Among new shows streaming this weekend is Season 2 of the U.S. version of Love On The Spectrum. After the series that challenges stereotypes about the Autism community stole our hearts in 2022, the docu-dating show is back with familiar faces (as we hoped would happen after the Season 1 ending) and new faces as well, going on dates in an effort to find their special someone. When CinemaBlend spoke to Love on the Spectrum’s creators, they shared how the power of social media impacted the new season.
As many of us know through our own experiences, being on social media has its pluses and minuses that we navigate. Since starring in Season 1 of Love On The Spectrum, some of the participants have seen growth in their own social media followings and greater recognition in the world. And in Season 2, the effect of this is shown head-on when James goes on a date with a fan of the show. While talking to Cian O’Clery, the co-creator of Love On The Spectrum, he told us this:
People reached out to him and people wanted to kind of meet him and I thought that was just really interesting to follow that and to tell that story truthfully, because yeah, that's what's been going on. People on other dating shows probably get [attention], but it's probably a much different world and there's probably a different way that they might experience things… It was kind of nice to show.
As O’Clery shared, since the release of Season 1, James has been navigating social media fame, which includes some people sliding into his DMs asking to meet him. As you watch Season 2 of Love On The Spectrum, one of his dates is the result of this. Co-creator Karina Holden added that doesn’t mean she didn’t go through the usual channels the show puts in place behind the scenes. As Holden shared:
If people had reached out and expressed interest in people that we knew were coming back then we were open to that, but as always, we still need to go through our processes and make sure that everything's safe and we are vetting people and we're not creating conflict in their lives and that they're genuine potential matches and everything. And so, we still have to manage things to a certain extent for people to keep them safe. It's part of the reason that it's such a successful program for people to be able to go on and date is because we are there to support them and make sure that they've got their fairy godmother in Cian on set with their best interests at heart to make it a really positive experience for them.
Unlike many Netflix dating shows one can stream with a Netflix subscription, the creators of Love on the Spectrum are anti-drama when it comes to setting up its participants with dates. While the series decided to lean into how social media has affected its participants, it becomes another avenue of opportunity for James (and other people on the show) to take a chance on love and see how things shake out. As O’Clery continued:
I think it's really nice to be able to just tell the truth. James has kind of really enjoyed being on social media and having people kind of engaging with him. He has so much to say. I mean, his passion is just incredible for so many different things thatI encourage anyone to follow him on Instagram. It's so interesting. He's got a different topic he wants to talk about every day, and he just has so much passion for what he's thinking about and what he is interested in. And, I really admire him for that. I kind of wish I had that kind of passion for a lot of things.
As O’Clery recommends, you can check out James’ Instagram account, which has amassed a following of over 67k. The Love on the Spectrum star talks about everything from microplastics to his thoughts on Star Wars, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and more. Check out what’s in store for James and other returning participants like Dani, Steve, and Abbey with the latest season of Love On the Spectrum, which is now among the best shows to binge on the streaming service.
