Hello I am . Autistic and so is Nicholas Angel and I want to talk about it (again)
First of all, Nicholas' relationship to social interaction: the way he clearly just Doesn't Care when he's being shown around town / introduced to people; he was bullied in his childhood for holding other kids accountable to the rules; he likes his peace lily because "its needs are simple." Nicholas' character arc is really concerned with his relationships, from the 1-on-1 level (Janine, Danny) to larger groups (the police team).
In my opinion, this arc also revolves around the struggles associated with having a Strong Sense of Justice. One of many examples: Nicholas' first scene in the pub, when he feels so angry and uncomfortable knowing there are underage drinkers. Compare his expression to how RELAXED he looks after kicking the teens out.
Before my rewatch, I'd forgotten how emotional the movie has Nicholas be about his desire for order. He really be YELLING in so many scenes!! I LOVE IT. In my experience, it can be almost physically painful when you feel there's something Wrong and your sense of justice won't let you be at peace until you address it. I love the way Hot Fuzz handles this, because it treats Angel's pain as legitimate. One of the plots in the movie is Angel moving from an unhappy life to a happier one. These scenes include his frustrations with the enforcement of rules (ie the small stuff like shoplifting and underage drinking). These moments are just as important to his emotional arc as the ones relating to his breakup!
I guess this is why Nicholas is so precious to me as a character. Some autistic people might relate to the experience of getting labeled as boring, rigid, etc for expressing feelings related to a strong sense of justice. For me, getting emotional about rules has been part of the struggle to socialize / "fit in." It's really awesome to see Angel show real distress and anger about these things, and for the movie to take his feelings seriously.
Not only is his sense of justice legitimate, but it's capable of being a positive force --- it's what makes him the person who finally saves the town. It's nothing new to have the idealistic hero save the day, of course. But for me, it hits different when the movie pays so much attention to Nicholas' struggle to balance his social life with his morality. Hot Fuzz doesn't resolve this by saying Nicholas' desire for justice and order is '''naive''' or problematic. He has to develop a healthy way to live with it, yes, and doing so takes effort. However, he doesn't need to erase this part of his personality in order to have good relationships. Instead, his sense of justice becomes part of the fulfilling life he builds for himself in Sanford.
