I Am Okay With This: A review of Netflix’s original series, “I Am Not Okay With This”

The breakdown of Netflix originals is simple — they’re either a huge hit or an embarrassing miss. “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before”? Big miss. Way too cheesy. But “Stranger Things”? 100% hit — it baffles me how I lived my life before watching it.

So when “I am Not Okay with This” was advertised on my Netflix homepage, I was skeptical as the series’ title didn’t offer much description.

“Dear Diary” were the first words I heard after clicking play. Complete cringe and disappointment fell over me as I realized this show would be like all the other Netflix original flops — coming of age films with a quirky main character who doesn’t “fit in.”

But my worries soon melted as Sydney, the main character, went on to explain how she was a simple girl like everybody else — ironically as “I’m Not Like Everybody Else” by the Kinks played. 

That statement was soon revoked when it was revealed she could do things with her mind, like accidentally killing her little brother’s pet hedgehog. This development was far-fetched enough to work, and it led to an interesting plot line for the rest of the seven 20-something minute episodes. And to be honest, I wish the season consisted of 20, 40-minute-long episodes so my new-found favorite characters and developments had more screen time, but the short episodes guaranteed action-filled entertainment every time.

Life for Sydney now involved navigating her dysfunctional family, sexual orientation and super powers. 

Stanley Barber or “Stan” is the goofy, living-in-his-own-bubble, free of judgement, love interest of “Syd.” But he might not be the only one. Sydney is also in love with her best friend Dina, a feeling developed through her diary entries. Although, it seems these feelings are one-sided as Dina is overly concerned with her golden-boy, quarterback boyfriend. Sydney mentally battles with her inability to decide her feelings between both — torn between the familiar friendship Dina offers and the new, exciting adventures Stanley brings. 

And on top of juggling her telepathic powers, Sydney is left to look after her younger brother due to her mom’s hectic work schedule and her absent dad who committed suicide nine months before the show picks up.

Maybe the superpowers aren’t too relatable, but the trauma each family member is left to deal with, shown through Sydney’s perspective and voice-over, and the struggles of their family dynamic creates a sense of connection between the show and the audience by showing the relatable internal and external struggles the characters face.

We later find out the reason her father committed suicide, and this only leaves Sydney with more mind-spiraling confusion. After finding this out, she is left struggling, trying to decide if she should just give into the darkness like her father as well. This relates to many more people than just those with super powers, as it symbolizes genetic mental illnesses or diseases that run in families, leaving children left to worry if they will end up the same way.

Sydney always seemed to have a stronger connection with her father — choosing him over her mother — which creates the all-too familiar mother-daughter tension.

Despite the dark elements of reality the show brings, it’s equally balanced with light-hearted adolescent experiences like normal teenage parties and after-school hangouts at diners. 

Although it’s never formally revealed, the show likely takes place in or is inspired by the 1980s brought on by the use of VHS tapes, vintage styles and vinyls. Normally, I would think that this setting is overused, but the aesthetic works really well with the cinematography, such as the town’s scenery and establishment shots. 

The soundtrack consists of totally rad bands like the Pixies, Prefab Sprout, Roxy Music and Paul Young. The music perfectly reflects the time setting and overall theme of the show — it puts you in the 80s in a small town in Pennsylvania with “Syd” and “Stan.”

And I was impressed — the creators came up with an entirely new band solely for the show. Bloodwitch is introduced in the first episode, as a conversation and bonding piece for “Syd” and “Stan.” But this band only has one album, and it was composed by Graham Coxon — who also wrote the music for Netflix’s “The End Of The F*cking World.”

A second season has not been confirmed, but it should be expected because the fans, including myself, are holding out for Sydney — the cliff hanger, abrupt ending wasn’t sufficient.