I Am Not Okay With This

While the ‘80s-esque teen comedy outer shell is likely enough to attract plenty of casual viewers, what will keep people invested is how “I’m Not Okay With This” offers a poignant emotional heart and soul that isn’t found in most attempts at regurgitating the supernatural/coming of age formula.

As the show’s emotional swings match Syd’s various states, Lillis provides the necessary bridge between them. ... In the rare moments when Syd, Dina, and Stan get the chance to operate as a group, there’s a glimmer of what the show could be if it moves beyond these first seven chapters. Even when they’re split apart, “I Am Not Okay With This” exists in a comfortable cross-section of pace and scope that gives Syd’s story the breathing room it needs.

Being a teenager is pretty cliched, so it becomes more about the character work within that construct on a show like this one. “I Am Not Okay with This” works so well because of how deftly the creators and cast balance those character beats with a breakneck plot that unfolds in only about 140 minutes.

The seven episodes are lean and punchy, most coming in at just over 20 minutes, which allows the characters themselves to be illuminated. ... What feels so excitingly fresh about "I Am Not Okay With This" is that it actually takes time to explore the rage of adolescent girls.

As a coming-of-age dark teen comedy, I Am Not Okay with This totally works, delivering engaging characters, smart humor, and an immensely talented young cast. But as a coming-of-age dark comedy about a teenage girl with superpowers, it never fully finds its footing. ... Still, considering that I Am Not Okay with This hits far more often than it misses, if a clunky superpower plotline is what it takes to get me another season with these characters, then I guess I am okay with that after all.

The themes the series tackles aren't inherently novel or unique, and Sydney can be a frustrating heroine at times, but I'd argue that's the point and also why the show ultimately succeeds as a vehicle for teenage ennui.

“I Am Not Okay With This” may not surprise you much, but it has charm and voice to spare. And bucking the streaming-TV bloat trend, it runs seven energetic episodes of around twenty minutes apiece.

Whatever it takes to expand the world find some new, fun things for Lillis to do, let’s hope Entwistle and Hall lock it down and shake things up a bit more.

TEOTFW, in its first season at least, followed a clear story arc — teen psychopath discovers his humanity — while Not Okay waters down its bittersweet saga of loss and self-discovery with unnecessary supernatural hoo-hah. ... The It co-stars have a sweet and comfortable chemistry.

It’s at its best when the characters are hanging out, doing nothing, or struggling with feeling trapped or bottling up what they want to say to each other. It’s disappointing to see the first season wrap up with an apparent attempt to chase the shadow of Stranger Things, as its atmosphere and rich characters are what set this otherwise familiar story apart.

The true pleasure of the thing lies in Lillis’s wonderful performance, which manages to convey the depths and numbness of loss beneath the layers of more ordinary teenage fury and frustration all lying beneath the traditional pose of sardonic disaffection. ... There are snippets of Daria in there, Freaks and Geeks’ Lindsay (Stanley would fit in nicely with them, too), Janis from Mean Girls and Angela Chase, linchpin of the much-lamented My So-Called Life. And you might catch the occasional whiff of Heathers, too.

Brevity isn't always the strongest attribute of I Am Not Okay With This and my biggest complaint after watching this first season is that I wanted, or even needed, more — more seasons, but also more depth, more story and just a little more freshness.

In an alternate universe there’s a version of I Am Not Okay With This where the series was 12 episodes long rather than eight, where they had time to properly explore all the things going on in Sydney’s life and where a strong series builds up to a satisfying conclusion rather than suddenly getting really interesting around episode six. Instead, we have… this. And while I absolutely am okay with this, it’s only okay – and I’m very regretful that we didn’t get the brilliant show it could have been.

The new show, on the other hand, has barely gotten going when the finale ends, and its concluding chapter raises some intriguing questions for a potential sequel. Hopefully, a follow-up will offer a more robust story befitting the righteous anger of its heroine.

The plot and story are simple, linear, and more than a little familiar, but Lillis successfully carries this first season to its gory, suspenseful ending. Without her fresh spin on how a “superhero” should behave, the show falls flat in developing anything other than a predictable path to self-acceptance.

“Okay” suffers from the same bloat as far too many streaming shows; its 140 minutes contain at most 90 minutes worth of material. Which is too bad because Lillis is an oddly arresting actress and the use of super-powers as a metaphor for teen angst and raging hormones is at least time-tested.