If you enjoy films about young people finding their way, there is no greater pleasure than the horribly named SEX EDUCATION. It is far superior to other school shows like ELITE or YOUNG ROYALS, both of which I really enjoyed. SEX EDUCATION, now in Season 3 on Netflix, is the full package as it explores a rainbow collection of students, their loves and losses, and most of all – their very complex sexualities.
Nothing is easy about this show. It can be graphic and might introduce you to concepts you don’t know yet. But this, along with works like EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE, are the wave of the future where gay, straight, and non-binary characters deserve equal time and respect.
Our hero for SEX EDUCATION is Otis (Asa Butterfield) who has a gift for solving other people’s problems while making a mess of his own life. His mother Jean (Gillian Anderson), her partner Jakub (Mikael Persbrandt), and his daughter Ola (Patricia Allison ) are the core characters we follow in their beautiful town perched high above a river valley.
But it is Maeve (Emma Mackey) , as tough as the trailer park she lives in, and flamboyant Eric (Ncuti Gatwa) now dating a closeted jock (Connor Swindells) who steal our hearts. The stories of these students, and the family members who are both challenged and loved by them that make SEX EDUCATION hilarious and heartbreaking.
Creator Laurie Nunn has brought to life an irresistible middle-class village. Perhaps, thanks to this groundbreaking show, we will soon be living in a world where labels are all replaced by love.