Aimee Gibbs of Netflix’s, Sex Education, will be your new favorite character
If you’re reading this, you’ve probably already binged the latest season of Netflix’s Sex Education. And if you’re like me, you’re probably obsessed with the show’s most iconic character, Aimee Gibbs (Aimee Lou Wood). She’s central to some of the most educational, iconic, and hilarious scenes in Sex Education. Here are some reasons why Aimee Gibbs is this season’s icon.
Aimee has important conversations in therapy
In this season, Aimee goes to therapy with Jean Millburn, who doubles as Otis Milburn’s mom, to process trauma from being sexually assaulted in season two. Her friends had supported her, but Aimee hadn’t really dealt with the psychological effects of the assault. In her therapy session with Jean, she describes her lack of interest in sex and being touched by her boyfriend.
“Ever since it happened, I don’t like the way my body feels,” Aimee says after describing the assault to her therapist.
In another session her therapist confronts Aimee’s fear that maybe if she hadn’t smiled at the man, he wouldn’t have assaulted her. But Jean shuts that down immediately and kindly explains to Aimee that the assault had nothing to do with her or how she acted.
Aimee’s openness and honesty in therapy allows the audience to witness some great moments. If anyone watching these scenes could relate to Aimee, it might have helped to hear Jean tell Aimee that none of it was her fault, and she doesn’t have to change anything about herself because of the actions of that man.
She’s the best friend everyone wants
In this season, Aimee and Maeve’s friendship develops a lot, bringing them to an even deeper level. In general, Aimee is a great friend to Maeve. She does the regular friend things like driving Maeve to school and helping her with her relationship problems. Despite Aimee being a huge Motis shipper, she eagerly listens to Maeve when she describes her developing relationship with Isaac. At the end of the season, she also helps Maeve “get her head screwed back on” and tells her to take advantage of the opportunity to go study in America.
There’s also the scene towards the end of the season when Aimee tells Maeve they can be each other’s second moms. Since Maeve’s mom hasn’t really been in the picture, this gesture was especially touching. It’s a really adorable scene.
Basically, Aimee is the best friend a girl could have.
She promotes body positivity
This season, Aimee becomes a body positive queen. Jean introduces her to the many different shapes and sizes of vulvas, and Aimee is shocked. Seeing this helps her become more comfortable with her own body, and, like Aimee’s frank discussions about sexual assault, could help viewers who are struggling to accept themselves.
Later in the episode, Aimee hands out vulva cupcakes. When a girl cringes at them, Aimee promptly tells her that “every vulva is unique and beautiful and should be cherished.” Seeing her complete lack of care for other people’s judgement was honestly really inspiring.
She has a pet goat named Goat
Something new to this season is Aimee’s pet goat, Goat. (Yes, the goat’s name is Goat.)
Aimee and her boyfriend, Steve, decided to adopt Goat as their “commitment animal” in hopes of building a stronger relationship. Scenes with Aimee and Goat are some of the best of the season. In my personal favorite, Aimee brings Goat to her lab class but has to leave in the middle of it to take Goat to the bathroom. In the midst of their bathroom outing, a naked student running around campus takes Goat for coverage. He runs off, but the audience later sees Aimee and Goat together at her therapy session, so it’s assumed that they reunited after that incident.