Netflix’s Sex Education

I know I’m a little behind, but I only just recently watched all of Netflix’s new show Sex Education. I had so many feelings about the show that I could not wait for my monthly wrap-up. It really needs its own post.During  sophomore year of college, my best friend and I got absolutely obsessed with the UK show Skins. I don’t remember how we first got into it, but once we started the first season, we were HOOKED! I remember watching the first two seasons, and then I immediately rewatched them all over again. The UK really knows how to make great teen dramas, they never hold anything back. Sex Education is no different. Any review you saw of this new show compared it to Skins—my own friends used that to get me to watch—and while I totally see the similarities, this was so much goofier. In the best possible way. A review I saw on the site Adolescent had this as their headline and I couldn’t agree with it more: “Netflix’s ‘Sex Education’ is John Hughes for the socially conscious generation” 

A short synopsis from Wikipedia:

Socially awkward high school student Otis may not have much experience in the lovemaking department, but he gets good guidance on the topic in his personal sex ed course — living with mom Jean, who is a sex therapist. Being surrounded by manuals, videos and tediously open conversations about sex, Otis has become a reluctant expert on the subject. When his classmates learn about his home life, Otis decides to use his insider knowledge to improve his status at school, so he teams with whip-smart bad girl Maeve to set up an underground sex therapy clinic to deal with their classmates’ problems. But through his analysis of teenage sexuality, Otis realizes that he may need some therapy of his own.

The first thing that I have to say about the show is the CLOTHING! Definitely not a bad thing—because some outfits were killer—but they were out there. So much color! The juxtaposition between their dated clothes and their iPhones just cracked me up. Ok, I’m done. Now for the content.

SO. MUCH. SEX POSITIVITY! I’m mean you would assume so, since it is called Sex Education, but it could have been so easy to mess this up. These teens are acting like actual teens—they’re awkward and questioning everything. Not only is their sex positivity in the physical sense, but also when it comes to sexuality. Otis has a gay best friend named Eric that just wants to be himself, even if that means he wears a full face of makeup. The queer representation was really great.

Asa Butterfield, who plans main character Otis, was just fantastic. I loved his arc and the character development over the course of the eight episodes. As he is helping these people with their sex and relationship problems, it’s forcing him to take a look at his own body. He goes from being this completely invisible kid, to the school therapist. I can’t wait to learn more about him, especially his childhood.

All the characters are so much more than the stereotypical high school students. And then the adults! I hope in the second season we get more background on some of these parents. Eric’s father is just trying to understand his only son and wants to protect him from people who will hurt him just for being different. Of course, Gillian Anderson was an absolute dream. She just wants to help Otis, to get him to open up about his issues with his body. I loved her outfits. The greatest jumpsuits that were so hippie-like.

I feel like we only got just a taste of these characters with only getting eight episodes. I can’t wait for another season and hopefully many more in the future.