Starring: Sophia Lillis, Wyatt Oleff, Sophia Bryant and more.
Like most teenage dramedies, this Netflix original show comments on many of the scenarios that people deal with while they are growing up in high school. Unlike most other shows, this teenager has a dangerous force that she is also dealing with. Syd (Sophia Lillis) is someone with newly discovered “powers,” but she is not yet sure if she is a hero, or a villain.
TV Show Talk:
I Am Not Okay with This (2020) Season 1 is full of jokes, awkward moments and gory punch lines. My favorite characters are Stan (Wyatt Oleff) and Syd’s brother. These two characters are responsible for much of the comedic relief in the episodes. Stan is a weird dude, he runs to the beat of his own drum, even if others disapprove of him. He has a complicated relationship with his father, wears Harry Styles-inspired clothes and drives a car that barely runs. I wish I had someone like him in my classes when I was in high school, I think I would have been able to learn a lot from him.
Syd’s brother acts in juxtaposition to Syd. He almost acts older than she does because of how he reacts to situations. His kind and calm demeanor adds much needed relief to the show.
All of the episodes end in a cliff-hanger that make the viewer want to immediately watch the next episode. Because of this, I watched the whole Season in one sitting. This is why I rarely start watching TV shows, because I just watch all of the episodes at once. The ending episode was most jarring. Wow, it still leaves an image in the back of my mind. Gory for sure, and shocking. Now, what will happen next?
What to think about:
While I watched this show, I thought about what I was dealing with while I was in high school. I can relate to much of the show, but also cannot relate to other parts, maybe because I blocked those moments out of my mind. Either way, I think this show would be interesting for a high schooler to watch, because I think it mirrors many realistic scenarios.
One of the most significant things I thought about this show is how Syd’s “powers” could be a metaphor for mental illness. In the show, her powers were given to her by her father, who had a very sad ending. I am not sure if the creator’s of this show meant for this to be a metaphor, but I found it thought-provoking. If you pay attention to how Syd’s powers distance her from her friends and family, I think this can be related back to mental illness. What do you think?
Watch this show: 6.5/10
I gave this show this rating because it is not really for me. I thought it was well-done for what it was, but it is not a show I would typically watch. I think the majority of the audience would be high schoolers, and I am way out of high school now. Some jokes felt too forced, almost as if the writers were trying a little too hard to be relatable and modernly funny. That being said, if I was a high schooler, I would probably give this an 8. I appreciate the dark humor, the great acting and some plot twists, I just think I am not the key demographic.
Will I be watching the next season? Probably yes. One of my favorite things about this show is that it is easy to watch. This means I can put it on while I am working on school work, or blog posts, and I can still keep up with what’s happening. It does not take deep concentration to understand, like shows like Mr. Robot do.
Overall, I think this show is pretty good, but I am not sure the average adult would want to watch it. I think this show is made for teenagers, and that is ok. I think many teens would enjoy this cool, new show. It is a dark and funny teenage dramedy, that rhymes?
You can find this Season on Netflix or read about it on IMDb.
Sentence Summary
When a teenage girl unknowingly discovers her powers, she tries to get them under control, but will her teenage angst turn her off course before she can learn to control herself?
Thank you for reading my thoughts, have a fantastic day!
Arianna 🙂
P.S.
I did not really like how much of this story is told through voice-overs. I thought that plot points could have been presented in a much more creative way. The writers could have given the audience clues to put together, instead of straight-up telling the audience. But, the voiceovers add to the show’s watchability. Without the voiceovers, the audience would need to pay more attention to put together the details, which could be a positive or a negative for some people. I think it would have been more suspenseful, mysterious and engaging with less voiceovers, but that is just my style. I like a good mystery.
Aloha Arianna 