Sex Education season 3 has been out for a while now, and here’s why we think it is the best season yet.
The Netflix show Sex Education started with not so sexually educated but sexually active teenagers navigating their way through high school. Two seasons later, the characters have evolved and turned into these sensible teenagers who have normalized sex, embraced their own sexualities, different gender identities, and are not ashamed of studying in a ‘sex school’.
This season starts over summer break without our favorite high schoolers having the time of their lives (you know what we mean ;)) before they enter the senior year. Otis Milburn (Asa Butterfield) has a new friend, ah, we are talking about his mustache, you guys, and yes also a partner in Ruby (Mimi Keene). We loved their adorable relationship, and many fans liked Ruby and Otis more than they liked him with Maeve, even those who had been dying to see them together.
We see Otis being the ever helping, go-to person to almost everyone, including Hope, the new headteacher. Like mother, like son, right? We are also hinted about his interest in therapy, which was really pleasant to see, to be honest. Even as a teenager, he is wise and empathetic towards the people around him.
Maeve (Emma Mackey) meanwhile sorts her family issues and prioritizes her career over everything. We are inspired by the dedication she shows and how she doesn’t shy away from countering Hope in the absurd sex-ed class. However, we see her character fading amidst all the other narratives in the season.
Dex (Lino Facioli) is troubled to satisfying his partner, something most men don’t care about. He wants to sexually please her and is willing to try anything. It sends out a message that it is necessary to consider your partner’s needs and what works out for them. He portrays the fears of many other characters in the show who want to do the same.
Moordale Secondary gets a new headmistress in Hope (Jemima Kirke), who is on a mission to revamp the image of the ‘sex school,’ As cool as she looks, she is as strict and headstrong about running the school with regressive old values. A meme on Twitter compared her with Amitabh Bachchan in the Hindi movie, Mohabbatein, who was all about “Parampara, Pratishtha, and Anushashan” (Honor, tradition, and discipline). Watch her fail miserably in her prudish attempts.
Sex Education 3 takes steps towards inclusivity with two nonbinary students this season, Cal (Dua Saleh) and Layla (Robyn Holdaway). Both are nonbinary actors trying to throw light on the gender issue through their performances. They defy gender norms and make the audience aware of what it means to be nonbinary and queer. Talking to Gay Times about her character, Dua Saleh said Cal is someone who has been displaced from her home, has strong political ideals, and cares deeply “about liberty, freedom, and people being able to express themselves in the right way, or in the way that’s best for them.”
Another thing we love is when Eric takes a trip to Nigeria to attend a wedding. The show depicts the experiences of LGBTQ+ people in a country where they are not recognized. He has to hide his true self, his dazzling personality, and his bold attires that are an inherent part of him. He discovers a secret part of the city where there are people like him living undisclosed lives. It turns into an enriching experience for Eric, who pretends to be someone who he is not. He tells his grandma about his partner without telling her he is dating a man. He uses ‘they,’ a gender-neutral term, where he neither lies to his grandmother nor himself.
We saw Adam Groff embrace his sexuality and Aimee deal with her intimacy issues post the sexual harassment she faced on the bus. Do watch out for her vulva cupcakes.
All the characters have gone through a bildungsroman, and we were quite happy with the growth they have experienced. The Sex Education 3 ending left the fate of many characters hanging, which is a good note for the audience to look forward to.
Sex is a topic that raises many eyebrows when talked about, and even today it’s a taboo in certain countries over the world, making SRE out of the question. The lack of knowledge and awareness about it leads to serious repercussions, including STDs, unwanted pregnancies, sexual violence, etc. Sex Education talks about the subject in an engaging and entertaining way to make teenagers and adults stay aware and protected at all times. This is why the show has millions of viewers and fans all over the world.
We are now waiting for season 4. With the graduation coming, let’s see what the show has in store for us.
Image credits: Google