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Sex Education (season 2)
Available on Netflix SA
3/5
Having amassed unprecedented streaming figures of almost 40 million views within the first month of the release of its second instalment, UK high school drama series Sex Education has been greenlit for a third season.
There has been much excitement over the series, which provides a refreshingly honest look at adolescent sexuality.
Ironically, the show has garnered much interest locally, even though some teachers and parents have been up in arms over the introduction of comprehensive sexuality education to our national curriculum.
While binge-watching this season, I came to the conclusion that there are good reasons the series is so popular.
The second instalment continues where the first season left off, and boasts nuanced and sympathetic character portrayals that immediately capture one’s interest. Asa Butterfield as the socially awkward Otis and Gillian Anderson as his mother Jean give stellar performances once again.
Undoubtedly this season’s most unforgettable moment occurs as the show culminates in a messy incident that takes place in Jean’s car – as she walks up to her car window, she sees Otis engaged in a solo act of sexual gratification. As she gets to the window, Otis, who in this new instalment is mastering his newly discovered sexual urges, climaxes and covers the window with the spoils.
For those who are despairing that Otis was still single, don’t worry – Otis has scored himself a girlfriend, Ola, played by Patricia Allison. However, he is still dealing with his now strained relationship with Maeve, played by Emma Mackey.
What has drawn many people to the show is that, at its core, it is about people. It utilises a familiar setting and textured characters to create an off-kilter world in which people willingly articulate the things they are thinking.
Aside from exploring contemporary societal issues such as relationships and sexuality, the second season also explores relatable tropes such as broken families.
The relationship between Maeve and her mother (Anne-Marie Duff), who is a recovering addict, is treated with enormous care – humanising the characters in a way that provokes empathy and engagement.
This series really has broken the mould in the way it has pushed boundaries in its exploration of contemporary themes, and in the way it portrays teenagers’ lives in an honest and raw way. Bring on season three.
