I realize I’m probably not the earliest to the “I Am Not Okay With This” party, but I’ve been stuck at home for nearly a month and figured that I was better late than never. I was a bit hesitant to start this show because I’m not usually one for supernatural storylines, but it was truly the perfect distraction to everything going on in the world right now. Plus it only took around three hours to finish the series, so you don’t have to worry about digging yourself into a hole you can’t get out of. I’ll try to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible, but you might want to skip this story if you still haven’t watched it.

One of the best elements of this show is the addicting yet simple and easy-to-follow plot. “I Am Not Okay With This” is a coming-of-age story following Sydney Novak, an angsty teenage girl who is currently dealing with the loss of her father and bouts of uncontrollable anger that come out in the form of superpowers. It sounds complicated, but Sydney’s matter-of-fact narration of her innermost thoughts make it very effortless to understand. As mentioned before, I tend to shy away from paranormal storylines because I find them cringe-worthy, but Sydney’s powers are exclusively used on pure accident at the most unexpected and inconvenient times, which made me feel intrigued rather than uncomfortable. Her handling of her newfound abilities is strangely realistic, or at least as realistic a show like this can get. Besides, the supernatural aspect of “I Am Not Okay With This” seems almost minuscule in comparison to Sydney’s other problems. After her best friend Dina gets a crude football-star boyfriend, Sydney decides it wouldn’t hurt to branch out and meet new people. She finds a friend in her quirky off-the-wall neighbor Stanley Barber and (unintentionally) lets him in on her biggest secret; she has telekinetic powers. But this only excites Stanley because he likes her, in a very obvious, slightly overbearing but sweet, non-platonic way. She tries to reciprocate these feelings, but over time it becomes clear the real person she wants to be with is Dina. I thought the show was going for a theme of unrequited love, so a certain confession from one of the characters in the last episode threw me for a loop. I liked the unexpected turn of events, but the audience isn’t given much time to enjoy it. All of Sydney’s secrets and suppressed anger come to an explosive head in the season’s final moments, literally and figuratively. It’s clear that Sydney’s superpowers will play a much bigger role in the show’s next season, and I’m very curious to see exactly how it will all play out.

Another part of the show that made me fall in love with it was the perfect mix of endearing and painfully revolting characters. Let’s start with Sydney. Her comical outbursts, insufferable angst, and true vibrant personality that only shines through in the company of three other people make her impossible not to root for. However, the confusion she constantly battles due to her dad’s death, new supernatural powers, and complicated emotions make her quite selfish at times. Usually this could all be forgotten about, but the characters her actions affect most are so likable that you can’t help but want to yell through the screen to get her to calm down. One of these likeable characters is Liam, Sydney’s little brother. He’s sweet, funny, and has to take care of himself a little too much for someone his age. His bond with Sydney is probably the first glimpse the audience sees that reveals she can actually be selfless. The opposite of selflessness, however, is Brad Lewis, Dina’s boyfriend and the villain of the series. He’s disrespectful, deceitful, and makes Sydney feel uncomfortable, which automatically turns the audience against him. He seems like a rather minor addition to the show, but he’s a big part of the last episode and serves as a huge turning point for the entire plot. He’s very annoying, but ties “I Am Not Okay With This” together. And last but not certainly not least, let’s discuss Stanley Barber, the most loveable character of the show and possibly any show that’s existed ever. His awkward charm, accidental humor, and unabashed dedication to making Sydney’s life easier automatically make him the sweetest and most unrealistic expectation of a person to ever visit my television screen. Despite being abused by his father, he remains the show’s biggest source of positivity and example of individualism. He’s so understanding of Sydney’s mood swings and never holds them against her, even when you almost wish he would. Overall, the characters added such a personal element to the plot. I enjoy and appreciate that the first season leaves room for development, because just like real people, they’re not perfect (except for Stanley, who is indeed, perfect).

The last and final component that knocks the series out of the park is quite simple: its style. I guess I missed the part of the trailer and promotional posters that revealed the show is from the directors of another Netflix original I can’t name right now (hint: something about James, Alyssa, and the world ending), but it didn’t take me long to figure this fact out for myself. Every single directorial choice from “I Am Not Okay With This” screamed TEOTFW, and as someone who’s obsessively watched TEOTFW three times over, this detail alone made me fall in love with it. Not to mention the writing in the series was so matter-of-fact and real that I actually felt like a world of telekinetic powers is not that far off from the one I already live in. It’s nice to watch television programs that stimulate the brain and promote critical thinking, but what I love about IANOWT and TEOTFW is that they found an approach to deal with real-life issues in a way that’s not exhaustingly complicated. From the one-second flashbacks and climactic instrumentals to the sobering narrations and 80’s inspired set design, “I Am Not Okay With This” nails the visually and audibly pleasing aspects many other shows neglect.

All in all, “I Am Not Okay With This” was a fun and fast watch that left me longing for more. If you have a few hours to spare (and let’s be honest, we all know you do) just give in and start the first episode already.