‘Sex Education’ Finally Brings Depth to Teen Dramas

In its first episode, “Sex Education” seems to harken to the traditional high school drama series: A big, bad bully terrorizes the school’s social loner, while his best friend is in love with a girl who is seemingly out of his league. Even the jocks roam the school with their green and yellow letterman jackets. However, what at first seems cliché instead turns into an engrossing TV series about the lives of students at Moordale Secondary School.

Netflix’s new eight episode long series follows the lives of high-school students Otis Millburn (Asa Butterfield) and his best friend Eric Effiong (Ncuti Gatwa). Taking inspiration from his mom’s career as a sex therapist, Otis teams with social outcast Maeve Wiley (Emma Mackey) to create a career for himself giving advice to his peers about their sex lives (or lack thereof) at their school. Despite being one of creator Laurie Nunn’s first works, her show twists overdone and overplayed character tropes through sharp, clever subversions. The show masterfully mixes humor with serious moments, producing a work that is insightful, captivating, and heart-warming.

Otis and his mother Jean (Gillian Anderson) have a dynamic relationship that is hilarious, but still relatable. While Jean is a sex therapist (and thus no stranger to uncomfortable conversations), Otis is sexually repressed, disgusted even by the idea of masturbating. Time after time, Jean pushes Otis to talk about his sexual issues, fracturing Jean’s relationship with her son by blending her professional job with her role as a mother. Despite the unique circumstances of their relationship, Otis and Jean are relatable because many experience similar issues of teenage independence and the infringement thereof. Regardless, this dichotomy is refreshing from the usual parent-child relationship characteristic of teen dramas.

Adding depth to the plot, Otis’s best friend Eric is one of the most compelling characters on television at the moment. As one of two openly gay kids at his school, Eric stands out. Known for being loud, Eric loves dancing and wearing fun, bright clothes. In his spare time, he practices applying makeup in his room, much to the chagrin of his overprotective father. Because of his family’s religious background, one would imagine that this parent-son relationship would be strained and unhealthy. Though there is strife in the relationship, Eric’s father does not push his son to change, instead he aims to protect his safety in a world still riddled with homophobia.

Maeve Wiley is another of the main characters, played compellingly by Emma Mackey. Despite the fact that this is the actress’s first role on the screen, she portrays her character comfortably. Even though the character builds a wall between herself and the world around her, small mannerisms, such as her constant nail biting, clue the viewer to her true psyche as a nervous and sensitive person. Her story makes her a particularly moving character. Her dad abandoned both her and her brother, leaving them in the care of her drug-addicted mother who eventually leaves as well. After her brother skips town due to a drug deal gone bad, Maeve is forced to fend for herself, turning to shoplifting and doing homework for others for money, and eventually running the business end of Otis’ sex clinic. The show focuses on her battle between survival and school, where she is a silent over-achiever.

Unfortunately for new viewers, the first episode does not uphold the quality of the overall show. The accents are the only clue for the setting, which is a vague mesh of America and England. The town is more forest than buildings, the school is American-ized with lockers and letterman jackets. Even the decade isn’t clear until PornHub is mentioned. It is also a fairly shocking work of television, to say the least. Though the viewer can expect sex to be featured, most viewers aren’t prepared to see a man’s genitals on their screens. Fortunately, the show’s unique concept and its humor is enough to keep a person invested.

Despite the hiccups of the first episode, complex relationships make “Sex Education” different from other shows of its genre. The viewer wants Otis to find his strength and ask the girl out. The viewer want Jean to break habits fostered by her failed marriage. The viewer wants Eric to feel comfortable in his character even while the world challenges him. Regardless of the character, the viewer wants them to succeed. This multidimensionality of the characters creates an interesting situation where this show does not have a “villain,” so to speak. Just as in real life, people are more complex than they seem to be on the surface, which the show reflects. More than anything, the characters are a reflection of the 21st century rather than worn out ideas of the past, and “Sex Education” gives hope to the future of teen dramas.