Everything Sucks! may look like a blatant Freaks and Geeks clone, but it does find its own "beating heart"

The Boston Globe

The 1996-set Netflix teen comedy is initially shocking because it looks so derivative of Freaks and Geeks and, in part, Stranger Things, says Matthew Gilbert. "But, long story short, I forgive the series, and I think that, ultimately, it manages to have an appealing voice of its own. Instead of faux-Freaks and Geeks, I’m now thinking of it as post-Freaks and Geeks," he says. "Slowly, the story line finds its own way to portray the difficult aspects of adolescence and the social pressures of high school. Everything Sucks! may not be original, but it has a beating heart, a sense of humor, and at least one distinct theme — a sophomore girl named Kate, gracefully portrayed by Peyton Kennedy, who is beginning to accept that she is a lesbian."

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• Early episodes are uneven, but it's almost a different show when it finds its sweet spot in latter episodes
• The problem is it clunkily tries to serve two different audiences: teenagers and nostalgic adults
• This might be the first teen show where the principal is the most sympathetic character
• The biggest issue is tone and intent -- it seems to want to be funny
• Everything Sucks! plays like a portrait of the mostly innocent “before” that we took for granted
• Music supervisor was 19 playing music in Seattle when Everything Sucks! takes place