Netflix dropped I Am Not Okay With This in February 2020, pulling from Charles Forsman’s graphic novel about Sydney Novak, a high schooler wrestling with grief and budding telekinesis.
Sophia Lillis stars as Syd, fresh off IT ’s horrors, dealing with her dad’s suicide, a spiky mom Maggie played by Kathleen Rose Perkins, little brother Liam, and her messy feelings for best friend Dina played by Sofia Bryant.
Wyatt Oleff as neighbor Stan rounds out the crew, sparking awkward hookups amid locker room beefs and house-shaking outbursts.
Jonathan Entwistle, hot from The End of the F***ing World, directed every episode, blending It-inspired grit with queer teen vibes and explosive nosebleeds. Shot in Pittsburgh’s sleepy burbs, it nailed 80s nostalgia and flips on modern angst, like pep rallies gone bloody.
Fans dug the raw edge; seven quick episodes built to a homecoming head-pop cliffhanger, teasing a mystery mentor for Syd’s rage-fueled gifts.
Critics split at 64 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, loving Lillis’s fire but calling the plots familiar next to sex education packs. Quietly greenlit for more pre-premiere, it rode the End of the World buzz.
COVID Cash Crunch Hits Hard
The pandemic wrecked plans. Scripts locked for a tight second and final season, mapping Syd’s power mentor, Dina’s romance fallout, and Stan’s friend-zone woes. Pre-production hummed till shutdowns spiked budgets with daily tests, PPE gear, and protocols, tacking on $5-10 million.
I Am Not Okay With This (Credit: Netflix)
Holdover fees stung too; cast contracts meant big payouts for idle time, blocking Entwistle from other gigs sans the Netflix deal. Strong week one views faded steadily, falling short of the Stranger Things-level splash Netflix craved despite the show’s darker bite.
Official word hit August 21, 2020: scrapped alongside The Society, blaming COVID headaches for ensemble costs and delays. Entwistle begged to tweak the finale sans dialogue, dodging hard cliffhanger pain, but Netflix nixed it. No other streamers grabbed it; timing tanked chances.
Stars Soar, Fans Fume Forever
Lillis crushed it as Gretel in Netflix’s Wednesday, Bryant popped in VH1’s Daytime Divas revival, and Oleff stuck to IT reunions. Entwistle chased Karate Kid: Legends and more Forsman vibes. Netflix shifted to safer bets like sex education spinoffs.
Viewers rage on Reddit, mourning untapped arcs like Brad’s mess aftermath or Dad’s power hints. All seven episodes stream eternally, with cult status growing with sharp dialogue and blood sprays.
COVID flipped TV hard, axing niche gems when big swings ruled. Syd’s scream still echoes; it sucks we never saw her tame the chaos or snag that kiss. One-season wonders hit different, leaving you pissed just like the title.
Why Was Absentia Cancelled? Fans of the gripping crime drama have asked this question nonstop since the finale aired back in 2020. Stana Katic starred as Emily Byrne, an FBI agent back from the dead, and plunged into fresh conspiracies.
The series kicked off strong in 2017, pulling in praise for Katic’s raw performance after her Castle exit. Each season dropped 10 episodes, ramping up the stakes from kidnappings to government cover-ups.
Numbers held steady, but whispers of budget issues and creative fatigue surfaced online. Katic herself addressed the buzz on social media, hinting at a deliberate close while fueling revival chatter.
Creators Called the Shots Early
Showrunners designed Absentia as a three-season story from day one. Katic confirmed this in posts around the finale, noting the team mapped Emily’s full journey across 30 episodes.
No big ratings drop triggered the end. Viewers stuck around, with season three hitting similar numbers to earlier runs.
Absentia (Credit: Netflix)
Sources close to production pointed to filming costs in Bulgaria as a factor, but creators prioritized a clean finish over dragging things out. Katic praised the cast’s bonds, saying the run felt complete yet open to fresh ideas if pitched right.
This choice stood out in an era of endless reboots. Unlike shows chopped mid-arc, Absentia delivered closure on its terms. Fans appreciated the tight pacing, though some felt it rushed the final villains.
Networks Balked at Season Four
Budget talks heated up, too. Overseas shoots ate funds, and post-pandemic economics tightened belts across streaming. Still, the platform renewed other mid-tier hits, making Absentia’s case puzzling. Online trackers note it outperformed some continued series, yet execs saw no blockbuster potential for a fourth run.
Fan backlash hit hard. Petitions gathered thousands of signatures, flooding socials with #SaveAbsentia pleas. Katic engaged warmly, thanking supporters while standing by the end. This outpour kept the show trending years later.
Fans Fuel Endless Revival Hopes
Communities on Reddit and X dissect episodes daily, rating them among the top thrillers. Parents connect with Emily’s struggles, and thriller fans laud the mind games. Binge-watchers call it addictive, often comparing it to Jack Ryan or Bosch.
Critics split on the finale. Some cheer the bold cuts; others lament untied ends like lingering threats. Katic’s shift to movies and producing adds fuel, as her star power drew initial eyes. Recent Netflix visibility has renewed calls, with mock trailers popping up.
Today’s TV climate favors quick hooks over deep arcs. Absentia pushed against that trend, betting on substance instead. It wrapped up strongly, but the void still lingers. Stream it on Prime or Netflix, where available, and decide whether three seasons were enough. The absence hits hard, proving great stories leave lasting marks.
