Warning: Major SPOILERS ahead for I Am Not Okay with This season 1!
Netflix’s I Am Not Okay with This serves up a brilliantly enticing series debut, but it isn’t without several lingering questions. Season 1 of the Netflix series by Jonathan Entwistle & Christy Hall ends with a sizable cliffhanger. The coming-of-age tale is based on Charles Forsman’s comic book and stars Sophia Lillis in the lead role.
High school is difficult enough but throw in struggles with sexuality and the emergence of superpowers and Sydney Novak (Lillis) is anything but a typical teenager. I Am Not Okay with This follows Syd as she reels with the death of her father in the midst of her woes that range from ordinary to extraordinary. Despite having a best friend, Dina (Sofia Bryant), Syd relies on a new confidant in Stanley (Wyatt Oleff) while she learns about her capabilities and identity.
I Am Not Okay with This mixes a blend of humor to offset the emotional heaviness that otherwise weighs down Syd and the Novak family. Compared to Netflix standards for original series, the drama-comedy series is relatively short, coming in at a total of seven episodes that span a little over two hours. Despite the length, the show lays down an ample foundation for future installments. With the first season also came many unanswered questions that will hopefully be in focus of season 2.
Who Was The Shadow Figure At The End?
The biggest mystery surrounding I Am Not Okay with This season 1’s ending is the identity of the shadow figure that confronts Sydney after she kills Brad. Syd runs from the school and takes refuge at the tower before she is approached by the unidentified figure. It’s established earlier in the season that she’s being followed. Though it seems that the man would turn out to be her father, that’s not the case. Syd immediately asks the man who he is and whether or not she should be afraid. He reassures her that “they should be afraid” and then follows up with “let’s begin.” The identity of this figure and how he learned of Syd’s powers will be a major focus of season 2.
What Does The Man Want With Sydney?
Now that the man makes himself known rather than strictly following Syd, the question about his intentions also arises in I Am Not Okay with This. This shape-shifting figure kept track of Mr. Novak as proven by his paranoia that he was being followed prior to his suicide. Somehow, this person found Syd but it’s still unclear what he wants with her and her powers. It’s possible that he’s willing to help her learn about her abilities and help her control them. Conversely, he may want Syd to use her telekinetic powers as a weapon, connecting to his line about other people being afraid of her. If this is the case, will Syd willingly seek help from this person?
What Else Caused Sydney’s Father To Kill Himself?
Throughout I Am Not Okay with This season 1, viewers learn that Mr. Novak suffered from PTSD which presumably led to his suicide. While serving in the military, he was the lone survivor during a traumatic event that Syd later learned was probably due to his own powers. He clearly struggled from an enormous amount of guilt but there could have been more that drove him to take his own life. The figure following him may have wanted to help him whereas Mr. Novak wanted to live a seemingly normal life with his family. If he was being followed, the mysterious man could have been relentless with his efforts in whatever he wanted with Mr. Novak. The inability to hide or paranoia potentially revved up Mr. Novak’s powers, causing him to be a powder keg which is how he made the decision to take his own life.
How Did Mr. Novak Get His Powers?
Due to Mrs. Novak’s conversation regarding her husband’s time in the army, it’s clear that Mr. Novak had his powers when he was overseas. But did he have them before he served or did something happen while on duty that gave him the powers? There needs to be some type of catalyst that resulted in these abilities. Maybe it was some type of military experimentation or exposure that gave Mr. Novak superhuman capabilities in I Am Not Okay with This.
Does Liam Also Have Powers?
Mr. Novak claimed that nobody would understand what he was dealing with so it’s clear that he didn’t know his own daughter had powers. It hasn’t been confirmed if the pair share the same powers or if Syd has more to uncover. If she inherited these abilities, will her little brother Liam also exhibit powers at some point in his life? Since one child gained these strengths, it’s likely that it’s genetic so it makes sense if Liam also goes on to unearth telekinesis brought on by extreme emotion just like his father and sister later in I Am Not Okay with This.
Will Sydney Be Blamed For Brad’s Death?
Other than the mythology surround Syd and her newfound superpowers, one of the biggest questions after I Am Not Okay With This season 1 stems from Brad’s death during the homecoming death. Before his head explodes, he’s shown trying to unveil Syd’s secrets in front of the entire school. Although he never has a chance to unearth her powers, the timing of his death is suspicious. While exiting the school, Syd’s classmates seem wary of her but that could be because she was covered in Brad’s blood. Either way, people’s heads don’t inexplicably explode so the fellow dancegoers will be questioning every detail leading up to Brad’s demise.
Did Stanley Find Sydney’s Diary?
During the chaos of Brad’s death, Syd never thinks to recover her diary which holds a lot of her secrets, as well as the truth about her powers. Stanley sees the diary on the dancefloor but loses track of it while people were rushing out of the building. It’s never shown whether or not Stan recovers the diary but he knows how important it is. If that diary gets in the wrong hands, Syd’s life will get much more complicated as I Am Not Okay with This progresses.
What Will Happen Between Sydney & Dina?
Besides Syd’s struggle with her emerging powers, the teen also deals with questions regarding her sexuality. Though she enjoys growing close to Stan, she comes to realize that she’s in love with her best friend, Dina. Syd makes her move during the big house party but Dina doesn’t reciprocate. This makes the relationship between best friends a little complicated. Then at the dance, Dina seems to indicate that she has feelings for Syd. Before anything can happen between the two, Brad ruins the moment. Brad’s violent death might throw a wrench in the future between Syd and Dina unless the former is ready to come clean. I Am Not Okay with This season 2 will surely follow Syd’s next step of her journey and who she can trust with the truth.
Next: What To Expect From I Am Not Okay With This Season 2
