[Review] Sex Education Season 1: Unashamed Youth
It's early 2019, and Netflix has already released a show that has the strong potential to become my favorite comedy of the year: Sex Education.
A British teen comedy, a quirky and sensitive male protagonist, a strong and rebellious female protagonist, a rather unconventional romance... you might think I'm describing Netflix's hit series from last year, The End of the F*ing World, but I'm actually talking about the new show Sex Education, which just arrived on Netflix two weeks ago. These two series indeed share many commonalities, and perhaps the greatest one is their exceptionally high quality, which undoubtedly contributes to their popularity. The first season of Sex Education, like The End of the F*ing World, has eight episodes, but each episode averages fifty minutes, almost two to three times longer than the latter. Despite this, the series is incredibly binge-worthy; I finished it in about two days and am eagerly awaiting Netflix's renewal for a second season.
While Sex Education is a continuous drama, almost every episode revolves around a specific case that protagonist Otis (Asa Butterfield) faces. Although the content of each case varies greatly, their solutions are almost universally the same: we must acknowledge our true needs and feelings and accept ourselves for who we are. The show is titled Sex Education, leading one to believe it solely focuses on physiological sexual needs, but in fact, the series spends more time exploring our psychological needs. In the show, Otis is a teenager who cannot accept his physiological reactions to arousal, making him unable to masturbate or engage in sexual activity. Conversely, one of his bully classmates, the principal's son, possesses a very large penis and consequently worries about his sexual performance, facing immense pressure. When confronted with these physiological issues, they cannot be resolved purely physiologically. Instead, they require a psychological approach: acknowledging one's physiological changes, taking control of one's role and position, and accepting one's body structure to truly enjoy life. Episode 5 of the series depicts a circulating photo of a female student's genitals, and the mockery from classmates deeply shames her. In reality, a school is a microcosm of society. This episode explores the impact of such events on victims (primarily women) while also introducing themes of body acceptance and bodily autonomy, making it incredibly timely in our continuously evolving society and amidst the "Me Too" movement.
Beyond sex, the series also incorporates LGBTQ+ and abortion elements, and they are deeply intertwined with the protagonists' lives: Otis's best friend, Eric (Ncuti Gatwa), is gay; and the female lead, Maeve (Emma Mackey), undergoes an abortion in Episode 3. When exploring these themes, what sets this series apart from others is that Eric and Maeve have already bypassed the stage of choice; for them, it was never a question. They weren't conflicted about "coming out" or "having an abortion." The series focuses on how they confront and stay true to their authentic feelings, accept their vulnerability, and learn to appreciate, love, and be proud of themselves. In all these issues, what we often need to overcome are not just physiological and external barriers, but our internal struggles. Sex Education might sound like a taboo-laden series, but as its English title suggests, it revolves around sex education. Whether it's the aforementioned themes or other topics concerning sexual incompatibility or masturbation, the show promotes positive sexual attitudes, hoping to let teenagers—and even adults—who face these issues know that they are not strange, that their problems have solutions, and that they shouldn't feel ashamed or suppress their true feelings.
Aside from "sex," the series also dedicates considerable time to parent-child relationships, romantic relationships, and friendships. As a teen drama, the adult parent characters in the show are also very important. The series includes almost every type of parenting style, including authoritarian, permissive (giving children space), and absent ("laissez-faire"). But regardless of the parenting approach, the most crucial element in any parent-child relationship remains communication. Sometimes we think that maintaining an open mind is the perfect parenting style, but in the show, Otis's mother is a sex therapist, and her relationship with Otis precisely reflects that every parent-child relationship has a different rhythm. The most important thing is to understand each other's rhythms and needs, and to mutually understand and accommodate. The parent-child relationship between Eric and his father was the most impactful for me. We generally perceive Black men as embodying strong masculinity, and therefore one might assume Eric's father would be disgusted and ashamed by his son's sexual orientation, behavior, and clothing style, leading to his frequent stern demeanor. However, we later discover that he was simply worried about his son being discriminated against and hurt, because his skin color had already brought him enough pain... he is perhaps the father many people dream of having.
As a teen series, the friendships within the show are naturally one of its most important elements. Otis and Eric's close bond, like brothers, is perhaps the kind of friendship many of us aspire to. What moved me even more was Otis's willingness to cross-dress with Eric every year on Eric's birthday to watch a movie. In the show, Otis breaks his promise, leaving Eric to go out alone dressed as a woman. Eric's timidity at that moment precisely reflects the courage, reliance, acceptance, and love they give each other when they are together. Watching Eric discover that Otis has made other friends, I believe everyone can understand his feeling of being lost and disappointed, perhaps recalling friendships they once had or still possess! The series revolves around Otis's high school life, and seeing the hallways, classrooms, dances, and parties in the show, does it remind you of your own high school days? This show is about sex, but it is also about youth—the youth you and I have experienced, and the youth everyone deserves to have.
Speaking of youth, romance immediately comes to mind. The relationship between Otis and Maeve in Sex Education is perhaps the most romantic I've seen recently: their first "date" was the walk home after Maeve's abortion. What relationship could be more romantic than that? Initially, Otis, still adorably naive, meticulously dressed up and even arrived early to their meeting spot, not wanting Maeve to wait, only to discover Maeve was having an abortion. Upon learning the truth, Otis was naturally surprised, but he still bought Maeve flowers and, worried she was hungry, bought her a sandwich. On the walk home, Otis didn't ask a single extra question, simply accompanying her home. This was truly romantic, a wonderfully ambiguous relationship filled with the essence of youth. The ending of this season was certainly unexpected and regrettable but also leaves one eagerly anticipating how their relationship will develop in the next season.
As I mentioned in the first paragraph of this article, this series shares many commonalities with The End of the F*ing World, one of which is its handsome, charming male lead and stylish female lead. Otis is played by Asa Butterfield. Do you remember this child star from Hugo and Ender's Game? He plays the introverted Otis competently, if not spectacularly. In contrast, Ncuti Gatwa and Emma Mackey, who play Eric and Maeve, respectively, have more multi-dimensional roles with greater scope for performance, especially in portraying their vulnerable sides when facing setbacks, and their stark contrast to their usual personas. Also, Emma Mackey truly bears a striking resemblance to Margot Robbie. On the other hand, the familiar X-Files actress Gillian Anderson plays Otis's mother, Jane. While her hair color certainly makes her look older, her portrayal is still incredibly vibrant and perfectly suited to the character's image. As the series revolves around school life, how could it lack youthful costume and styling design? Eric has many rather flamboyant but aesthetically pleasing outfits, giving the behind-the-scenes staff ample opportunity to showcase their creativity, and Maeve's pink hair is also very eye-catching. However, my favorite piece of clothing is still the outer jacket that Otis wears.