ABSTRACT
In the Swedish/Danish co-produced TV series Bron (The Bridge), Saga Norén, a Swedish policewoman, must work with a Danish policeman to solve a murder that took place on the bridge between the two countries. Norén demonstrates a social awkwardness that is seemingly located somewhere on the autism spectrum. She has difficulty understanding social codes and cannot read others’ feelings well. Furthermore, she also depends heavily on routines. The character’s social obliviousness creates comic relief in a way that does not demean Norén but in some cases reveals the futility or counterproductivity of social conventions. The authors conduct a narrative analysis of selected scenes using Propp’s concept of narrated roles and functions to analyze how Norén’s character causes social disturbance during her interactions with other characters. According to the authors, laughing at Saga helps the audience understand the peculiarities and assets of neurodivergence, and gives them a deeper appreciation of the possibilities and challenges that appear in the spaces in/between neurodiversity and neurotypical society. As such, The Bridge suggests the need for further investigations into the liminal space of mutual awareness and adaption, and for mutual appreciation of the power of the collaboration of diversity.
