Kriti Mehrotra
After more than a year’s wait, Netflix’s ‘Love on the Spectrum’ season 3 has finally debuted, giving us a truly heartwarming insight into what the dating world is like for people with autism. It even brings back some of the fan-favorite participants from previous installments, amongst whom is the empathetic, lovable, and outgoing Tanner Smith from Clemson, South Carolina. He admittedly did have some great dates in season 2 despite nothing eventually panning out in a romantic sense, yet things seemed different from the moment he came across Callie Truelove.
Tanner and Callie Gelled Like Two Peas in a Pod
While Tanner’s core preferences haven’t waivered in any capacity over the years, having experience in dating has helped him realize what kind of a person overall would be a good fit for him. He obviously wants someone caring, kind, and with a good personality, but he also believes that his ideal partner should be quite adventurous, extroverted as well as talkative — like him. The truth is the 25-year-old often finds himself filling up moments of quiet just to keep things from becoming awkward, so he desires someone with whom this silence doesn’t exist or isn’t long.
Unfortunately, his first blind date this time around was with someone opposite — Shyann, whose demure and quiet essence just didn’t vibe with him despite their having some common interests. So, at the end of the date, he put to use what he had previously learned from autism expert Jennifer Cook and candidly yet politely expressed that he didn’t see a romance between them but would like to remain friends. The fact he was being sincere just goes to show what a kind soul he has, which was further iterated during his conversation with his sister about physical intimacy and sensitive topic etiquette.
It was then that Tanner met Callie Truelove in a park for their first date, just for sparks to fly instantaneously with how their conversation flowed without a beat of silence or awkwardness. The fact she kept up with his speed and even contributed to the topics he brought up was a massive plus point, and so was the fact that they shared many of their special interests. Their easily being able to laugh and dance together also made it clear there was already something brewing between them, so neither shied away from admitting how much fun they were having. In the end, the duo happily walked away with plans to soon have a second date, which they did at Lake Keowee.
Tanner and Callie Remain in Touch Even Today
Tanner and Callie’s second date honestly solidified the fact they could be together in the long run if they so desired despite having their individual interests and passions, something the former didn’t even consider before. He actually learned that he and his date are quite different in some respects, but instead of letting it take over him like he usually would have, he openly discussed the idea of compromise with her. As if that’s not enough, apart from there being no real awkward silences between them, he could not stop complimenting her — he even went as far as to call her “smoking hot,” which left her giddy.
There were clear sparks between Tanner and Callie, but when he asked her if he could give her a kiss near the end of their date, she said yes, but on the cheek, only to then not mind holding hands with him. Therefore, with all this, as well as from what we can tell from their respective online presence as of writing, we believe that the duo has not yet been able to develop a purely romantic relationship. They seemingly do stay in touch to this day, though, which makes us believe that they are taking things slow and still just getting to know one another. Nevertheless, with the way they are both so considerate and genuine, we have hope that love might soon blossom between them. If it doesn’t, then, at the very least, it’s clear they will remain great friends.
Tanner and Callie Are Both Public Figures in Their Own Right
Ever since Tanner’s debut in season 2 of ‘Love on the Spectrum,’ he has been embracing the spotlight for good in every way imaginable. The Shepherd Hotel worker has actually evolved into a public speaker, too, and is embracing every opportunity that has been coming his way. He has most recently been associated with organizations like A Bridge to Achievement and Autism Strong Foundation. Whether it be creating social media content or agreeing to engagements to help raise awareness about people with autism, he has been doing it all in the past year. He recently even told Tudum, “I want people to know that autistic people are not always stuck being the same way. We grow and change just like everyone else.”
Coming to Callie, she is a force of nature herself. She actually has a rare genetic disorder called Williams Syndrome (WS), which causes her to have both physical and developmental challenges but also makes her very sociable. So, she has been embracing it and actually even traveled across the US to meet more people like her in 2022 to raise awareness about WB and show others that they are not alone. This has actually all been documented in a documentary film called ‘Truelove: The Film,’ which was released to the public in 2023. Since then, the dog mom has been continuing on her missing to spread happiness and joy, all the while still raising awareness about her disorder.
Read More: Pari and Tina: Is the Love on the Spectrum Couple Still Together?
