FOMO is ruling the world. That’s Fear Of Missing Out and though it tends to resolve itself as one gets older, both children and adults feel it. Now, imagine you are a 16-year-old who has been away from your friends for seven months and upon your return you come to find that life has changed. A night out no longer means going bowling or to the movies, now it’s more about getting hickeys, drunk and high at parties. How on earth do you fit into the high school world again after you’ve just been released from an institution?
That’s the premise of Netflix’s show Everything Now. It begins with main character Mia Polanco leaving the hospital after a lengthy battle with anorexia and she’s suddenly thrust into the real world – teenage dramas, complex family dynamics, exams and of course, food habits.
Mia quickly realises how much she’s missed out on and to deal with her FOMO, she and her friends come up with a sort of bucket list of everyday teen experiences. ‘Get drunk, go on a date, have a relationship’ all go on Mia’s Fuck It Bucket (list) and she throws herself into these personal challenges as a way to prove something to someone.
Mia might be the face of the show, but the real protagonist is anorexia. It looms over the series like a familiar shadow – you know it’s there but you can’t always see it. Though Everything Now is obviously a show for teenagers, viewers of all ages are able to relate to an aspect of it. Perhaps to Mia’s eating disorder, to a married couple re-evaluating their relationship, to expressing what you want to a romantic partner and dealing with loss.
Although it’s a British teen drama series, I found the show often sad. Even during the seemingly happy scenes (the parties, the kisses and so on) there is an element of grief. Perhaps because in real life too, more than one emotion can exist at the same time.
Awkwardness is there too. Not just because navigating your teens is particularly awkward but because Mia is as a character. She asks the wrong thing, at the wrong time and stares with her big brown eyes. And this awkwardness doesn’t resolve itself after teenage years, adults can be pretty awkward too because life has its fair share of uncomfortable moments.
What I found particularly moving in the show is how tactfully the topic of an eating disorder is addressed. It can be triggering for some and for anyone who has never experienced any issues with eating, the show presents the extent to which these things can affect your life. How it can show up at any moment and how it’s tied to more than just the food in front you whether that be a night out with friends, a day out shopping, an everyday conversation in the mirror. And all in just eight episodes.
