i really like dtf st louis, but the way it handles ASL is really frustrating to me.
So for context: I'm a hearing ASL interpreter.
I found Harbour 's portrayal of an interpreter kind of insulting. The idea that someone who has been signing for a year would be interpreting on the news is absolutely ridiculous. In the US the standards arent the same everywhere, but you have to have some sort of degree and also be registered through the national association which means passing difficult tests. This isnt a profession you can just...jump into. To imply that you can become fluent in ASL AND develop interpreting skills in a year is...really insulting. It makes it seem like ASL is this shallow, easy to learn language. It is not. It is just as complicated to learn as any foreign language.
There is a prevailing cultural assumption that ASL is glorified miming, and interpreters are all family caregivers. We really are trying to prove our profession's legitimacy, so a story like this is aggravating.
The worst part is Harbour does sign like a 1st year student. It's cringey. I know I'm spoiled by the Russian in Heated Rivalry, but it's bad.
I can totally see how they could have approached this as he was going to school *to become* an interpreter. It would account for Harbour's poor skills. It would allow sign to be shown in a more respectful lens. It would also make Carol more sympathetic to the audience, because they would see more of her struggling to help him get through school again