Sex Education is serious and funny, romantic and platonic, focused on sexual behavior and also interested in all sorts of social and emotional issues of the teens and their school. It’s quite a roller-coaster, and I found myself rooting for many of them to connect with each other, stand up for themselves, and discover some self-confidence. It’s set in England, and the foreign culture gives it a bit of distance (along with the accents) to make it feel like another world.
The show is certainly about sexual behavior, but it is also about identity, communication, family, community, and growth. In many moments, the teens support and accept each other in ways that are helpful models for all of us. Teens say things like “I can’t talk about that right now,” “I just need some space,” and “I’m not ready for that yet (regarding intimacy.)” The show provides many inspiring moments related to the concept of consent: requests, check-ins, rejections, counter-offers, and joyful acceptance. The storylines are full of plots that did not air in my teen years – same-sex romance, body image, masturbation, asexuality, fantasy – with a healthy dose of racial and cultural diversity. The various subplots move back and forth quickly, as there is much to cover in each episode, and that means there is plenty to think about and re- consider when the credits roll. The show has been nominated for several awards, including the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comedy.
While I found the three lead characters compelling, I especially appreciated the smile and energy of Eric (Ncuti Gatwa.) The extensive supporting cast members are each endearing as they grow and change during the three seasons.
One critique I have of the show is that almost all of the teachers and adults are relatively worthless to the teens in their genuine struggles. In particular, the head teachers are authoritarian and clueless (ouch!) The cringeworthy adults make for some good humor, and their ineptness does cause the teens to learn how to support each other in meaningful ways. However, back here, I like to think that the North Star staff can be functional and helpful to our members, and I kept hoping for such a person to appear in the show.
Well, if they re-cast or expand the series for season four, perhaps they can bring in our staff member Kizzi, who teaches the Sex is a Funny Word class at North Star. Several other current and former North Star staff members could be teachers or advisors, though I’m still wondering how I would fit in at Moordale High School.
Meanwhile, I’m saving some seats at North Star for Otis, Maeve, Eric, Lily (especially Lily!), Ola, Eric, Aimee, Adam, Viv, Cal, Jackson, Rahim, Ruby, and Layla.
I’d love to hear your thoughts about this show. Also, if there are other shows about teens that make you think about North Star, please tell us about them here. Thanks!
