Sex Education Cums Back
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The third season of Netflix’s British comedy series, Sex Education, reunites the viewers with their favorite sexually confused group of teenagers, now in their senior year of high school. What started with a sexually repressed protagonist, the school’s notorious bad girl, and an underground sex therapy clinic has evolved to include a wide array of characters and plotlines — from the stigmatization of geriatric pregnancy to the adverse affects of abstinence-only teaching. However, one thing has stayed the same throughout all three seasons: Sex Education’s dedication to inclusivity and stretching boundaries.
In addition to the casual sex, close friendships, and laughs we have come to expect from the series, this season added in a lot of fresh and relevant topics. Headboy and former swim star Jackson Marchetti, played by Kedar Williams-Sterling, introduces us to a new character, a nonbinary American named Cal Bowman. Cal, played by Dua Saleh, educates Jackson, the new headmistress, and even other nonbinary students on what being nonbinary entails. Meanwhile, Aimee Gibbs, played by Aimee Lou Wood, discovers body positivity while recovering from her sexual assault last season, and Eric Effiong, played by Ncuti Gatwa, practices hiding his identity for his upcoming trip to Nigeria, where homosexuality is illegal.
Throughout the season, characters defy their stereotypes: Popular girls get their hearts broken by nerdy guys and teachers' pets defy headmistresses. It’s refreshing to watch something that embraces high school stereotypes while simultaneously flipping them. Moordale has its own version of The Plastics — this time called The Untouchables — but instead of three mean white girls, it’s a diverse group of mean girls and a man. We’re used to meeting bad girl love interests with a passion for feminist literature, but Maeve Wiley, Sex Education’s resident bad girl, evades the loner stereotype and has made a best friend out of the occasionally dim-witted, but always kind Aimee. We are presented with something we recognize but overtime we understand the nuance in every character, making the show and its characters so accessible and genuine.
The romance, added characters, and crazy plotlines make the show what it is, but at the crux of everything is a simple yet revolutionary stance on portraying sexual education for teenagers. As a former student of a public school that did not have — let alone mandate — a sexual education course, I understand the significance of a television show that teaches pertinent lessons about sex and relationships. Unlike my high school where sex was rarely addressed (and when it was, it was discussed through an abstinence-only lens), this fictional school offers viewers an authentic way to talk about the sex lives of young adults.
I only hope that other shows will follow in Sex Education’s path, a road that veers away from heteronormativity and valuing virginity and instead heads toward diversity, acceptance, and empowerment.
By Lindsey Staub
Junior at UC Berkeley, studying English and history. Lover of sweet lattes, sheepdogs, and the color pink.