Damon Robinson – Editor-in-Chief
It’s a Sunday night, and with work the next morning I decided to finally see what the heck that Netflix show I see on my home page is all about. My first impressions are this: It feels awfully uncomfortable watching supposed-to-be teenagers banging with their parents listening in from below.
That is legitimately what happens and I would understand if that makes your head turn away. However, you would be missing out on one of the biggest surprises of the year if you switch shows before you take in what it actually is. Sex Education is a relatable show that shows no fear while facing the topics that we all had issues talking about when we were in high school. I was shocked with how in-depth the characters got with sexual and personal issues that would legitimately be confusing for a seventeen-year-old.
You can easily tell how much the writers and producers have invested in the premise of the show. The primary characters could have been easily categorized into character archetypes found after a five-minute search on TV Tropes, but they’re not. Otis can be seen at the prototypical sexually-repressed nerd, while Maeve could be the Manic-Pixie-Dream-Girl we’ve seen in every 2000’s romantic comedy.
The thing is, they’re not. While the characters archetypes are a part of them, it isn’t entirely them. The shows writing is very deep, and it is naturally funny. There are no laugh tracks or moments of jokes coming in one after another. What there is, however, is a full eight episodes of relatable adventures to solving the issues revolving around sexuality in the mind of a seventeen-year-old.
The show revolves around Otis (Asa Butterfield), a son to a local sex therapist Jean (Gillian Anderson). Otis’ immense knowledge about human sexuality leads badass Maeve (Emma Mackey) to utilize his shrink-like ability to educate the young men and women at their school. The premise is simple and is surprisingly effective. One of the highlights of the show is the acting of gay best friend Eric (Ncuti Gatwa). Eric, as a character is one that we often have seen thrown to the wayside, utilized as the token best friend who the main characters spill all the contents of the episode too. The way Sex Education handles Eric is a breath of fresh air. Eric isn’t just the gay, black best friend; Rather, he is just Eric, an immensely complicated human teenager exploring himself and what he truly wants in the world.
If you are ever looking for something to watch, Sex Education is one that I would personally recommend. This Netflix-Original has shown me the time-old lesson is still valid, don’t judge a book by its cover.
Sex Education is hosted on Netflix and has been renewed for a second season.
