Aahana Swrup
Depicting the life of a teen with anorexia, Ripley Parker’s ‘Everything Now’ is a Netflix comedy-drama show that brings a new perspective on the wildly transformative time of teenagehood. After Mia Polanco, a 16-year-old with an eating disorder, is discharged from rehab, she quickly realizes that in her months-long departure from school, her peers have shifted from skate park hangouts to clubbing. As such, she comes up with a bucket list of things to do to catch up to hallmark teen experiences. Mia traverses the tumultuous waters of love and life with the help of her friends Cam, Becca, and Will.
Over the course of the show, Mia and Alison’s relationship undergoes a drastic change. Although they start off as frenemies, with Mia mildly annoyed by Alison’s presence in her friend group, the pair eventually grow closer and develop a romantic storyline. However, their relationship remains rocky and unpredictable. SPOILERS AHEAD!
The Course of Mia And Alison’s Relationship
Mia and Alison’s friendship remains colored by Mia’s underlying annoyance with the other girl, creating a unique dynamic between the two girls. Alison often comes across as flippant about Mia’s illness, which bothers the latter. However, Alison also continues to do considerate things for Mia, showcasing her genuine care for her multiple times since Mia’s return from the clinic.
From buying a pretty dress for Mia’s date to trying to console her after the date goes south, Alison constantly tries to be there for Mia. As a result, when the gang ends up crashing a mansion for a fun weekend, it allows Alison to get closer to Mia. Although she remains nonchalant about her attraction to Mia, she subtly flirts with the other girl throughout the day. Meanwhile, Mia continues to be infatuated with another girl, Carli, having fallen irrevocably in love with her.
As a result, when Mia catches Carli making out with someone else, Mia turns to the one person who has been there for her the whole day: Alison. Mia ends up losing her virginity to Alison that night and fails to keep their encounter a secret from their other friends the next morning. As such, Mia and Alison enter the stage of ambiguity where neither knows where their relationship stands.
Since Mia doesn’t have any experience in this area, she doesn’t know if she should consider her night with Alison a one-night stand. Therefore, when Alison starts tagging along with Mia, it only confuses her even more. Not to mention, Mia is still head-over-heels for Carli, with no chance of getting over her any time soon. Nevertheless, after Alison confesses her sincere feelings for Mia and the latter realizes Carli is in another relationship, Mia decides to pursue a relationship with the girl she believes actually wants her.
While they date, Mia tries to be the ideal girlfriend for Alison. Still, the two girls are vastly different from one another and fail to acknowledge their differences constructively. Alison tries to show her affection for Mia in the only way she knows without considering if Mia would appreciate the same. On the other hand, Mia remains torn between her commitment to Alison and her love for Carli.
Eventually, on Mia’s 17th birthday, Alison throws her girlfriend a huge party at a club. The party is everything you would expect from the most popular girl in school, but Mia is not a party girl. Therefore, Mia, already frustrated at the event, is pushed to the brink after she finds out that Alison made a social media post about Mia referencing her illness to state how proud Alison is of her.
Mia hates to bring attention to her eating disorder, not wanting people to identify her by her illness. Yet, Alison had done just that. After the ensuing argument, Mia slips away with Carli, who’s having her own problems with Cam. Consequently, the two end up kissing, effectively cheating on their respective partners. The same marks the end of Mia and Alison’s relationship, leaving the latter heartbroken over the other girl.
Although the following days bring a hard time for Mia, who relapses into her eating disorder, Alison is really the only one who mourns their relationship’s end. After the dust settles and Mia returns to her recovery treatment, she tries to apologize to Alison in a note, which the other girl promptly discards. The narrative also hints at a possible drunken hook-up between Alison and Cam, who both deal with their broken hearts. Ultimately, Mia and Alison do not end up together.
Read More: Do Mia and Carli End Up Together in Everything Now?
