Freeform
I’ve already admitted that I’m a fangirl for Australian comedian, Josh Thomas, since watching his debut, semi-autobiographical, award-winning series Please Like Me (2013-2016 on ABC2, Australia and Pivot, now on Hulu), followed by attending his comedy tour, Whoopsie Daisy on the very eve of the pandemic, like, my last night in culture before locking myself into my one-bedroom apartment banishing both sunlight and human contact for months on end, so of course I was going to deep dive into his latest effort and series Everything Is Gonna be Okay (2020, Freeform, now also on Hulu).
The series opens with Nicholas (Josh Thomas) becoming the unlikely guardian to his two teenage stepsisters, Genevieve and Matilda, after their father passes away. A transplant from Australia, Nicholas is learning how to drive, pursuing a new relationship, and attempting to be a supportive, twenty-something father-figure. Throughout the series, the three siblings navigate autism, sexuality (‘I thought we were sex-positive!’), consent, parenthood, adolescence, family and grief. All done with a great deal of heart and humor, it’s positively–to use a word from Moira Rose–‘winsom.’
For Season Two, Josh continued to illuminate the mundane, awkward, small and sometimes big conversations, this time aided by lock-down orders, complete with driveway meet-ups and social anxiety disguised as social distancing. They also brought on actors Richard Kind and Maria Bamford, which impossibly made the show even more likable.
Endearing, and nuanced with well-written characters, the show has also been acclaimed for representing LGBTQ+, neural diversity, and varying disabilities, breathing in fresh air throughout its two-season run (20 episodes total). Here’s hoping for Season 3! To quote Genevieve, ‘I’ve never been excited for something while it’s happening!!!’ And it’s all happening with Everything’s Gonna Be Okay.
Some weirdly wonderful details:
Episode Titles: Not only is he head-of-the-household, Nicholas, is also an entomologist. Every episode is titled after a different species of insect.
Opening Title: The way Please Like Me had memorable intro credits, so too does the intro for Everything’s Gonna Be Okay. The title in a subtle serif comes up at just the right moment crystalizing the character’s opening mood.
Playlist: Add Tigertown’s Loney Cities to your playlist immediately. I’m saving you now because it closes out the pilot, and once you hear the upbeat track, you won’t be able to get it out of your head.
UPDATE: Josh Thomas has decided not bring back the series for a Season 3. I will miss sisters Genevieve and Matilda dearly! My only comfort is that I know Josh will be back with new projects, that once again I will be raving about on these very pages. I can’t wait!! In the meantime, I’ll be relegated to enjoying Josh’s Ask Me Anythings on Instagram.