Why Did Netflix Cancel ‘I Am Not Okay With This’?
I Am Not Okay With This premiered in February 2020 on Netflix. The production team admits the show wasn’t slated for a long and illustrious run, but showrunner Jonathan Entwistle certainly planned to craft more than seven episodes. The series looked like Netflix would give it a second season, and then suddenly, the streaming giant canceled it. Netflix announced the cancellation of the series in August 2020, much to the chagrin of fans. So, why did Netflix cancel the show so abruptly?
Season 1 of ‘I Am Not Okay With This’ ended on a cliffhanger
I Am Not Okay With This follows the life of Sydney Novak as she deals with a troubled family life, high school, and budding psychokinesis powers. Sydney’s psychokinesis is completely uncontrollable and is triggered by strong feelings, like jealousy and anger. The short-lived series was based on a graphic novel by the same now.
The show had seven episodes in its freshman season. The season 1 finale, which would become the series finale, ended with Syd running away from the homecoming dance and confronting the man who had been following her for the entire first season. Season 2 was supposed to follow Syd as she learned more about her father and dealt with the aftermath of the homecoming dance.
Why Did Netflix Cancel ‘I Am Not Okay With This’?
I Am Not Okay With This premiered in 2020 to mostly positive reviews. Fans of the novel of the same name largely agreed that Netflix had done a great job maintaining the comic’s overall feel. It was so well-received that a second season seemed like a given. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic changed all of that.
Entwistle revealed that the series was a moneymaker before the coronavirus. The cost of filming during the pandemic made it impossible for the budget to work, though. According to CBR, testing, protective equipment, and scheduling changes can add up to $10 million to a season’s budget. After running the numbers, Netflix decided the show wasn’t profitable enough to continue during the pandemic.
Netflix denied a request to recut the show after its cancellation
While unfortunate, the reason Netflix canceled I Am Not Okay With This makes perfect sense. Still, fans feel like Netflix could have offered them more in the way of a tied-up ending. Entwistle feels that way, too. In an interview with Insider, Entwistle revealed that he sat down with Netflix executives to figure out how to give the show a proper ending. He said he offered to recut the final episode to provide the fans with a concrete ending instead of the planned cliffhanger. According to Entwistle, Netflix declined.
The decision to opt-out of a recut season 1 could be a good sign for fans. Since the cliffhanger still stands, Netflix or another network could potentially bring it back. That doesn’t seem to be in the works at this time, though.
