Review by Alexandra Rosbotham – Arts and Media Editor
“Sex Education” has made its way back onto our screens for season three with a bang (quite literally), after much anticipation and a cliff-hanger to end all cliff-hangers in the season 2 finale that premiered more than a year and a half ago.
Despite the Internet sensation that “Sex Education” has become since its debut in 2019, the show has still somehow managed to slip through the fingers of some of its young adult target audience. This is something I found out for myself whilst discussing the new series with a few friends who disclosed to me that they’d never watched it. Inspired by this discovery, this week I’m recommending Netflix’s series “Sex Education”, hoping to give you a short and sweet taster of this fantastic piece of television in the hopes that you watch.
“Sex Education”, I believe is one of the best teen/young adult dramas that has come out in the last decade for so many reasons, with season three only giving further reason to believe so. It’s honest, hilarious and heartfelt and when this is paired with fantastic writing and phenomenal characters, it is a very difficult task to find something about this show to hate.
For me, season three has only further illustrated the skill and mastery at work amongst the writers that was on display throughout seasons one and two, if not taking it up a notch due to the massive variety of topics that are discussed throughout. Weaved throughout the 8 hour long episodes, the show discusses issues such as the effects poverty can have on a person’s talents and ability to reach their true potential, the gender spectrum and the longstanding effects sexual assault on a person’s wellbeing and relationships. Issues such as these being given screen-time only enriches the show further and creates a necessary depth and realism that many teen tv show dramas currently lack, and importantly doesn’t engage in the romanticisation of the more serious topics throughout which is becoming all the more frequent in similarly formatted shows.
Alongside the fantastic writing and the inclusion of important topics into plot lines, the character development this season is also a sight to behold. Many supporting characters like Adam, Mr. Groff and Ruby are given a chance to bloom, and they do so beautifully. No longer two dimensional, almost every character in “Sex Education” gets a backstory, helping them come to life even more so than before. It does this in such a masterful way that it’s not long until you find yourself loving the once stern and emotionally stunted headmaster Mr. Groff as he grows more self-aware, learning from his troubled childhood and attempting to fix his fraught relationships. Similarly with Ruby, we peek behind the queen bee of Moordale’s tough exterior, helping us to understand and empathise with her just that little bit more. Alongside previous characters being brought to the forefront, there is also the inclusion of new characters. One of which is Cal, a new student in Moordale who is also non-binary. Cal’s character is one in which effortlessly helps illustrate the issues and dealings of non-binary and trans people in everyday life. This is particularly evident in Cal’s dealings with the new headmaster; Hope; who discriminates against Cal whilst trying to implement her conservative ideals surrounding uniform and sex education (or the lack thereof). At times the third season can seem to spread itself thin with so many characters at the forefront and the number of plot lines that are simultaneously occurring, it occasionally makes the show feel as if it is tackling too much at one time. However, its writing and plot lines continue to stay strong in the process and never falter, even when dealing with so many complex characters, and that certainly is commendable.
Overall, season three of “Sex Education” holds up just as well as the previous two seasons, striking the perfect balance between heartfelt storylines that hit a bit too close to home for some and quirky humour that you just can’t help but audibly laugh at, which is only further testament to its fantastic writing. Whether you’ve not watched “Sex Education” at all or you just haven’t found the time to watch season three yet among all the buzz of freshers, I hope this short taste of what’s on offer is enough to get you on board, it’s definitely a tv show that’s not to be missed.