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“I Am Not Okay With This” benefits from understanding the normalcy of weird, but its story, which sometimes drags, keeps it from being as good as its potential.
| Network | Netflix |
| Creator(s) | Jonathan Entwistle, Christy Hall |
| Aired | 2/26/2020 |
| Genre(s) | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Young Adult |
| Noted Cast | |
| Sydney | Sophia Lillis |
| Maggie | Kathleen Rose Perkins |
| Liam | Aidan Wojtak-Hissong |
| Dina | Sofia Bryant |
| Stanley | Wyatt Oleff |
This content contains pertinent spoilers.
Season Plot Synopsis
17-year-old Sydney lives with her single mother, Maggie, and little brother Liam in a small town in Pennsylvania. One which is dull, but at the very least, Sydney has Dina and this guy who has a crush on her named Stanley. But, as Sydney begins to manifest powers, so comes the questions of why are they manifesting, are they genetic, and how to control them before someone gets hurt? Much less, before someone discovers Sydney has powers.
Highlights
Sophia Lillis
Let’s be upfront, we believe Lillis has the potential to be one of the biggest names of her generation and one of the reasons is due to her having a different look and vibe compared to most actresses. With respect to her youth, while you see and understand she is a young woman, you don’t get the same Disney or kid actor vibe you often get. Rather, and this could be due to the mature nature of past roles, you get someone who comes off less manufactured.
With that, Sydney isn’t a side-eye worthy teen. Yes, she is weird and is self-aware, and there are some cringy moments as she explored her sexuality. But, Lillis seems to be able to consistently find the heart of her characters quickly, and through making them seem normal, if just in their universe, she creates an attachment to you. One that, even when the show or movie isn’t at its best, she compensates greatly, such is the case for “I Am Not Okay With This.”
The Right Amount of Weird
I should note, it isn’t just Lillis who exhibits the right tone of weird or eccentric. Stanley, despite his enjoyment of being barefoot, and clearly living to the beat of his own drum (look at his style) is allowed the same ability to be his own person without it venturing to being a joke. I’d even add in Liam to that, since he comes off as a sweet kid, but not necessarily a basic, throwaway character, that would enable us to see Sydney’s soft side.
You’ll Get Invested In Characters Beyond Sydney
Piggybacking off that last statement, as we see Liam bullied, learn of Stanley’s home life, and see the back and forth between Maggie and Sydney, you come to realize that while Lillis is the star, the show isn’t solely going to invest in her. Mind you, some characters, like Dina, don’t necessarily evolve. However, there are times, with Stanley specifically, you can almost see him wrestling away from Sydney a lot of your love and attention.
On The Fence
The Teen Drama
Pretty much, anything involving Dina, including how she plays a role in Sydney’s sexuality, is very iffy. I’d even say, at times, is a blemish on the show since Dina doesn’t get the same allowance to be beyond your usual teen archetypes. In fact, that is the foundation of her character! But the issue is, Dina is never built up beyond that foundation. Making it so Sydney is a crutch for that character, and even with an individual storyline, Dina never comes into her own.
It’s Lukewarm Ending
One of the main issues, beyond Dina, with “I Am Not Okay With This,” is that it has a rather dull story. Sydney’s powers, despite how destructive they are, only hurt the character who came off villainous. The love story she has, be it with Stanley or Dina, is done in such a way that you can tell everything was done so that neither could be sensationalized or made into a big deal.
Thus, what we’re left with is a show which often relied on the charisma of the actors for it was sanitized. Which it tries to compensate with by leaving a grand impression through a shadowy figure and violent death. The problem is, you almost are given the vibe that the killing was a desperate move, and the show should have had additional episodes to build up whatever that ghostly figure was.
Overall
Review Summary: One and Done
Rating: Positive (Watch This)
Unfortunately, 4 months after the “I’m Not Okay With This” ended its first season, we still haven’t gotten a renewal notice. Which to a certain degree, we understand for the reasons above. Yes, it does a lot right when it comes to its characters, but the story was boring, and the ending didn’t necessarily compensate for that. However, this still is being noted as something to watch for it is the rare example of making kids weird, and awkward, without bringing it to a point where they seem maladjusted. If not weird to the point of being strange or caricatures.
Season 2 of Netflix’s I Am Not Okay With This
Has Another Season Been Confirmed: Unknown
What We’d Like To See From The Next Season?
- Dina either beefed up as a character or written off
- The ghostly figured being looked into
- Understanding what her father went to further, beyond Maggie’s understanding
How To Watch
TV Shows We’re Covering This Season
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