Honestly, high school can be tough, hell being a teenager can be even tougher. Add in the ever-changing spectrum of sexuality this could be enough pressure to have anyone being an anxiety attack. While Otis Milburn (Asa Butterfield) has got you cover, a socially awkward high school student who been surrounded by manuals, videos and tediously open conversations about sex, because of his mother’s profession as a sex therapist. Otis has become a reluctant expert on the subject.
In the first season of an Netflix original series “Sex Education” after inadvertently assisting the school bully with his sexual performance anxiety, Otis’s love interest/crush Maeve Wiley—a confident but troubled classmate—convinced him to sets up an underground sex therapy clinic to educate their fellow students on how to deal with their sexual problems. But through his analysis of teenage sexuality, Otis realizes that he may need some therapy of his own.
If you were to ask me to describe “Sex Education” I’d use the words from Sophie Gilbert, staff writer at The Atlantic, “Sex Education debuted early in 2019, it felt like a delightfully earnest (and anglicized) patchwork of teen classics: the raunch comedy of American Pie, the small-town romanticism of Stranger Things, and the British oddball kids of Skins and The End of the F***ing World, with the sweet sex-positivity of Big Mouth thrown in for good measure.”
Otis and Ola sharing a moment in her room.
Now back for another season when we last left Otis, Ola (Patricia Allison) and he shared a moment in front of his home ending in him being aroused enough to finally able to masturbate. In the first episode, fans are made fully aware of this as we get a montage of Otis satisfying his sexual urge. This comes to a screeching halt when Ola tells Otis she ready to have sex and Otis can get an erection. He believes it due to the excessive masturbation and his broken his
Best Friends Otis and Eric realizing they’re lost on this “camping” trip with Otis’ father
Otis’s best friend Eric Effiong (Ncuti Gatwa) in my honest opinion had the best subplot and character developments within the series. He was never a character questioning his sexual stating he came out to his parents when he was 13, but He was someone who had to learn to love himself. Secret rendezvous with ex-bully Adam Groff (Connor Swindells) had Eric had this farfetched idea that once Adam was ready they would become public but Adam hadn’t even come to terms with his sexuality yet.
Rahim (center) First appearance in Sex Education
Enter in new transfer student from France Rahim (Sami Outalbali), an instantly popular guy due to his looks, accent and mysterious aura. Eric wonders if Rahim is gay his questions ae answered when Rahim asks Eric out through text. Eric felling his now and a relationship triangle is brought to reality when an argument with Otis helps him realized that Adam will never come around and why to be with someone who bullied you because he’s scared of his sexually. Once realizing this Eric goes through a positive character arc that allows him to be okay with himself and beliefs. So Eric accepts Rahim’s offer and the two begin dating.
Characters left to right: Aimme, Maeve, and Otis
Maeve Wiley (Emma Mackey) went through a lot last season her secret relationship with Jackson Marchetti (Kedar Williams-Stirling) ended with pregnancy and abortion. The scene of her deciding to have an abortion and be alone during the medical procedure was heartbreaking. Maeve was also a candidate for expulsion following the acquisition from the Headmaster Mr. Groff of selling the drugs. Maeve went through a lot and season 2 was no different even though there were some highlights like Maeve realizing her potential, quits her job and tries to get back into school, the hits keep on coming as her mother arrives at her doorstep with the baby after her abusive boyfriend kicked her out. The relationship hit some ups and downs but subsequently ends on bad terms after she is forced to make the right decision for her younger sister’s safety.
In all the new season of “Sex Education,” didn’t disappoint the subplot around all support characters major or minor were refresh pauses from Otis story arc. We got to see Jackson find his passion in something other than swimming, Otis’ Mother Jean Milburn (Gillian Anderson) became sort of chancellor for the students following a frenzy about a chlamydia outbreak were student believed the STD to be airborne. Jean’s expertise in the subject matter of sex made her the perfect person to bring on once the school realizes that better sex education is needed. This puts Mother and son in direct competition with one another unbeknownst to her. One episode that stood out was when the cast of girls introduced in this season and last, where accused of slut-shaming one of the faculty members. In a “Breakfast Club” style assignment the girls were forced to write about what bounds them together, the answer was shared experiences of unwanted sexual advances. This episode concluded the story arc of Aimee who was on the bus to school and traumatized when a man behind her masturbates and ejaculates on her. Throughout the season she preferred to walk everywhere because she couldn’t handle another encounter with that sick man. In an act of sisterhood Maeve, Olivia, Ola, Lily, and Vivgo meet Aimee at the bus stop to help her face her fears and ride the bus again.
“Sex Education,” is streaming now on Netflix catch up on one of the best teen comedy/dramas around. While season three has yet to greenlighted by Netflix show creator Laurie Nunn says she has already begun writing season three. “We won’t find out whether we get a series three until the end of January, so fingers crossed!” said Nunn, so if you are a fan of the series share with your friends who may be looking for something new on Netflix.
