I Like Public Speaking But Not Necessarily Eulogies

Everything is Gonna Be Okay

4 Salty Pretzels

Orphans get a bad rap. Or, not necessarily a bad rap but a serious one. They’re only ever portrayed as killers, or draftees into The Artful Dodger’s pint sized gang of hooligans, or they might be orphans black. A group of amazing clones fighting for their autonomy.

The clone club are my very favorite orphans. Don’t get me wrong, but none of these orphans have really gotten a chance to make you laugh. Not just a giggle either but a full on LOL, That’s why I was so pleased when I watched Everything is Gonna be Okay. Sure, it has some deeply sad and awkward moments but it’s also genuinely hilarious.

The basic premise is that Nathan is your typical self obsessed 20 something Australian entomologist who’s in America to visit his dad and half sisters for a bit. He’s got a hookup with a cute boy planned for the morning he leaves, but his dad kills the whole vibe by telling Nathan that he has terminal cancer just before boyo shows up and his Dad tries to hang out and meet the guy. It’s a very funny scene that segues into a very serious conversation about who’s going to look after the girls when Dad is gone and Nathan volunteers because he’s a sweet, if awkward, boy.

His sisters are 14 year old Genevieve who we meet as she’s getting her first period. She’s the most authentically 14 year old character I’ve seen in a while and her run ins with her mean girl frenemy in the first episode are both painful and relatable. Then there’s Matilda, a deeply charming 16 year old, high functioning autistic pianist. I would jump in front of a bus for Matilda. She is perfect.

Obviously the whole family is going through some tough times, what with impending death and losing a parent and the messy business of living but they don’t dwell on the bad stuff. This is not an OG Party of Five situation where everyone is a closet alcoholic and someone is always in a toxic relationship. Everything is Gonna be Okay is about the joy that you find even in the tough moments. Like the time my brother serenaded me with a falsetto rendition of “The Glory of Love” from The Karate Kid on the way to the cemetery after my Poppy’s funeral. I still think about that and smile.

In the first episode Genevieve gets a funeral dress that Nathan describes as “the dress that girls imagine losing their virginity in” and Nathan accidentally rents a party limo with a dazzling light up ceiling and complimentary bar as the funeral car. Nathan’s would be hook up cheerfully exclaims ‘They don’t kill themselves nearly as much anymore.” after he tells Nathan’s dad that he’s in dental school. That’s the vibe we’re working with here.

So, if you’re not some kind of elitist who will only support orphans in some sort of sappy tragedy porn I totally suggest giving Everything is Gonna be Okay a shot. You’ll cry but you’ll also laugh and feel a whole lot lighter after every episode.

Speaking of crying and laughing at the same time, have you read Fall: An Ermahgerd Merstery? Because you can. For FREE. Get it here.