# Recommendations for Movies/TV with a "Data"-like character **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 9, 2017, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-movies-tv-with-a-data-like-character/801157 "2017-11-09T22:52:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2017, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-movies-tv-with-a-data-like-character/801157/1 "2017-11-09T22:52:27Z")
My son is autistic. It occurred to me the other day, while pondering some of his struggles understanding the emotional state of others, and why other people do things, that there are some relevant characters in the movies and tv that he might connect with. For example, I thought of Data in ST:TNG. He’s somewhat reserved in delivery. He needs help interpreting human activity or interactions. He wants to learn about and be more integrated with others around him. I’d like to ask for Doper help in finding other examples of this type that I could watch with my son. The idea is that we could watch an episode and then discuss what happened. Did “Data” (or other character) understand that the Captain was upset? Why did Data think he was upset (what indicators were present)? Did Data do anything differently to help the Captain? Did Data learn anything? What would you have done? That sort of thing. If you know of any movies or tv shows that have a different or isolated or non-human character, who learns about the larger group and becomes part of the team despite his or her differences, please let me know. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2017, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-movies-tv-with-a-data-like-character/801157/2 "2017-11-09T23:00:23Z")
How about a webcomic? [Wapsi Square](http://wapsisquare.com/) has added a main character who struggles with understanding the emotional state of others, and why other people do things, partly because she has serious trouble with reading other people’s faces. Her name is Atsali and she’s introduced [here](http://wapsisquare.com/comic/fellow-explorer/). ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2017, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-movies-tv-with-a-data-like-character/801157/3 "2017-11-09T23:01:45Z")
Maybe a terrible idea, but K2SO from Star Wars Rogue One popped into my head. He’s obviously different, speaks very bluntly (usually it’s for comedic purposes, which may not be ideal), but is a part of the team and is my favorite character from the film. There’s a big issue though with the ending of the film, which I don’t want to spoil. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2017, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-movies-tv-with-a-data-like-character/801157/4 "2017-11-09T23:24:48Z")
Classic Britcom [My Hero](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Hero_(UK_TV_series)) is about an alien superhero who has serious trouble with understanding humans. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2017, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-movies-tv-with-a-data-like-character/801157/5 "2017-11-09T23:32:34Z")
Farkle from the TV show Girl Meets World has at least one episode about a potential autism diagnosis. It’s a kids show though so his autism is still hella extroverted by real life standards. [Drax from Guardians of the Galaxy](http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/guardians-hero-drax-resonates-autism-community/story?id=47283398) is another character I’ve heard is relatable to people with autism. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2017, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-movies-tv-with-a-data-like-character/801157/6 "2017-11-09T23:34:12Z")
**Dark Matter** , which I believe is currently on Netflix. One of the main characters is an android that is “defective” due to her interest in humans and their behavior. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2017, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-movies-tv-with-a-data-like-character/801157/7 "2017-11-09T23:49:10Z")
Jeff Bridges in Starman? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2017, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-movies-tv-with-a-data-like-character/801157/8 "2017-11-09T23:53:15Z")
Are plays on the table? Because Ariel from _The Tempest_ gives me a lot of that same sort of vibe. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-movies-tv-with-a-data-like-character/801157/9 "2017-11-10T00:28:50Z")
“The Questor Tapes” is a golden oldie from Roddenberry. The title character might be referred to as “Data Mark 1.” ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-movies-tv-with-a-data-like-character/801157/10 "2017-11-10T00:32:02Z")
Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man is an autistic character: > **[Rain Man (1988) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095953/?ref_=nm_knf_i3)** > > Rain Man: Directed by Barry Levinson. With Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino, Gerald R. Molen. After a selfish L.A. yuppie learns his estranged father left a fortune to an autistic-savant brother in Ohio that he didn't know existed, he... Does anyone remember the movie well enough to know if that would be useful to the OP? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-movies-tv-with-a-data-like-character/801157/11 "2017-11-10T00:36:07Z")
The closest you could get would be the TV movie **The Questor Tapes** , which was intended as a pilot for a new series by Gene Roddenberry after _Star Trek_ ended, but it never took off. Questor was an android who was, like Data, struggling to become human. Robert Foxworth played him. It co-starred a pre-_M_A_S_H\* Mike Farrell, and featured a pre-\*Animal House \* John Vernon. Worth a look > **[The Questor Tapes (TV Movie 1974) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070585/)** > > The Questor Tapes: Directed by Richard A. Colla. With Robert Foxworth, Mike Farrell, John Vernon, Lew Ayres. Project Questor is the brainchild of the genius Dr. Vaslovik, who developed plans to build an android super-human. Although he has... > **[The Questor Tapes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Questor_Tapes)** > > The Questor Tapes is a 1974 American made-for-television sci-fi drama film about an android (portrayed by Robert Foxworth) with incomplete memory tapes who is searching for his creator and his purpose. Conceived by Gene Roddenberry, who is credited as executive consultant, the script is credited to Roddenberry and fellow Star Trek alumnus Gene L. Coon. The pilot was directed by Richard Colla. > A novelization, written by D. C. Fontana (another Star Trek alumnus), was dedicated to Coon, who died be... It’s available on Amazon > **[Amazon.com: The Questor Tapes : Richard A. Colla, Robert Foxworth: Movies &...](https://www.amazon.com/Questor-Tapes-Robert-Foxworth/dp/B009AGEZ8S)** > > When sold by Amazon.com, this product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.This product is expected to play back in DVD Video "play only" devices, and may not play in other DVD... You might also consider the _Outer Limits_ episode “I, Robot”, based on the Eando Binder story (Not Asimov’s – his publishers stole the title) from 1939 > **[I, Robot (short story)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I,_Robot_(short_story))** > > "I, Robot" is a science fiction short story by Eando Binder (nom de plume for Earl and Otto Binder), part of a series about a robot named Adam Link. It was published in the January 1939 issue of Amazing Stories.