Jonathan Entwistle’s I Am Not Okay With This premiered on Netflix in February 2020, just at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Based on Charles Forsman’s eponymous graphic novel, the series starred Sophia Lillis in the lead role, besides Wyatt Oleff, Sofia Bryant, Richard Ellis and more.
The seven-episode saw an awkward teen, Sydney Novak’s (played by Lillis) life play out as she comes to terms with her telekinetic powers while reeling from her father’s tragic suicide. Sydney learns to harness these unabated powers quickly to prevent causing further chaos.
It was quite popular among fans who agreed that the show managed to retain the spirit of the comic, especially with Lillis’ engrossing performance. The show was a tender commentary on grief, rejection and young love while incorporating the elements of humour and the supernatural, much to the delight of the graphic novel enthusiasts.
The series finale ended on a cliffhanger with Sydney rushing out of her homecoming dance to confront her stalker. Season two would most likely focus on her discovering various truths about her father while facing the after-effects of various other loose ends in season one.
While fans were waiting with bated breath to find out more about Novak’s life, Netflix shortly announced that the show would not be renewed for a second season, much to the chagrin of fans. They even denied Entwistle from directing a recut of the finale to provide the fans with closure.
Entwistle admitted that although the show was not supposed to be a long-haul, he had definitely envisioned more than seven episodes to explore Sydney’s story.
Then what is the real reason for the streaming platform to cancel a show that was performing moderately well?
The show premiered at the pandemic’s commencement, which led to a sharp increase in production costs. Acquiring necessary protection, equipment, testing, and possible rescheduling can make the costs rise to nearly $10 million, which was way more than the revenue profits earned by the show. Sometimes, it is just as simple as that.
While as fans we are disappointed, we sincerely hope the show will be resuscitated by the streaming giant sometime soon.
