I Am Not Okay With This

Sydney Novak is portrayed as a 17-year-old lesbian who has a deep crush on her best friend, Dina, a relationship central to the series' plot. There is a significant scene where Sydney kisses Dina at a party, to which Dina later responds by admitting she 'didn't not like' it, signaling a potential romantic development. Additionally, Dina's boyfriend, Brad Lewis, publicly exposes Sydney's private feelings for Dina by reading her diary aloud at the homecoming dance, accompanied by 'gross homophobic insults'.

Early in the series, Sydney's uncontrolled anger causes Brad Lewis to suffer a severe nosebleed in a diner, illustrating the sudden manifestation of her powers. In the dramatic season finale, Sydney's intense rage leads her to accidentally cause Brad Lewis's head to explode at the homecoming dance, a highly graphic and shocking scene involving blood and gore. Furthermore, Sydney's powers are responsible for the accidental death of her younger brother Liam's pet hedgehog, 'Banana Wigglesworth,' during a panic attack triggered by grief over her father's death.

Sydney's introductory diary narration immediately sets the tone with the explicit phrase, 'Dear Diary, go f*** yourself'. Her internal monologues and dialogue frequently incorporate strong language, such as when she questions her mental state, wondering, 'Maybe I'm more f***ed up than I thought'. This type of language is prevalent throughout the series, used casually and in moments of heightened emotion.

Sydney discovers she possesses telekinetic powers that are involuntarily triggered by her intense emotional states, leading to various destructive incidents such as blowing holes in walls or felling trees. The mystery of her powers is deepened by the revelation that her deceased father also had similar abilities, which reportedly led to his suicide after an incident in the military where he lost control. In the final moments of the season, a mysterious 'shadowy figure' appears to Sydney, implying a larger, ominous supernatural force or organization connected to their powers.

The show features highly intense and shocking violence, most notably when Brad Lewis's head explodes at the homecoming dance, resulting in a sudden and explicit display of gore. A central, disturbing theme is the suicide of Sydney's father, which occurred in their basement, and its profound, ongoing impact on Sydney's mental and emotional state, driving much of her anger and grief. Sydney's uncontrolled telekinetic powers create frequent suspense and frightening scenarios, as she unintentionally causes damage to her surroundings, such as knocking over library shelves or destroying a convenience store.