There's a good chance you heard that Netflix cancelled Everything Sucks after only one season. If you don't know what it's about, Everything Sucks stars teen actors Jahi Di'Allo Winston and Peyton Kennedy as Luke O’Neil and Kate Messner trying to navigate high school in single-parent households in 1996. Luke has a crush on Kate and asks her out, but Kate is navigating her sexuality and figuring out she's most likely a lesbian. The series also touches on the dating lives of Luke and Kate’s parents as well as having an Ed Wood-type B-plot about Luke and his friends trying to make a sci-fi movie.
There is a lot to love about Everything Sucks: 90's music (yay Tori Amos!), 90s clothes, 90s slang, Blockbuster Video still being a thing, kids trying to make movies (which is something I tried doing in high school—well, they were short films, but still), and people who never thought they would fall in love falling in love. But what really makes this show stand out is the queer representation. The character Kate Messner struggles with her sexuality in a very real way. I don't want to go too much into spoilers for those who are planning to watch or still watching, but Kate is offered an out by Luke to date him and not have to confront her own sexuality for a little while longer. Through all of that, Kate learns more about herself and Luke learns more about boundaries and acceptance.
I was in high school in 1999, only three years after this show is supposed to take place. During that time, there was no Gay Straight Alliance, I only had one bisexual friend at school who wasn't out as bi and was perceived as straight because he was in heteronormative relationships at the time, and I mostly had to navigate my sexual orientation alone, despite the fact that a good number of my classmates have since come out as queer. Representation is so important. I can't stress that enough. Had I and countless others had a show like this growing up, things may have went differently. There are still people that need this representation today.
In response to the news of the cancellation, a hashtag #RenewEverythingSucks started and people have been flooding Twitter with why they feel the show deserves to be renewed:
The hashtag is still going strong, with Peyton Kennedy and others involved in the show jumping in, as well as with websites including The Mary Sue, Business Insider, Deadline. We here at Geeks OUT want to help continue that momentum, so let's help signal boost this worthwhile campaign to bring back this important show!