i just finished the last season of sex education and i have some thoughts:
first of all, i really do love what the show did. they brought sexuality, queerness, disability, mental health, and other "taboo" topics to light. it wasn't perfect, and i think they took on a lot of new arcs that were a little unresolved this last season. but overall, a solid show that i will probably re-watch in the future.
i'll list out the specifics of what i liked and disliked below, so spoiler warning! (also tw for anything mentioned in the show)
---LIKED---
ADAM
i was surprised that my favorite interaction was between adam and his father (michael).
i liked how the show handled adam's character development. we are introduced to him in season 1 as a bully. but wait, it's because he is emotionally repressed and has internalized homophobia. this is not an excuse, but an explanation. he is still accountable for the pain he caused (namely, to eric).
and being with eric helps him a lot, but they were not compatible. i really liked how they showed that dynamic. like, some people are so pivotal in your life, but they are not meant to be in it in the same capacity forever (or at all).
i also love how adam is able to admit he's bisexual to the horse girl and she's so normal about it.
MICHAEL
i am very happy they kept michael in the show even though i probably would have been fine if he never returned after the first/second season. but that's not life. people who hurt you stay in your life. and they either turn a blind eye to the pain they caused or try to make amends and change.
seeing michael come to terms with his part to play in his separation with maureen and his lack of connection with his son was peak. a father figure learning how to feel his emotions in a healthy way and take responsibility for how his behavior has hurt others? what a groundbreakingly average thing to show.
his redemption arc is clumsy. he makes adam feel uncomfortable by saying sorry and by voicing his emotions. but he is trying to break out of the cycle of emotional repression. yes, it's too late. damage has been done. but that doesn't mean you don't still work on changing yourself to stop further damage.
in general on this show, i like how character's backgrounds are shown so we understand why they act the way they do. but those are not excuses. those characters must come to terms with what they've done and put in effort to mend relationships.
(also, i cried during this scene ^)
idk like this father-son depiction was so helpful for me to see. seeing a parent take accountability was huge. i really haven't seen many depictions like this in media.
but i hope to see more.
ERIC
love love love this character! he's the flamboyant, confident gay some part of me wishes to be.
i was surprised to like his character arc this season too, even though it involved religion. tbh, when the religious scenes with him would pop up, i'd sort of ignore them and want to get back to the other stuff. but i am actually happy with what they were trying to show with him here.
i loved how they showed eric's conflict. his queerness is at odds with his spirituality. okay, what's new? well, he also wants to stay within the church because he does truly believe in its teachings. plus, his cultural identity is tied to his church, and he doesn't want to give that up.
so again, we as viewers do not get the easy way out (to just leave). we must stick it out and wade our way through the messiness of it all with eric.
i have a personal connection to this character's story as i am queer (more proudly and confidently now) and grew up catholic. i love how the show showed the pastor and other people in the church turning a blind eye to eric's queerness (at first), expecting him to hide it while citing "beliefs" as to why when it's clear jesus (if he was ever a real person) would have never done that.
i do not believe in god anymore. so i thought i'd not relate to anything more of eric's arc after it was clear he wanted to stay religious. but i think they did a great job showing how queerness and religion are not mutually exclusive for people who want/believe in that.
i love how eric stayed true to himself. he is proudly queer AND christian. and i found myself respecting that, even though i, of course, do not fully understand it.
also the moment when his mom stands up and says "i love you as you are, my son" after he comes out to the whole church was peak. a mother who is proud of their queer child? again, groundbreakingly average.
another quote i loved from eric: "i love myself too much to not tell my truth." this is now my mantra.
also, i was surprised i didn't find the whole "seeing god" thing super cheesy.
but it was kinda healing for me, as if i got some closure from my time being queer and catholic.
i remember reading a catholic book in high school that said people who had "homosexual tendencies" were just called by god to be stronger and resist those feelings, as if we are soldiers in a war. as the good little catholic girl i was back then, i obeyed.
so seeing this "god" say "i made you this bright so that others would see in the darkness" was really huge for me.
ERIC & OTIS
i always loved their dynamic. a straight man being able to show affection for his gay best friend (and even dress up in drag together)? groundbreakingly average.
i really liked how they showed their dynamic change, too. otis is eric's best friend but that doesn't mean he's going to understand everything about him. eric needs more friends than just otis. he needs queer friends, black friends, religious friends.
i loved seeing eric come to terms with this. he needs more! he feels guilty! he feels annoyed that otis doesn't listen to him! he tries talking about it with otis but otis shuts him down again and again.
but as this show likes to do, they find a way to work things out. otis is able to look inside himself and realize they don't relate to each other about things that are important to each. and that's okay. they talk. they communicate. they apologize. hurt is acknowledged and repair is happening.
they can still be really good friends, even best friends, even though they are really different than when they started.
i'm so glad a show called "sex education" knew to put a big focus on the importance of deep friendship.
