An autistic woman uses her uncanny ability to connect dots others miss to help a police detective solve tough cases in Patience
Investigators solve crimes by putting together the jigsaw puzzle of a case one piece at a time. A fresh perspective can put new pieces in the pile that make the outcome appear in a completely different way. In Patience, a new crime drama premiering this week, that alternative point of view is exactly what the Yorkshire police are about to get.
The joint British-Belgian detective series (adapted from a French series, Astrid et Raphaelle), stars Ella Maisy Purvis (A Kind of Spark) as Patience Evans, an autistic woman who works in the city of York’s criminal records office as an archivist. Deep in records work, Patience is far from the investigative action that makes up DI Bea Metcalf’s (Laura Fraser, Crime) daily grind.
When Patience and Bea’s paths cross, it becomes clear to Bea that the archivist has a real gift — not for sorting through paperwork, but for connecting the threads of serial criminals’ offences going under the radar in York. Bea is eager to use Patience’s knack for seeing a bigger picture to solve nagging cases on her desk as much as she is motivated to push Patience to not waste her potential.
While Bea’s confidence in her abilities is inspiring, the change to routine could have consequences for Patience, as being thrust into an entirely new environment could be destabilizing for her, even though she is theoretically in her element as a sidekick to DI Metcalf. “The only things that really interest me are forensics and criminology,” Patience tells Bea over lunch.
Out in the field, Bea and Patience form a strong partnership, bonding over their shared fixation with leaving no mystery unsolved. However, as Patience’s new work forces her to confront her difficult past and share more about her childhood with Bea, the self-taught detective may find herself out too far in the deep end of York’s criminal underworld.
Neurodivergent herself, Purvis told The Hollywood Reporter why she feels Patience represents a more realistic characterization of autism than how it has previously been depicted onscreen. “I think there are a lot of misconceptions that autistic people are apathetic, whereas we see in the show that Patience cares so deeply about things,” she said. “I think I’m more obsessive than determined. But I certainly share that [passion]. Patience is so internal and very calculated, while I often don’t know what I’m going to say next.”
Purvis also revealed that her own neurodivergence resulted in producers utilizing her as a resource to increase authenticity. “There were conversations every day,” she explained. “It wasn’t this one massive meeting about what I thought and what could I do. It was just little changes to the language or little extra little add-ons. Matt [Baker], the writer, and I had a conversation, and there were little storylines that were added. It was really collaborative. They wanted my input on everything.” In that regard, some series have tended to portray autism as a sort of mental superpower — something that the creators of Patience decidedly tried to avoid. “It wouldn’t be realistic if she was like that,” Purvis added. “I mean, she does know all the answers, but she gets really overwhelmed because the world isn’t made for her, which I think a lot of people could relate to — autistic or not.”
Patience premieres Sunday, June 15 on PBS