The first season of The Healing Powers of Dude is about an 11-year-old boy named Noah (played by Jace Chapman) suffering from a social anxiety disorder and the one thing that could help him is a dog named Dude, who's trained to be a support therapy dog. After getting the dog, Noah makes new friends with Amara and Simon (played by Sophie Kim and Mauricio Lara). He even has a crush on a girl named Valerie (played by Gabrielle Quinn).
But he also deals with fun and supportive parents (played by Larisa Oleynik and Tom Evertt Scott) and a young but wise little sister in Embry. While anxiety is Noah's enemy, Dude has his own in the school's principal, who dislikes dogs and pulls off a sad, cruel, and yet exciting way for season two.
I very much enjoyed this first season, and while it has some goofy yet funny moments, the show has heart and inspiration and tackles mental health head-on in the rightful way of social anxiety. This ensemble cast is fantastic, and while Chapman steals the show, Kim and Lara give such an excellent performance as Noah's best friends, while Oleynik and Scott are amazing and hilarious. The writing was as good as it has some strong character growth.
While this show has heart and inspiration, it hits close to home for me as I, too, have a social anxiety disorder. Whether at school, family gatherings, or public places, I was the kind of person who shut down like a hermit crab, and while therapy support dogs weren't a thing, I had the one thing that had helped me, and that was television. Watching one episode of a comedy or a drama helped me calm down my nerves before going anywhere. I think this show is for parents to watch with their kids and not only watch but also teach. The show serves a great message, and I hope that the show gets another season.
You can catch the first season of The Healing Powers of Dude available on Netflix now.
