Netflix series brings new meaning to “Sex Education”

BY KAREN SUROS

To a lot of teenagers, the words “sex education” bring back memories of that awkward but brief class their gym teacher was required to give them.

Think Coach Carr in “Mean Girls”: “Don’t have sex, because you will get pregnant and die! Don’t have sex in the missionary position, don’t have sex standing up, just don’t do it, okay, promise? Okay, now everybody take some rubbers.”

Netflix’s new original series “Sex Education,” a simultaneously bawdy and heartwarming coming-of-age comedy-drama, brings a whole new meaning to the term.

Asa Butterfield plays the protagonist, Otis, an unpopular high school student. The experience he lacks in the love-making department is made up for by his sex therapist of a mother, who does not miss an opportunity to embarrass him with new guidance. This advice does not do Otis much good, but it turns out it comes in handy for counseling his peers.

Otis, with his pitiful upbringing and quirky mannerisms, comes across as endearing. His best friend, Eric (Ncuti Gatwa), is hilarious, honest and eager— but he is no sidekick

When wicked smart Maeve (Emma Mackey) gets a whiff of this, she takes advantage of the money-making opportunity and convinces Otis to start a sex clinic. It does not take long for Otis to realize as helpful as he is with the confused student body, he just cannot manage to help himself. Yes, that is a euphemism.

Quite impressive is how upfront and unforgivingly “Sex Education” delves into sex. Obvious as it may seem that a show surrounding sex actually talks about sex, it’s rare that shows centered around teenagers can really get into the nitty-gritty. This show certainly earns its MA rating; nudity, cursing and adult themes are everywhere. In fact, the opening scene is shockingly sexually explicit; let this be the warning.

However, just because the show and its characters handle mature themes with, well, maturity, does not mean they are above and beyond typical teenage shenanigans. Obscene drawings, crude jokes and straight-up juvenile attitudes play their role in “Sex Education.”

Still, most impressive is how despite the raunchiness, the core theme revolves around relationships, whether they are between parents and their children, sexual partners or best friends. These relationships demonstrate communication, trust and understanding, as well as growth and learning.

The most disappointing part of “Sex Education” was that it ended much too soon. Viewers will not want to wait long to see what else this X-rated comedy-drama has to offer.

To be fair, impactful relationships are easy to create when the show includes a variety of interesting, well-rounded characters. Otis, with his pitiful upbringing and quirky mannerisms, comes across as endearing. His best friend, Eric (Ncuti Gatwa), is hilarious, honest and eager— but he is no sidekick. He makes a powerful impression on his own as an openly and proudly gay student, with his own set of struggles apart from handling Otis’.

The most disappointing part of “Sex Education” was that it ended much too soon. Viewers will not want to wait long to see what else this X-rated comedy-drama has to offer.

Maeve is smart and resourceful despite having been dealt a bad hand in life. She makes the most of her circumstances no matter what they are, all while managing to be witty. Let’s just say she’s a rebel. Jackson (Kedar Williams-Stirling) seems to be the perfect head boy on the outside, but is living in an unhappy home and does not always know how to deal with it.

What does one get when they put all of these fascinating characters into a single show? A beautiful display of friendship and a show of solidarity, but also pettiness and scandals. Essentially, this is what makes for a genuinely compelling show about teens.

“Sex Education” is not without its faults. Otis (Asa Butterfield) struggles with advising a lesbian couple. Additionally, it might treat the topic of bullying too lightly, brushing it off rather than showing the serious repercussions. Overall, though, it relates to a number of personalities and shows just how human everyone is at the end of the day. No one is truly alone in what they go through.

Photo courtesy of  Womentainment