by Jake Bourgeois, Contributing Writer
Season three of Netflix’s Sex Education dropped on Netflix Sept. 17. As was the case with the first two seasons, I made quick work of the latest eight episode drop.
For those that have yet to take the plunge into the season, its strengths and weaknesses in the newest season have largely remained consistent with what I’ve felt about seasons past. So, I’d like to see if I can get you intrigued before drilling down into the specifics of the new season by talking about them in a broader sense.
Generally speaking, the series follows Otis (Asa Butterfield), a socially awkward teen who’s the son of a sex therapist (Gillian Anderson). Otis becomes the big man on campus after teaming with classmate Maeve (Emma Mackey) and starting their own bootleg therapy for their school campus when they realize they can fill a need for their classmates and make some money along the way. With Anderson’s Dr. Milburn as a guiding force when it comes to the way the show talks about sex, the topic — and the wide-ranging possibilities of what that might encompass — is done in a frank manner. That leads to plenty of honest and refreshing conversations.
Sometimes that discussion is had quite seriously. When the show goes for emotion, it largely works. It’s not all heavy, though. With teen hormones ranging, there’s plenty of humor the show is able to mine from the teenage angst. That’s not to say, however, that the adults have all their affairs in order. They certainly get in on the hijinks. The fact that the show is able to somehow balance its sincere moments with its ridiculous sense of humor without cheapening either one of them is one of the show’s greatest balancing acts across the three seasons.
I think a lot of that is down to the great characters the show includes, brought to life by fantastic performances. Butterfield as the lead always intrigues me when he’s involved in a project, dating back to his days as a recurring character on Merlin. He’s fantastic in Sex Education, particularly given the fact that he has to balance being older than his years, while still falling into the traps that come with trying to navigate teenage years. His partner in crime in Mackey has been no less stellar as a newcomer to me. Maeve’s punk nature when paired with Otis’s personality makes for a fun dichotomy for a business partnership turned “will they, won’t they” relationship that you want to root for.
The show is elevated by a great cast of unique supporting characters, of which I will highlight my favorite trio. Anderson’s forward nature makes for such a fun character, though her season three arc left something to be desired. (More on that later.) Maeve’s friend, Aimee (Aimee Lou Wood), is just a delightful presence. While Otis’s friend, Eric (Ncuti Gatwa), shines as his flamboyant gay best friend. The show manages to be diverse with its characters, but in a way that feels natural.
Technically, the show is pretty spectacular. It is shot well and certainly takes advantage of some gorgeous Welsh countryside. The show’s use of music is one of the best parts about it. The pairing of songs with the show’s narrative is sublime.
But the show is by no means perfect. Not all of the storylines hold my attention equally, and I tune out for the odd one. The characters can at times make maddening decisions that add to the series’ sense of melodrama, which can feel forced.
However, the negatives certainly outweigh the positives and I certainly never fail to have a fun time. For those that lumped Sex Education with Netflix’s other coming of age sex comedy, Big Mouth, and felt turned off by the former, I’d urge them to give this one a shot. I find this one easier to take in for reasons I’m not quite sure about. Perhaps it’s the heart at the core of this story. Though, if you don’t think it’s your bag, I won’t begrudge you that. You’ll figure that out pretty quickly if you’re on board.
Now, some specifics for those through the first two seasons.
On the positive side of the ledger, I’ve mostly covered the reasons I personally enjoy the show. Those largely remain strong. While the clinic isn’t open this season, the counseling aspect is still very much a part of Otis’s character and used effectively. With a couple of the relationships I was unsure about heading into the season (namely Otis and Ruby and Eric and Adam), the show recognizes the challenges they present, and addresses them well. I also enjoyed Eric’s trip to Nigeria and getting to see him in that environment.
There aren’t a ton of new characters introduced, but the standout undoubtedly is Jemima Kirke as the new headteacher, Hope Haddon. Though perhaps slightly more subtle, until she’s not, Kirke’s headteacher is almost Delores Umbridge-like with some of her detestable actions and manipulations. Where her character falls flat is when the show tries to humanize her a bit. Given some of her detestable actions, the humanization project just didn’t hold.
As for negatives, I’m still not a huge fan of the Dr. Milburn and Jakob relationship. With Anderson being such a fan favorite, I didn’t feel like she had as much time to shine as she’s had in past seasons. I also just don’t particularly care about either Mr. or Mrs. Groff’s storylines, so I found myself largely tuning out when they were on screen. As a result, I didn’t even notice one of my personal favorite character actors (Jason Isaacs) had joined the show as Mr. Groff’s brother until much too late. There are a couple of hanging threads put forward by the finale that I don’t know I love, but we’ll see how season four handles them — assuming it comes.
Overall, I enjoyed myself once again. If you have, too, through the first two seasons, that shouldn’t change for season three.
Grade: B+
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