The story on I Am Not Okay With This, centers around Sydney Novak's struggle with newfound superpowers. These powers both represent and trigger her anxiety. The series also shows viewers the importance of friendship, especially in an environment as tumultuous as high school.
The seventeen-year-old is also grieving her father, who recently committed suicide. In the second half of the season, Sydney makes some discoveries implying that she inherited these abilities from her father. She's also in love with her best friend, Dina, who's dating the jock of all jocks, Bradley.
MAKES NO SENSE: Dina's Relationship With Bradley
Dina is a lot of things, but stupid isn't one of them. She and Sydney usually agree, but for some reason, their opinions on Brad don't match up.
Clearly, Brad doesn't value Dina. He cheats on her and lies about it, even tries to turn her away from her best friend. What doesn't make sense is why Dina would involve herself with him in the first place, since she and Sydney are usually making fun of the jocks and "people with pep".
LOVE: Symbolism
Sydney's explosions of telekinesis - or whatever her power is - aren't random. They usually occur when some emotion triggers her, usually sadness, anger, anxiety, or a combination of all three.
The lack of control over her powers causes even more stress and anxiety, which is a little bit of a paradox. Even more confusing is that her powers represent the way her anxiety feels inside of her head. She feels like she wants to explode, and she really does. This series does a great job of portraying the way anxiety feels, and this symbolism is very age-appropriate for the character and viewers.
MAKES NO SENSE: Everything About Bradley
What is his deal? Nothing about Brad makes sense. Viewers don't know much about him other than what is shown on screen. He starts dating Dina and seems desperate to cling to their relationship, even though he obviously doesn't love her.
He's intensely anti-Sydney, but it's unclear why. Perhaps he's not used to people not liking him, or he feels that she might threaten his relationship with Dina. It also doesn't make sense why he would reveal Sydney's secrets in front of everyone at homecoming. If Sydney's anger hadn't exploded, most people probably wouldn't have believed Brad, or not cared.
LOVE: Sydney's Friendship With Dina And Stanley
These friendships aren't uncomplicated, but they are generally healthy. Stanley and Dina are much better friends to Sydney than she is to them, but the important thing is that they , care about, and are there for each other no matter what.
Having a female friendship at the forefront of the series is great, and so is showing viewers the flipside with Sydney and Stanley's friendship. Both of these relationships are underscored by romantic motivations, but in Stanley's case, Sydney makes it clear that she's not interested in him that way.
MAKES NO SENSE: Sydney's Anger
Her grief and anxiety make sense, but her anger at everyone around her doesn't. One theory could be that she doesn't know how to process her feelings, so she accidentally lashes out at everyone she loves.
Her feelings towards her mom can be justified - to an extent. Her feelings towards Stanley are unfounded. She barely knows him and she continually pushes him down while he's trying to help her. So, maybe not everything is so great about their friendship.
LOVE: Everything About Liam
Liam provides some much-needed light in the series. He's quirky, and the only character Sydney is never angry at. He makes an interesting pasta dish for Sydney when she doesn't feel like cooking, takes on the role of father when she and Dina are going to homecoming, and is generally a goofy guy.
Liam is the character who brings Sydney to her senses and calms her down. He'll keep her company when no one else will, and is oddly insightful.
MAKES NO SENSE: Maggie's Behavior
Sydney's mom Maggie is a complex character. The audience sees her mostly through Sydney's eyes, so it's hard to get a clear picture of her. She works hard to provide for her family, but she's rarely physically or emotionally present.
She hides the truth from Sydney about her father's suicide and his past before that, but when she does tell her, they become closer. Their resolution comes without any real conversation, apologies, or forgiveness - which both characters deserve and owe each other.
LOVE: Soundtrack And Nostalgia
The creators of I Am Not Okay With This are also part of the teams who developed Netflix. All three of these series have a distinct vibe, aesthetic, and nostalgic set and costume designs.
This nostalgia also bleeds into the soundtracks. For I Am Not Okay With This, a band called Bloodwitch was formed to give the series its own sound that channels the characters' personalities - Stanley is the biggest fan of Bloodwitch.
MAKES NO SENSE: Sydney's Power
If the series gets a second season, perhaps this will become clear, but for now, it makes no sense. Viewers don't even know what her power is. It's not exactly telekinesis, like Eleven's of Stranger Things. Sydney doesn't seem to have control over her power, yet at the end of the series, only Brad's head explodes.
Though the series implies her power is inherited from her father, this isn't confirmed. Finally, who is the mysterious shadowy figure stalking Sydney?
LOVE: Exploration Of Grief
The show offers a unique perspective on grief through three different characters' experiences with it. Sydney seems to have turned her grief into anger, which may be why she's seeing a counselor. However, it's unclear whether she has really processed her father's death, especially given the fact that it's never brought up in the family.
Maggie has withdrawn into herself, and Liam has tried to step up and fill the void his father left. The events of the series all stem from the grief and the gaping hole left in the family following Mr. Novak's suicide. And though it doesn't delve too deeply into the psychology of it, perhaps the series will explore the family's grief further if it gets a second season.