Binge Or Cringe: ‘Everything Now’ Is A Nuanced Spotlight On Anorexia And Growing Up
“Everything, now” is precisely what teenager Mia Polanco (Sophie Wilde) wants to do in Netflix’s British coming-of-age dramedy, Everything Now. Unfortunately, a hospital stay for anorexia nervosa was stopping her. However, now, with the help of her eccentric friend group, Mia will cross off everything on her “F*** It Bucket” list and attempt to balance youthful milestones with her recovery. The eight-episode first season, which dropped October 5th, covers a lot of teen drama at a quick pace, but grounds it in a compassionate exposition of Mia and her eating disorder. Everything Now stays close to the standard coming-of-age romp path, but stands out by balancing the far-reaching effects of anorexia with a nuanced portrayal of Mia.
Meet Mia
In many ways, Mia is an average high schooler. She feels like the world is ending when she embarrasses herself in front of the popular kids; she fights with her friends about not telling her everything; she has crushes, she’s nervous about sex, she’s curious about drugs, and she likes to dance. And she struggles with anorexia. While Mia’s disorder is a defining focus of the series, it doesn’t define her. Mia has other problems with friends, classmates, and family, and a running internal monologue overlays this, creating a funny, honest relatability. While her anorexia ultimately touches every aspect of her life, and most aspects of the show, it doesn’t feel overwhelming — it is a foundation, but not the whole picture.
Colorful supporting characters bring additional layers to the show. Mia’s best friends — hardworking worrywart Becca (Lauryn Ajufo), flamboyant Will (Noah Thomas), and party boy Cam (Harry Cadby) — push Mia along on her “F*** It Bucket” adventure, as do her crush, perfect and confidant Carli (Jessie Mae Alonzo), and popular girl Alison (Niamh McCormack). Each character fits rather neatly in their box, none of which are particularly unique, and not much time is spent fleshing out the supporting characters. The few complexifying backstories — Becca helping her single mother raise her siblings, Cam dealing with a rich absentee father and a mother with depression — deserve more time. However, for a short first season, the audience gets a good sense of who each character is through organic dialogue and solid acting. The friends have strong chemistry, and the cast delivers warm performances, bringing to life characters that care about the people around them. The dialogue naturally captures the range of silly, heartfelt, and down-to-earth moments the teen protagonists experience.
Mia’s family dynamic also adds a striking facet to the show. Her warm, goofy father Rick (Alex Hassell) contrasts her cold but charming mother Viv (Vivienne Acheampong), with her dependable but frustrated brother Alex (Sam Reuben) stuck in the middle. Mia’s complicated relationship with her mother is one of the most unique aspects of the series. Viv works hard to raise her kids but struggles to help with and understand Mia’s illness. Mia feels she lives in the bold, overpowering shadow of her mother, rather than feeling warmed by Viv’s light.
Was it Binge or Cringe?
Aside from spotlighting anorexia instead of relegating it to a side plot, Everything Now is a standard teen dramedy. Like many other series, it’s an aged-up image of high school life. Mia’s list includes sex and drugs, and the teens’ tolerance for and consistency of binge drinking is surprisingly high. Many episodes involve parties, and most of the main conflicts concern who likes who and what new pairs are hooking up. There are a few unique elements such as Mia’s running internal monologue which, while not new in concept, possesses a unique voice. She instructs herself on what pretenses to put up and often doesn’t follow her own advice, to her own surprise. A few scenes employ a visually creative spotlight effect that shuts out the rest of the scene and transports the viewer to Mia’s fantasy, whether about her crush or a memory of passing out from hunger on the floor. While these intriguing effects are not unparalleled enough to be stylistically definitive, they do spice the series up.
The storylines may not be totally fresh, but the drama doesn’t get old, and the characters are compelling. Fleshing out larger conflicts and characters’ backstories would take Everything Now to the next level. Powerful dilemmas such as leaked nudes and abortion are rushed through in single-episode side plots. If the show sat with these stories, it could open fascinating dialogues on several important issues in addition to anorexia. Such patience would also give the audience a chance to thoroughly get to know the characters and their issues, rather than solely focusing on relationship problems or Mia’s illness.
Even more thoroughly unpacking Mia’s mind and her disorder would add great depth to the series. Intriguing lines regarding her mindset open a window to this real-life issue; (SPOILERS) when a friend passes away due to their anorexia, Mia says that her first thought was that her friend won — their illness took them to a place Mia’s never could. Flashbacks to Alex finding out about Mia’s anorexia, Cam telling Mia’s parents about it, and Mia’s childhood memories of feeling like she lived in her mother’s shadow offer ample material to dig into, if there was only more time in the season.
Who will like it?
Everything Now is a typical teen dramedy. There’s never a shortage of parties or drinking, and crushes and hookups drive the main conflicts. However, as a coming-of-age series, the series is thoroughly a good time, with chemistry between characters and quick-paced, non-stop drama. What stands out about Everything Now is its nuanced handling of Mia’s anorexia; the series explores how the eating disorder impacts each of her average teen desires while highlighting those relatable impulses, fears, and questions. Her relationship with family and the glimpses shown of supporting characters’ extended lives are especially compelling. Thus, the greatest improvement to the series would be more time. So, until viewers can get a second season, all eight episodes of the first season can be streamed on Netflix.
