“Penelope,” a new TV series that premiered Tuesday on Netflix, follows the story of a 16-year-old girl who leaves her life behind to build a new one closer to nature.

The premise sounds like a parent’s worst nightmare. It likely would have been handled far more scandalously in other creative hands. But the new teen drama from Mark Duplass and Mel Eslyn, starring “Little Fires Everywhere” standout Megan Stott, makes a bolder statement about young life through its quieter approach.

“This show is about Penelope’s unraveling, and having that moment where she’s creating a new version of herself that she can look at and say, ‘This is totally me,’” Stott told TheWrap. “I want people to be able to watch and reflect on themselves and their lives, and find things that really help set that fire inside of them.”

Duplass wrote “Penelope” during the Covid pandemic lockdowns,...