Netflix released their version of the teenage superhero in the character Sydney from “I am Not Okay With This.” The show is firmly in the realms of teen-angst and superhero traditions. This series was released back in 2020 and gained a mass following. But recently there has been an uproar since the show has been canceled, and they are not airing a second season.
The series “I Am Not Okay With This” is an adaptation of a graphic novel created by Charles Forsman, “The End of the F***ing World” which was directed by Jonathan Enwistle. The main writer Christy Hall Entwistle is behind other Netflix adaptations such as the “End.”
The main character’s name is Sydney Novak, played by Sophia Lillis, and is a self described “boring 17-year-old white girl” that lives in the polluted town of Brownsville, PA. The show explores that confusing emotional and sexual feelings that all teenagers have. A gross patch of acne forms on her thigh, leading Sydney to get angry, and *spoiler* she can break things with her mind when she’s angry. “I Am Not Okay With This” has the advantage of taking each of Sydney’s transformations throughout this show equally seriously, which changes her as a character.
In the show, Sydney was given a dairy from the school counselor as a form of therapy for her anger issue due to her father’s recent suicide. She and her family live in a small town where she knows close to no one but her best friend Dina Sofia Bryant. Dina had recently started dating a “meathead jock” Brad, played by Richard Ellis. It’s a tale of adolescence in a time of danger. This show is not immune to the cliches of either which is why this show is so distinguished compared to others.
“I Am Not Okay With This” captured and charmed many hearts during the Covid pandemic. It ran for seven energetic episodes, each around 20 minutes long. The story has raging hormones and elemental force in a powerful, swift explosion. Sadly “I Am Not Okay With This” will not have another season, but if it is requested enough, Netflix could have a possibility of releasing a new season.