---DISLIKED---
VIV
i really like this character! she is focused on her goals and straight to the point. no bullshit. (and maybe autistic-coded??) i'm glad we still have her in season 4. plus, her and jackson's friendship is still going strong (again, love me some friendship rep).
BUT i do not think they did a ~great~ job with her arc. it was too rushed. they had some great things to say, but little time to properly execute it.
i think the show did a good job showing beau's love bombing and how viv didn't mean to get caught up in the vicious cycle of emotional coercion and abuse (as it is never the victim's fault).
and i really like what aimee had to say to viv about love: "love should make you feel braver... it shouldn't be confusing and it shouldn't be scary."
i also love that viv stands up for herself by saying: "i don't wanna hear from you. i don't know what made you like this, and it's probably something really sad, and i hope you seek some therapy, but if you keep trying to contact me, i will report you."
it's such an emotionally mature response. she acknowledges that there is probably a misguided or potentially traumatic reason beau acts they way he does. but that does not excuse the harm he caused. and she makes it clear there is no avenue for repair in this relationship, so he must do the work of healing (if he so chooses) on his own. she will not allow him access to her.
but idk this whole arc seemed rushed and almost just thrown into the season. like trauma for trauma's sake.
and don't get me wrong, i am glad this was portrayed. it helped me and i imagine many other people in similar situations. but i hope to see a depiction of this more fully fleshed out in media in the future.
CAL
i have similar sentiments for cal's (and jackson's) arcs.
showing how trans dysphoria affects mental health and how medical transition is life-saving is super important !! it's not talked about or shown in media enough !!
but omg this sensitive topic was so rushed. and what was the conclusion? did cal get top surgery? did they finally get to experience gender euphoria? did they go to therapy to help them with their suicidal thoughts? we don't know.
JACKSON
i feel like they really should have kept him as a supporting character this season. he really didn't need his own storyline.
he already had a big arc when he self-harmed to get out of swimming. that was really important to see.
but this whole thing with his dad not wanting him seemed so rushed.i feel like there was something there. some message. but it totally fell flat for me. it was confusing and underdeveloped.
i really like his character so it was a little disappointing to see how he was written this season.
---HONORABLE MENTIONS---
AIMEE
i've enjoyed her character throughout the seasons. she's light-hearted, goofy, and a solid friend to maeve.
showing how she has been processing her sexual assault was liberating. i liked how the writers show her process of accepting it, naming it, and finding her power again. she learns how to continue living and loving with, and not despite, it.
ISAAC
i'm glad the show included a visibly disabled character that didn't seem like pandering (since he wasn't just added in last minute).
he's rough and abrasive sometimes. he's a lil bit of an asshole. but he's kind and has a big heart.
i have a soft spot for purposely written annoying disabled/sick characters. yes, you are allowed to not like a disabled/sick person because of their personality. please do. please just treat them like a human (cause god knows you don't like every single human on earth).
JOANNA
even though her character arc could be categorized as one that was rushed and unresolved, i think she brought a little more insight into jean's character which evened things out (for me).
i like how they show her denial of her childhood trauma. like, it's okay to not want to confront it. it makes sense. and if she never wants to, jean will still love her and help her (to a certain extent). but joanna might be able to be happier if she addresses it.
this quote was amazing: "i'm scared that if i stop moving, and start properly talking about what happened, then it might all catch up on me, and i won't be able to pretend that i'm okay anymore."
MAEVE
kinda weird for her to be so low on this list because she's one of the main characters, but idk i think that's okay. she needed to break free from moordale. she gives herself permission to do so once her mom dies and jean steps in to say the thing she needed her mom to say to her. she needs to go back to america to finish her studies, believe in herself, and see how great of a person she is. and that's hers to do, not ours to see.
the only disappointment i have with maeve just not seeing more of her being happy/content on screen. (i know i literally said that could have been the point, but idk it still would have been nice). she has a big heart, is so resilient and smart, and goes through a lot of heartbreak and loss. she deserves happiness!
THE NEWBIES: THE COVEN & O
super psyched we had some trans, disabled, ENM, and ace rep... but it did feel a little pandering ngl
i think what i liked most about these new characters was seeing the different reasons behind abbi's and o's need for control.
like yay! we're showing that queers are unlikable for their personalities (and not for their sexual orientation)! genuinely so happy to see that (for the same reason i like seeing unlikable disabled characters)!
OTIS
oh otis. he was definitely on the backburner this season. and i was fine with that. it seemed natural? idk. i don't really have much to say about him, even though he is the main character lol.
---CONCLUSION---
and there you have it! my take on the last season of sex education. like i said, i think this show did a great job talking about topics that our society deems "taboo." it gave a platform to many different topics, identities, and experiences. it portrayed sensitive topics tactfully and injected humor at the right moments. it wasn't perfect, but what show truly ever is.
if you have anything to add to my review, feel free to comment. just please be nice! these are just my opinions. and i wrote this for fun! thanks!
You like helping people. It’s one of the reasons why I love you so much. I know you’ve been hurt, but I don’t think you should lose this part of yourself.
