Hey, everyone! How’s it going? Today I’m here to review the drama Everything Now, which boldly tackles eating disorder recovery through the lens of a teenager’s desperate attempt to reclaim her lost adolescence.
Released on Netflix on October 5, 2023, this British teen comedy-drama consists of 8 episodes, each running approximately 30 minutes. Created by Ripley Parker and produced by Left Bank Pictures, the series follows 16-year-old Mia Polanco as she returns to sixth form after months of recovery from anorexia nervosa. You can stream all eight episodes of Everything Now Season 1 now on Netflix.
When 16-year old Mia returns home after a lengthy recovery from an eating disorder, she is thrust back into the chaotic world of sixth form only to find that her friends have moved on with teen life without her. What sets this series apart is its nuanced approach to mental health recovery, avoiding simple narratives in favor of complex, realistic portrayals. After months in recovery for an eating disorder, 16-year-old Mia devises a bucket list of quintessential teen experiences to make up for lost time.
Mia Polanco: Reclaiming Lost Time Through a Recovery Journey
Sophie Wilde, the breakout star from ‘Talk to Me’, leads the cast in a powerhouse performance that brings authenticity and vulnerability to Mia’s recovery journey. Mia’s character represents the complex reality of eating disorder recovery, where getting better isn’t linear and returning to normal life presents unexpected challenges.
Everything Now depicts positive moments of recovery too, in ways that are touching and insightful. As Mia walks to school for the first time, she reflects on “All the everyday beauty I forgot how to see – and all the things I get to rediscover now.” Her bucket list becomes both a coping mechanism and a way to reconnect with the teenage experiences she missed during her illness, creating compelling storylines around first love, friendship dynamics, and self-discovery.
The Friend Group: Navigating Changed Relationships
Noah Thomas, Lauryn Ajufo, and Harry Cadby anchor the series as William, Becca, and Cam, Everything Now’s core group of chaotic best friends. These characters represent the challenge of maintaining friendships when one person has been absent due to mental health struggles. The dynamics explore how relationships evolve and the difficulty of reintegrating into social circles that have continued without you.
Each friend brings their own subplot and personality, creating a realistic portrayal of teenage friendship groups where loyalty, jealousy, and personal growth intersect. Their interactions with Mia showcase both the support system and the awkwardness that can emerge when someone returns from a significant life-changing experience.
Romance and Self-Discovery: First Love in Recovery
The series thoughtfully explores Mia’s romantic awakening as part of her bucket list experiences. Her journey into dating and relationships while in recovery adds layers of complexity to typical teen romance storylines. As you can tell from this sneak peek, romance is on the syllabus, but the show handles these moments with sensitivity to Mia’s ongoing recovery process.
The romantic elements serve as more than just entertainment, becoming integral to Mia’s journey of rebuilding her relationship with herself and learning to trust her instincts again. These storylines demonstrate how recovery involves not just healing from illness but rediscovering identity and desires that may have been suppressed during the depths of mental health struggles.
Family and School Dynamics
The eight-episode series has a cast that includes Sophie Wilde, Lauryn Ajufo, Harry Cadby, Noah Thomas, Sam Reuben, Niamh McCormack, Jessie Mae Alonzo, Robert Akodoto, Vivienne Acheampong, Alex Hassell, and Stephen Fry. The supporting characters, including family members and school staff, provide additional perspectives on how eating disorders impact entire communities, not just the individual sufferer.
Cast member Lauryn Ajufo described the project as having “A cast that you’re bound to fall in love”, highlighting the ensemble chemistry that makes the show’s relationships feel authentic and engaging.
Critical Reception and Mental Health Representation on Netflix
Everything Now holds a 6.8 rating on IMDb and has been praised for its sensitive handling of mental health topics. By refusing to tell a simple story of recovery, the Netflix drama brings nuance and complexity to often underserved plotlines. Everything Now is a promising addition to the teen drama canon. It’s an honest look at what it really means to be a teenager in Britain in 2023, anchored by Mia’s delicate and nuanced struggle with anorexia.
The show has been praised for its sensitive and realistic portrayal of anorexia, setting a new standard for how television can address eating disorders without sensationalizing or oversimplifying the recovery process. The series demonstrates Netflix’s commitment to diverse, meaningful storytelling that tackles important social issues through compelling character development.
If you love authentic teen dramas that tackle mental health with sensitivity and nuance, Everything Now is the perfect series to binge on Netflix. This emotionally intelligent show proves that recovery stories can be both honest and hopeful.
Everything Now delivers a refreshingly honest portrayal of eating disorder recovery through compelling characters and authentic storytelling, making it essential viewing for anyone seeking meaningful teen drama that doesn’t shy away from difficult topics.
Series Details:
- Number of Episodes: 8
- Platform: Netflix
- Rating: 6.8/10 (IMDb), TV-MA
- Genre: Teen Comedy-Drama, Mental Health, Coming-of-Age
- Protagonists: Mia Polanco (Sophie Wilde), William (Noah Thomas), Becca (Lauryn Ajufo), Cam (Harry Cadby)
- Supporting Cast: Sam Reuben, Niamh McCormack, Vivienne Acheampong, Alex Hassell, Stephen Fry