight and depth, showing both strengths and challenges in ways that resonate with real people.

Other times, the portrayal leans into stereotypes or exaggerations that make neurodivergent individuals feel flattened into a trope.

In these episodes, we will talk honestly about both sides. What did the writers get right? Where did they miss the mark? And what might have helped the character feel more authentic?

Case Type 2: The “Unwritten Diagnosis”

Then there are characters who were never officially written as neurodivergent but who raise a lot of eyebrows among viewers who recognize familiar patterns.

These are the characters where audiences begin gathering clues.

Maybe it’s their communication style. Maybe it’s their intense interests, social misunderstandings, sensory sensitivities, or logical approach to relationships. Over time, viewers start to notice a constellation of traits that feel strikingly familiar.

Characters like Sheldon Cooper, Amy Farah Fowler, Leonard and more from The Big Bang Theory are often part of these conversations. The writers may say the character is not autistic, yet many autistic viewers see themselves reflected in him. Other shows have similar figures or characters who were never given a label but who seem to live somewhere along the neurodivergent spectrum.

In these episodes, we will play detective. What are the clues? What behaviors or patterns stand out? And why do so many viewers interpret the character through a neurodivergent lens?

Case Type 3: The Characters Neurodivergent Viewers Love

Sometimes the most interesting clues come not from the script itself but from the audience.

Certain characters attract neurodivergent fans in surprising ways. The character might not be written as autistic or ADHD at all, but something about them resonates deeply with neurodivergent viewers. It might be their outsider status, their unusual way of thinking, their moral clarity, or simply their eccentric brilliance.

Dan wrote one of our early reflections on Tim the Enchanter from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Tim appears on screen for only a few minutes, yet he makes a lasting impression. He is eccentric, slightly mysterious, and completely comfortable being different from everyone else in the story. Dan has always been drawn to characters like that, what he called the outliers, the sages, the unexpected guides who appear briefly but leave a memorable mark.

These episodes explore that phenomenon. Why do certain characters capture the imagination of neurodivergent viewers? What qualities make them feel relatable or meaningful?

Case Type 4: Film as a Teaching Tool

Finally, some episodes will use film scenes as a way to explain real neurodivergent experiences.

Movies often provide vivid metaphors that help people understand complex internal experiences. A scene may illustrate masking, sensory overload, emotional processing, or the longing to belong in ways that are easier to grasp than a clinical explanation.

One of our contributors, Cinema Agent Walker, recently wrote a piece using imagery from The Water of Life to describe the experience of unmasking—what it feels like when someone begins to live more authentically after years of trying to fit expectations that were never designed for them. Stories like that show how film can move beyond entertainment and become something closer to what we might call “edutainment.”

These episodes will blend storytelling with reflection, helping viewers better understand the neurodivergent world through the lens of cinema.

At its heart, Holmes’ Cinema Clues is about curiosity. It is about paying attention to the stories we love and asking what they might reveal about how we see the world and how we see each other. Sometimes the clues will lead to laughter. Sometimes to insight. Occasionally to a spirited debate about whether the writers really understood the character they created.

The show officially launched on May 1, 2026, at 8:00 PM Eastern on YouTube, and we would love for you to be part of it. If the idea of exploring film through the lens of neurodiversity intrigues you, we hope you will watch, share the show with friends, and help us get this project off the ground.

Stories have always helped people understand one another. Our hope is that Holmes’ Cinema Clues will give us a new way to follow those clues together. Go ahead and subscribe on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@HolmesCinemaCluesAutisminMedia