I know that a lot of people haven’t seen the show “I Am Not Okay With This” on Netflix. I don’t blame anyone. I think it’s a brilliant show, but Netflix didn’t push the show out as much. I haven’t really seen advertising for it, which is appalling to me. The show has an amazing cast, with actors such as Sofia Bryant, Wyatt Oleff, and Sophie Lillis. The set is super intriguing, and has plenty of things to make the show come to life.

But the setup of the show isn’t the entire reason I love this show. It’s a show about a teenager named Syd who struggles with her sexuality and relationships as she slowly realizes that she is falling in love with her best friend Dina. She has a strained relationship with her mother and struggles with anger issues. This may sound like a script for a regular coming-of-age drama, but there’s a twist to Syd’s situation. She realizes that she has some kind of superpower and can’t control it. It’s always when she feels her anger, fear, and embarrassment boil over to the point where she can’t contain it. Throughout the show, she hates having this power and never learns how to properly control it.

Even if the plot doesn’t sound appealing to you, the way that the script is written and performed makes the show more impactful and entertaining. The character development is well done, and the characters are easy to relate to. Not to mention the fact that Syd is queer, and the script does a wonderful job of portraying that. But, with such an intriguing plot and well-written script, why did the show get canceled?

The final episode ended on a major cliffhanger. So, of course, it made no sense to be canceled at such a pivotal part in the plot. Netflix has said that because of COVID-19, there was a smaller budget and they couldn’t continue making the show. However, the authors had already written season 2, and have asked Netflix to change the cliffhanger ending. They refused.

While COVID-19 is a valid reason, I have to wonder why the series didn’t get more backing. I think that Netflix should’ve funded season 2 instead of letting the show die. I would’ve even been okay if they decided to push the new season back a year! If “Stranger Things” can get pushed back for that long and still have a large fanbase, I think “I Am Not Okay With This” could get the same amount of viewers if it were advertised more.

All in all, I feel like we lost an important part of TV. With a good representation of queer people and an awesome storyline, I can’t believe it was basically deemed unworthy to be streamed anymore. Season 1 is still available to watch, but it feels empty without season 2. It deserves better.

Ian Stobaugh is a freshman German major. He can be contacted at 518-1812 or amstobaugh@eiu.edu.