THE HEALING POWERS OF DUDE: NETFLIX 8 Episodes: Middle school is tough enough as it is and having a social anxiety disorder further complicates 11 year old Noah Ferris' life who's been home schooled up till now. Dude, who failed to make the grade at service dog school is now Noah's support dog and as such, is allowed to accompany Noah to school, much to the dissatisfaction of the school principal, who besides being somewhat of a dick to begin with, is also a cat person who has it out for Dude and he becomes Noah's nemesis, sort of like the Jane Lynch character from Glee. Dude is a bit of a scamp and we're given privy to his thoughts via voice over and the little fella is really trying his best, he just isn't very good at it. Giving all their support to Noah is Mom, Dad, kid sister, and a couple of 'outsider' kids he meets on the first day of school. Even tho the kids have short resumes, you'd never know it because they turn in very credible and funny performances with great comic timing. Through some very clever special effects, we get to see and hear what's really going on in Noah's mind, allowing us to experience what he's feeling in stressful moments. I have inside info that the show is based on real characters. It reminds me of The Wonder Years and is a show for the whole family. It's heartwarming, with smart dialogue and delightful characters. Score: 9. Watch it! ... even if you don't have kids.
In the spirit of transparency, I may be only a little biased, because Noah's sister, Embry is played by my granddaughter, Laurel Emory. 1/18/20
