You will struggle to come across someone who hasn’t watched the highly anticipated third season of Netflix’s Sex Education. Positive reviews and a storm of interest on social media has led to the fourth season already being announced, but what is it about the series that attracts so many people?
Sex is slowly becoming less of a taboo subject and it’s thanks to shows like Sex Education. Whilst being sex-positive and diverse, the show also tackles difficult issues with a humorous twist. The wide range of characters and topics discussed ensures that within the show’s largely teenage and young adult audience, everyone will experience a character they can relate to.
This can be seen in season 3 where a variety of new characters including non-binary student Cal Bowman (Dua Saleh) is introduced, at a time when the representation of non-binary characters in television is still extremely limited. Viewers watch their close relationship with Jackson (Kedar Williams-Sterling) develop as they try to navigate whether it’s friendship or more, exploring queer relationships and identity. This representation is essential for young people growing up today allowing them to see and relate to characters like themselves.
In school, many teenagers are still only taught the bare minimum about sex, which is also covered in the latest season of the show. With undertones of abstinence- another issue that is explored in this season- the majority of sex education curriculum in schools consists of putting a condom on a banana and being sent on your way. It tends to focus on the negative consequences of sex such as pregnancy and STD’s, rather than discussing how sex should be a positive experience, educating about the importance of consent, and providing a safe space for young people to get advice from a professional.
Sex Education brings these issues to light, helping young people understand that what they’re going through is normal, even if it is only discussed at Moordale, and not their own schooll. It raises awareness and gets people talking about problems they may have otherwise kept to themselves. For example, the new season focused largely on the partial secrecy of the relationship between Adam Groff (Connor Swindells) and Eric Effiong (Ncuti Gatwa).
Adam is a character that I believe a lot of young people will relate to. Being in a gay relationship with someone who is open about their sexuality while you still haven’t come out to your parents is a difficult issue to navigate. That said, as fans would expect, the show does tastefully and avoids relying on any cliches or stereotypes. Whether or not you relate to Eric, who is vibrant and unapologetically loud about his sexuality, or Adam, who went from secondary school bully and homophobe to finally telling his mother about his relationship, this storyline steals the show
Another standout theme throughout the show is the the storyline about Aimee Gibbs’ (Aimee Lou Wood) sexual assault. After getting sexually assaulted on the bus on her way to school in season two, Aimee struggles in silence, unable to get back on the bus. Eventually, she confides in her friends, and in a touching and empowering moment of female solidarity, after sharing their own experiences of sexual assault, they all get on the bus together. One in five women experience sexual assault and the majority of victims are under 30, so this storyline is as relevant and necessary as every, hopefully encouraging people to speak out and showing them that they are certainly not alone.
Jean Milburn (Gillian Anderson), sex therapist and protagonist Otis’ (Asa Butterfield) mother, is the role model that many young people have missing from their life. Seeing a professional and educated woman normalising sex, sexual issues and body positivity adds an element of class to the show. Jean talks about issues ranging from what your vulva looks like to her issues as a geriatric mother. Everyone knows not all parents are this progressive, and her character opens up the conversation and asks, “why not”?
The healthy and diverse representation of sex that this show brings has taken a long time to appear on screen, and there is nothing else quite matching it. While the coming-of-age element has been around for a long time and it very familiar to audiences, the problems young people face surrounding sex, sexual orientation and gender identity have never had such a strong focus, despite these being some of the most important things floating around a teenager’s mind. So why has it been ignored for so long?
A mixture of sex still somewhat being considered a taboo topic, and other shows’ hesitation to remove censuring is all I can think of. This is one of the main positive aspects of Sex Education: nothing, and I mean nothing, gets censored. Whether it’s masturbation, kinks, STD’s, or body positivity, it will all be talked about unapologetically. With society at its most accepting and the world moving away from outdated ideologies, Sex Education came at the perfect time, and will hopefully inspire many more series and films to come.
