Talented child stars Sophia Lillis and Wyatt Oleff, the same creator as The End of the F***ing World and a Netflix deal. I Am Not Okay With This seemed a sure success, and did receive a positive reception – which makes its cancellation all the more frustrating.
The series follows Sydney Novak (Sophia Lillis), who is struggling with pent up rage from her father’s suicide, the hole it has left in her family, as well as coming to terms with her sexuality and feelings for her friend Dina (Sofia Bryant). This anger manifests into something physical, Syd discovering that she has a telekinetic superpower and is being followed by a mysterious shadowy figure. What ensues is a show full of angst but also levity, dealing with heavy topics but allowing for humour and heartfelt moments between some of our characters.
Then came the pandemic, and in August 2020 it was announced that I Am Not Okay With This would not return for a second season, as well as The Society which had previously announced the opposite. Netflix explained their reasoning behind this decision, citing covid as being to blame. However, this choice was met with substantial backlash and criticism, especially since I Am Not Okay With This had nowhere near completed its potential. Ending on a cliffhanger and leaving audiences eager to know who this figure was and what he wanted (was he to be Syd’s mentor?) now feels incomplete, especially since every character had so much more room to grow beyond the finale. What were going to be the repercussions of Syd’s powers and how would Dina come to terms with her feelings for Syd? So many questions will now remain unanswered.
Shows getting cancelled aren’t that newsworthy, even good ones, but what shocked so many was how this show had everything going for it: established actors, a creator from a previous successful show, a timeless style proven to be a popular aesthetic among teen shows and many more. Especially since Netflix has announced a reality show for Tik Tok stars, even the reasons behind its cancellation confuse and frustrate fans. Sadly, despite the backlash, I Am Not Okay With This remains a victim of circumstance, and there it will lay.
All episodes of I Am Not Okay With This are available on Netflix now. Watch the trailer below:
