Netflix has been killing the game lately with original T.V. shows, and they decided to take a break from spooky shows such as YOU and The Haunting of Hill House for the quirky and realistic comedy, Sex Education. This hilarious British show revolves around Otis (aka my British boy crush Asa Butterfield), a social outcast who begins to make money through giving sex advice to his classmates.
Not every character is having sex.
Did I mention our dorky main character Otis is a virgin? And so is his openly gay best friend? That’s right! While the show heavily revolves around teenagers and their sex lives, there’s a fair amount of characters who aren’t having sex.
Gif courtesy of giphy
There’s a positive portrayal of abortion and relevant sexual topics.
I promise no spoilers! Storylines surrounding abortion are difficult to say the least, and Sex Education handles it a sensitive way. There are other sexual topics that need to be addressed for today’s youth. Revenge porn, experiencing your first queer relationship, and the pressure to lose your virginity are plotlines that are carefully and hilariously acknowledged.
There’s great acknowledgement of masturbation and self-love.
Why don’t we talk about female masterburation? Sex Education went there through Aimee, a sweet girl who’s view on sex is mostly based off what she’s learned from porn. Throughout the season, she learns that sex doesn’t have to be like the intense, degrading videos she’s on the internet, and also learns the benefits of masterbation.
DIVERSITY.
We have one of our main characters, Eric, who is black and comes from a traditional African family. Not to mention an interracial lesbian couple and Ola, who is biracial. The diversity in Sex Education puts other shows to shame, and it’s hardly addressed which just goes to show how diversity is celebrated, and sex is normal among all races and sexual orientations.
There’s a single, sexually empowered older woman.
I’m not sure how much your parents talked to you about sex, but I can guarantee it wasn’t as much as Jean Milburn- played queen Gillian Anderson- to her son Otis. Jean works as a sex therapist out of their house, and is open with her one night stands as a woman who knows what she wants. She smokes weed and isn’t afraid to talk about dirty (pun intended) topics with both adults and teenagers.
Sex Education is a show for young people no matter what your knowledge of sex is. It is breaking boundaries and is unabashed in it’s message all while making us laugh. It’s already been renewed for a second season, so there’s no telling what plot lines and issues it’ll tackle in the near future. (Most of all, I think we’re just curious as to who Otis will end up with.)