\[citation needed\] > The story is about a robot's confession. Some weeks earlier, its builder, Dr. Charles Link, built it in the basement. Link teaches his robot to walk, talk and behave civilly. Link's housekeeper sees the robot just enough to be horrified by it, but his dog is totally loya... Outer Limits did it twice – once in 1964, and they remade it in 19895. Both versions feature Leonard Nimoy (in different roles, and not as the robot). It’s about the trial of the robot Adam Link for killing his creator. It’s available on DVD, too. > **[I, Robot (1964 The Outer Limits)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I,_Robot_(1964_The_Outer_Limits))** > > "I, Robot" is an episode of the original The Outer Limits television show. It first aired on 14 November 1964, during the second season. It was remade under the same title in 1995. Leonard Nimoy appeared in both versions. > God looked upon his world and called it good, but Man was not content. He looked for ways to make it better and built machines to do the work. But in vain we build the world, unless the builder also grows. Defence attorney Thurman Cutler is coaxed out of retirement to take the ... > **[List of The Outer Limits (1995 TV series) episodes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I,_Robot_(1995_The_Outer_Limits))** > > This page is a list of the episodes of The Outer Limits, a 1995 science fiction/dark fantasy television series. The series was broadcast on Showtime from 1995 to 2000, and on the Sci Fi channel in its final year (2001–2002). > Dr. Simon Kress's (Beau Bridges) research for the government on Martian life is aborted because one of his specimens almost escapes into the natural environment. However, Kress does not agree with the abandonment of the project and decides to continue his experiments in hi... ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-movies-tv-with-a-data-like-character/801157/12 "2017-11-10T00:44:43Z")
The British show [HUM∀NS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humans_(TV_series)) is full of characters like that, but it’s a bit racy at times with “adult themes”. You might watch it yourself first and select episodes. I saw the whole first series and thought it was quite good. There’s this whole interesting dynamic when an “Artificial Human” Domestic Maid enters the life of an upper middle class family. It starts to get weird and mystical towards the end, and it sort of when too far in that direction in the 2nd season and I gave up. But I bet there are at least 5 or 6 episodes from Season 1 that would work. I highly recommend it. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-movies-tv-with-a-data-like-character/801157/13 "2017-11-10T00:51:30Z")
The Orville has an artificial being who is part of the crew in order to study biological beings. The drawbacks are the show has some adult themes and humor and that character so far is pretty minor. There has so far been one episode that featured him. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-movies-tv-with-a-data-like-character/801157/14 "2017-11-10T01:50:16Z")
Very cool! Thank you for the recommendations. These look really good. I hadn’t thought of webcomics. Wapsi Square sounds interesting. I thought of _Galaxy Quest_, maybe, the Dr. Lazarus character might fit. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-movies-tv-with-a-data-like-character/801157/15 "2017-11-10T02:13:13Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man is an autistic character: > [Rain Man (1988) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095953/?ref_=nm_knf_i3) > > Does anyone remember the movie well enough to know if that would be useful to the OP? Sure. Because Rain Man has a pretty decent relationship with his brother, or step brother (Tom Cruise). ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-movies-tv-with-a-data-like-character/801157/16 "2017-11-10T02:53:12Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > I thought of _Galaxy Quest_, maybe, the Dr. Lazarus character might fit. The Thermians certainly should. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-movies-tv-with-a-data-like-character/801157/17 "2017-11-10T03:12:39Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > Wapsi Square sounds interesting. Some good things going on in that comic. Atsali only 15 there so should be a bit familiar to your son. There’s been at least one time skip in the past four years and Atsali is a freshman in college now. Just read ahead before showing strips to him. Going forward a few days to the flashback reminded me that the author has the very occasional bit of graphic violence. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-movies-tv-with-a-data-like-character/801157/18 "2017-11-10T05:37:50Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > How about a webcomic? [Wapsi Square](http://wapsisquare.com/) has added a main character who struggles with understanding the emotional state of others, and why other people do things, partly because she has serious trouble with reading other people’s faces. Her name is Atsali and she’s introduced [here](http://wapsisquare.com/comic/fellow-explorer/). Questionable Content has introduced a supporting character, Brun, who is like this. Her first appearance is [Questionable Content](http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3210) One issue is that the strip’s creator juggles a lot of characters in the strip. So you go months (or even years) without seeing a strip with Brun in it. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-movies-tv-with-a-data-like-character/801157/19 "2017-11-10T06:00:41Z")
I’ve heard that the big guy from \*\*Guardians of the Galaxy \*\*(sorry, don’t know character names) has pinged on the identification-meter with autistic kids. Maybe try him on some of Gary Numan’s early music? Try starting out with _Cars_ and _Are ‘Friends’ Electric?_, with the lyrics printed out for him to read along? ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-movies-tv-with-a-data-like-character/801157/20 "2017-11-10T06:14:43Z")
I think it’s Drax from GotG. I’m wondering if Rocket might also work. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-movies-tv-with-a-data-like-character/801157.md?page=2)