In Freeform's warm new dramedy 'Everything's Gonna Be Okay,' half-siblings form a dysfunctional new family after their father dies. Alan Sepinwall's review
-ish mold of balancing banter and bawling, as Nicholas, the girls, and Alex adjust to their unexpected new circumstances.
There’s some fumbling in the hourlong debut as Nicholas, Matilda, and Genevieve learn about Darren’s condition and his impending demise. The scene where the girls are told, for instance, jumps way too quickly from their devastation to Genevieve’s understandable dislike of Nicholas, whom she knows only from his occasional visits to their palatial Los Angeles home.
But once we get into the core idea of the show, this messiness becomes a virtue. Nicholas is not fundamentally built to be anyone’s guardian, and his new charges present distinct challenges from one another: Matilda has high-functioning autism, while Genevieve is, well, a moody teenage girl who goes through life with her gaze averted whenever possible.
Thomas is also aware that his fictional alter ego can be a whole lot to take. Nicholas is funny and has some talent, but the other characters get to call him out on his nonsense early and often, and their personas are all much more natural and more subdued than his. And both Kromer and Press give deeply appealing, magnetic performances, turning familiar material — Matilda has an unrequited crush, Genevieve gets embarrassed in class — into something that feels unique to them and only them.
So, no, Nicholas probably shouldn’t be taking care of his siblings. But he is, and the result is a terrific addition to the new year in TV.Want more Rolling Stone?
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