“Sex Education”: Art by way of Comedy

where to watch: Netflix

when to watch: When you’re in the mood for a high school movie, or are ready to fall in love with an awesome cast of teenage characters. 

you should note: A pretty diverse cast. A female creator and 2 female directors. very bingeable. disclaimer—many, many sex scenes that are usually played for laughs 

tl;dr: Two teenagers start a high school sex clinic and learn a lot about human relationships—be it sexual, romantic, platonic, or parent/child—in the process

This week’s post is on a show I have been meaning to recommend for a very long time—Sex Education.

Season 1 first dropped on Netflix a year ago, and it made quite a splash. It was one of those shows that everyone my age seemed to be watching and talking about. But, with so much new content every day, it was also one of those shows you kinda forgot about. It didn’t enter the public consciousness the way a Stranger Things did, perhaps because of its subject matter: sex. 

the premise

The premise is simple. When rebellious Maeve notices quiet Otis has a talent for giving out advice, she comes up with an idea—a paid sex clinic for high schoolers.

What?

It’s outrageous, but it works because not only is Otis a surprisingly well-adjusted and emotionally intelligent teenager, he is also uniquely qualified to give out sex advice—his mother is a licensed sex therapist. Of course, having a mother as a therapist and being a therapist are two very different things. And, Otis is a virgin who has a panic attack when he tries to masturbate, so clearly, there’s some stuff going on there…

But as you can tell, the premise is funny. There is infinite room for comedy here. At the end of the day, teenagers (and I can say this because I still am one) are dumb.  

characters

Season 1 is brilliant. In addition to comedy, the show explores each character’s backstory. We meet Eric, Otis’ best friend who, though out, is still figuring out how to deal with his gay identity. We learn that Maeve might act tough, but only because she feels like she has no other option. We get to see that there is more to popular head-boy Jackson or resident bully Adam. 

Otis’ mother, played by Gillian Anderson, stands out as a hilariously overbearing “cool mom” type.

There’s a well-rounded group of characters, and by the end of the first season, you’re rooting for all of them. It’s a perfect introduction to the world of the show. It’s good—but season 2 is great. 

season 2

Art is that which explores the human condition. By this definition, Season 2 of Sex Education is nothing short of pure art. 

Season 2 delves deeper into each character’s unique inner conflicts and demons. It’s still a comedy, but it’s darker than the first season. It does what good TV is meant to do: it makes you feel in a truthful way. With no gimmicks, (almost) no cheap twists—simply by showing you each character’s stories, it makes you angry, and it makes you sad. You will cry, laugh, and groan. You will feel horror and confusion and profound joy. At the end of it all, first, you will ache for more episodes. And then, you will feel fulfilled because Season 2 contains all of the ups and downs of real life, and these feelings will keep your heart sated until season 3.