Forget Stranger Things: Netflix’s Sci-Fi Masterpiece Still Stands as TV’s Greatest

Growing up amid grief

Sophia Lillis stars as Sydney Novak, a 17-year-old in a small town who has taken on household responsibilities after her father’s suicide. Her mother, Maggie, played by Kathleen Rose Perkins, refuses to talk about his death.

Syd can see that her mother is hurting, but has no one else to turn to about her own grief. The silence leaves her carrying guilt and feeling that her emotions do not matter.

Powers reflect inner turmoil

The series links Syd’s emerging psychokinetic abilities to the changes of growing up and to the discovery that the world is not always safe. She hides her powers as they develop, amid feelings she has been made to suppress.

That approach makes the supernatural story part of Syd’s emotional journey rather than pure escapism. The show draws on familiar genre elements while keeping its focus on a teenager trying to understand herself and her community.

A different coming-of-age path

Stranger Things has been praised for combining mythology with a relatable story about growing up. The article argues that its grounded adolescent drama became harder to believe as its stakes grew inconsistent.

I Am Not Okay With This adapts Charles Forsman’s graphic novel. Forsman also wrote The End of the F***ing World, another Netflix series; unlike that show’s second season, the account says this adaptation was positioned to follow its source material.

Familiar faces, troubled town

Lillis and Wyatt Oleff, both breakout stars of It, lead the series. Their roles bring complexity to adolescents growing up in a frustrated community. The story shares with Stranger Things an interest in young people facing supernatural events, but its powers are tied closely to Syd’s private struggles. Grief, family silence and adolescence shape the way she encounters the extraordinary.