#ST x INOWT parallels

[bhilasar]

Some similarities between I'm Not Okay With This and Stranger Things

I'm not going to talk directly about ST, because just taking out INOWT will be enough for you guys to see the similarities. They have many themes in common. I just ask you to not restraint yourselves to "character A from INOWT is an equivalent to character B from ST" kind of interpretations. All the characters are way different from each other.

⚠️ INOWT spoilers ahead ⚠️

For the ones who don't know anything about it, INOWT is a Netflix series produced by Shawn Levy, and it's about Syd, an angsty teenage girl dealing with her teenage problems and finding out she's got telekinetic powers.

The show clearly uses Syd's powers as an allegory for her teenage problems, anger issues, repressed feelings and sexuality (she's a lesbian). Everytime she represses and internalizes her anger or suffering, her powers go out of control. She's trying to control them, but her life is a bit of a mess.

Syd has problems at home, she's got anxiety and depression, and she's is figuring out she have feelings for her girl best friend Dina, who is in a relationship with a stupid jock. Syd's also experimenting going out with Stan, a nerd and a weirdo who has always shown interest in her.

Finding out about her dad's past and secrets, and dealing with his death is also a big part of Syd's arc. The show likes to parallel a lot both of them, btw. He also had powers, and, imo, it gets implied he was closeted gay, too. He committed suicide a little before the events of the series, because he couldn't deal with his own super powers and his PTSD from serving the marine (and with his queerness, too, probably). He didn't tell anyone and suffered all alone.

In the last episode of the season, when Syd was getting dressed for the school dance, her mom shared a memory of when she started dating her dad. It was the school dance, and the guy who had invited her ditched her at the party. Then Syd's dad saw her all sad and alone, and asked her if she wanted to dance. Them both seemed happy, and started a relationship right after that.

Later, a similar situation happened with Syd and Stan at the school dance. However, the outcome was different. Stan was ditched by the girl he invited, and Syd went after him to be by his side in this bad moment. They had a heart to heart in which Stan made it clear that he really likes Syd, despite they were not together anymore.

Syd decided to be completely honest with him, saying she also likes him very much but not in that way. She also subtly admitted she likes her best friend Dina, and that she went to the party with her as friends (at that point, yes, but not for so long, lol). Stan and Syd got cool with each other, and Syd took him by the hand to the dancefloor. She danced with Dina later, and found out her beloved bestie was falling for her, too.

Syd won't meet the same fate of her dad, yay! - even though creepy things happened involving her powers in the last episode, lmao. It's a shame the series was canceled after the first season...

Other than that, we also have: Stan making Syd feel "a bit more normal", meanwhile Dina making Syd feel different; Stan stanning Syd's powers and calling her a superhero (it's their secret, and he's also the first person she comes out to); Dina having a boyfriend but developing feelings for Syd through the season; Syd and Stan being total losers and weirdos together; Stan not fitting masculinity standards that much, and being called a fag by his own father - he seems to be straight straight, tho. maybe bi? idk; etc.

Anyway. Shawn Levy, I see you! 👀

#byler #anti m*leven #sydina #platonic sydstan #ST x INOWT parallels #inowt #elmike