The Attraction of Sex Education, Explained
Yesterday was one of those days. The first day of the weekend, for which I planned to catch up on my reading. I still have to finish Mortal Engines, so that I can finally go and see the movie. Because yes, I'm one of those people who likes to read the book before seeing it in film. But that's a story for another time.
After opening the Netflix app on my television (big, big mistake), the day turned out in an unexpected way. The reason? The new Netflix Original series Sex Education. As always, things started out quite innocent with one single episode. But at the end of the day, I found myself on the couch, having watched all episodes of the first season.
Goddamnit. And here I thought this wouldn't happen to me again. Not after that single-day session of the second season of Stranger Things. Oh well… The good thing is that I'm now writing a blog post to find out why this happened. So that I can at least learn something from this experience. How can a series be so good that it lets you watch all its episodes between dawn and dusk?
It's the acting, right? That could be. Sex Education features Gillian Anderson and Asa Butterfield. I must admit that the first name didn't ring a bell for me. Asa Butterfield is a name I do know. In fact, it's one of my favorite actors currently. From The Boy in the Striped Pajamas via Hugo to now Sex Education, this is an actor with a bright future ahead of him. Gillian and Asa, together with the rest of the cast, make sure that Sex Education has a terrific basis to start from.
But that can't be the only thing, right? Good actors alone can only do so much. So what's more? What about the music that supports the images. Many of the songs featured in this series are well-known. But when used at the right moment, they can spark that extra bit of fire. A few classics that you'll come across are Take On Me by a-ha and Love Really Hurts Without You by Billy Ocean. It's so good that I made my own playlist on Spotify, featuring all music from all episodes.
Still, the actors and the music are not the only things that take Sex Education to its climax. There's one thing that makes this series extra special and worthwhile. It's something that goes deeper than the actors and the music. And at the same time, it makes perfect sense when you see it. And this is it.
Authenticity.
Netflix has more series with the same high-school-setting as Sex Education. Examples are the earlier mentioned Stranger Things and, more recently, 13 Reasons Why. While those are also good, they both have something that's out of the ordinary. Something that's reasonable to happen in a series, but not in real life. Stranger Things has its supernatural powers. 13 Reasons Why features the unlikely scenario of a girl leaving videotapes for her classmates after she commits suicide.
None of this is happening in Sex Education. This series has normal boys and girls at a normal high-school. All struggling with teenage problems in their own way.
Otis, an insecure boy who's trying to figure out why on earth he is the one having a mum who's a sex therapist.
Maeve, a tough girl with a little heart who's trying to escape her family drama.
Eric, a gay teenager who still needs to find out who he actually is.
Adam. the cool guy who's afraid of his father, the director of his school.
Jackson, the golden boy of the swim team, loved by everyone. He tries to figure out if he's achieving for himself of for his mum.
And so on, and so forth. This series' authenticity is its golden nugget. For everyone who watches it, there is at least one character they can relate to. One person that has the same feelings and struggles as them. One boy or girl that shows that they're not the only ones in this world dealing with challenges. One human being that can be their role model.
Sex Education, you were an awesome watch. I can't wait for a second season that will be as good and interesting to watch!
