Sex Education
Sex is ubiquitous in entertainment. For such an oft-depicted subject, however, there remain many sexual realities that go undiscussed in Hollywood. Netflix’s Sex Education addresses many of the narratives absent from mainstream discussions of sex and intimacy. Set in a British high school, Sex Education follows Otis Milburn; his mother Jean, a sex therapist; and a few of Otis’s classmates and friends. Season 1 is unapologetic, funny, complex, and thoughtful.
Starting off with the first vibrations of Episode 1’s sex scene, the show fearlessly tackles sexual dysfunction issues, homosexuality, homophobia, sexting, and masturbation. Otis and his friend/love interest, Maeve Wiley, recognize their school’s need for sexual help and start a clinic. These issues are not discussed for shock value; we get to see Otis and Maeve offer thoughtful, judgement-free guidance through their own sexual confusions and mishaps. For example, when Adam Groff (the headmaster’s son) fakes an orgasm with his girlfriend because he can’t finish, Otis and Maeve talk him through the possible psychological roots of his problem. The viewer is just as happy as Adam when he finally cums!
Many of the frank words about sex can be attributed to Otis’s mother, Jean. Played by Gillian Anderson, Dr. Jean Milburn is a sex icon in her own right. Usually women above 50 are not portrayed as sexual agents, yet Jean is overflowing with sexual power and agency. Although she’s way too nosy about her son’s life, Jean de-stigmatizes sex, contributing to the show’s positive and open sexual culture.
Beyond the importance of promoting more sexual honesty, Sex Education is super entertaining. From the moment when, in solidarity against slut-shaming, dozens of students insist that a circulating nude photo depicts their vagina to when Otis’s best friend, Eric, teaches popular kids how to give better head, the show’s creators add a lot of comedy to high school drama. That lightness helps to counter the show’s more somber moments. In Episode 5, when Eric and Otis are supposed to go see Hedwig and the Angry Inch together, Otis abandons Eric to help Maeve, leaving Eric to walk home alone in drag. It’s difficult to watch when two homophobes assault Eric. Despite the horror of some scenes, I think my favorite element of Sex Education is the nuance to each character. In the scene where Eric is assaulted, you feel for Eric, for his trauma and pain. You feel for Otis, who somewhat selfishly succumbed to the charms of young love. Each character is humanized, complicated, and multifaceted, making Sex Education an honest portrayal of human intimacy, adolescence, and sexuality.
