Written by Aisha Alli-Balogun
Trigger warning: mentions of eating disorders and abortions
We are all still grieving over the ending of Sex Education but I’m here to recommend a new teen show with its fair amount of messiness.
Everything Now is an eight-episode series that follows 16-year-old Mia (Sophie Wilde), who has just returned home after spending months in an eating disorder clinic and decides to create a bucket list because of the things she missed while being away.
‘The F it bucket list’ includes having a first kiss, partying, drinking and so much more but she can’t do it alone so thank god she has her crew with her best friends Becca (Lauryn Ajufo), Will (Noah Thomas), and Cam (Harry Cadby).
If you’re a huge fan of teen shows like Skins, Never Have I Ever, Heartstopper and Euphoria, this show is definitely for you!
It has similar themes and characters that make it enjoyable but it still has its style and brings in more serious but relatable themes.
The series explores a variety of representations of different sexuality, portrayals of messy family dynamics, drugs, sex and so much more in their fresh take on how teenagers can be.
Their attempt to touch on these themes and representations is important and reached my heart and for once, it wasn’t presented in a cringe-y way but relatable and made me want more.
The cinematography and the outfits, you could tell some of it was inspired by the hit show Euphoria but it was very well done and made me fall in love with the aesthetics all over again.
The series also dives into the hard truths of living with anorexia and doesn’t glamorise the illness.
They attack with respect and help the audience under her more through flashbacks and Mia’s inner monologues that explain her true feelings about her anxiety and her body dysmorphia.
There are a few critiques I had about the show, for instance, the way we see some of the methods Mia used to lose weight could be triggering to viewers.
The show didn’t touch on the side effects of her eating disorder and so if they explained it to people, the audience would have a better understanding on how there can be serious side effects.
There’s also the problem of how a lot of the characters are presented as rich kids living in these big houses who get away with breaking into places which feel un-relatable.
The characters felt under developed so it’s hard to dive into connecting with characters who aren’t Mia or her family.
We had small previews into side character’s lives but I’m hoping if there’s a season two, we get more focus on friends’ lives and relationships outside of Mia.
Mia’s inner monologues were captivating as the audience got to dive into her inner thoughts especially when she pretended to be fine with everyone in her life.
“People think anorexia is all about wanting to be beautiful, wanting to be thin, and believing they’re the same thing,” she says.
“But it wouldn’t matter how thin I got when I still feel this wrong like something is missing in me, something that reaches far deeper than elegant hands and oestrogen. You are incorrect, Mia. Incorrectly feminine. You must have been sick that day they taught you how to be a girl. A real girl.”
This felt relatable and helped me connect with Mia on a deeper level as a woman who has struggled with feeling complete and feeling like my definition of being a girl was wrong but I am who I am!
One of the core stories of the show is Mia’s relationship with her family and her family was affected by her eating disorder, especially her mother and brother.
Mia and her mother were portrayed as opposites and never understood each other especially when it came down to the divorce between her mother and father.
The way they portrayed Mia and her brother Alex’s (Sam Reuben) relationship was one of the best parts of the show as Alex struggled so much and had his monologue during family therapy which showed his raw talent as his actor.
You could feel his pain and how he felt alone the second he lost his sister because he also lost his family and became invisible to everyone.
It was pure vulnerability and I would love to see the family reconnect in season two.
Another performance I enjoyed was Lauryn Ajufo who played Becca as her character experienced some tough story-lines.
Between trying to be the perfect daughter, perfect student, and perfect friend and dealing with her romantic feelings for the hot-headed playboy, she ended up having to deal with going through having an abortion by herself.
Everyone’s personal experience is different and the way she crumbled down when telling her mum shows the pressures a lot of people have to deal with and why it’s important to put your happiness first.
Being a teenager can be all over the place and as painful as it can be, it can also be filled with joy the show acknowledges that.
Going into figuring out queer identities and dealing with some of the most significant challenges life has to offer the series left me needing more and that’s what it set apart from the endless ocean of teen shows out there; its brutal honesty.
Put this show on your bucket list!