It looks like everything will NOT be okay for fans of the Freeform show Everything’s Gonna Be Okay. After two seasons and 20 episodes, Freeform has canceled the Josh Thomas comedy series. 

The second season’s final episode aired on June 3. On August 18, creator, star, and executive producer Thomas confirmed via a tweet that season 2 of the heartwarming dramedy would be the last.

He thanked his fellow cast members and everyone who worked on the show during the peak of the pandemic for doing a fantastic job of keeping each other safe. He also thanked the network for being sincerely progressive and a dream to work with. 

He hoped for another chance to work together as well. Thomas added in a later tweet that he was already working on a new project and a bunch of shows he was excited about and would pitch for them soon.

About 'Everything’s Gonna Be Okay'

The plot of the series sounds relatively simple, but it gets more complex as each episode goes by. 

Everything’s Gonna Be Okay centers on a 20-something-year-old Australian man, Nicholas, who is forced to move to Los Angeles when an unexpected cancer diagnosis leads to his father’s sudden passing. He now has to look after his two teenage half-sisters.  

Nicholas becomes the legal guardian to his two younger stepsisters, Matilda (Kayla Cromer), who has autism, and Genevieve (Maeve Press). Barely an adult himself, he is forced to rise to the occasion and keep it together. 

He struggles with his newfound role as a parent as he walks a thin line between being repressive and liberal, all while trying to navigate a relationship with his boyfriend. 

The three half-siblings not only have to cope with the loss of their father, but they are also trying to get along as a family and reach common ground by asserting their own viewpoint while denying no one else’s. 

Why You Should Watch the Show

From LGBTQ+ representation to the depiction of autism, the show is definitely a must-watch. 

Good autistic representations are few in Hollywood. Most often, the industry hires someone neurotypical rather than make accommodations for an actual autistic person. 

As a result, the story gets filtered and ends up reinforcing stereotypes and ableism. 

However, Everything's Gonna Be Okay does well hiring a lead autistic actress to represent Matilda’s character. It covers everything from relationships to loss, even ableist views from the family towards Matilda. It also does not make a mockery of the autistic community. 

With Matilda’s story as an autistic teenager, the series educates many viewers who are unaware of or have misconceptions about the disorder. 

Besides the authentic depiction of autism, the series has multiple queer characters, which is a win for LGBTQ+ representation. Nicholas’s gay identity and his ordinary relationship differ from the dramatic, contrived gay relationship we see on other shows. 

Everything’s Gonna Be Okay explores a myriad of issues with good humor and warmth and serves as a reminder to viewers that it is okay even when things aren’t going great in your life. And for that, it gained recognition and critical acclaim.