Sex Education Season 3 creator: Laurie Nunn
Sex Education Season 3 cast: Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Emma Mackey and Ncuti Gatwa
Sex Education Season 3 rating: 3.5 stars
The reviews for Sex Education season 3 have proved extremely positive, with the show's Rotten Tomatoes score extremely high and reflecting the consensus that it remains every bit as good in its third year. Sex Education debuted back in 2019 to great acclaim, almost instantly proving a hit with both critics and audiences alike. Sex Education season 2 was more divisive, at least for its controversial ending, which conspired to keep Otis and Maeve apart thanks to the work of Isaac.
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The first half (four episodes) of the show in a way addresses the leftover issues from season 2 amid the tension created by new rules around Moordale Secondary. It continues to be informative entertainment at its best as the introduction of non-binary characters definitely broadened the curriculum of ‘things to learn from the show’. This also enables the writers to talk about much relevant issues of breast/chest binding using spandex in an eye-opening sequence.
Season 3’s story follows the tried and tested formula of making you laugh & learn at the same time. Sadly, the humour this time around is majorly limited just to Eric’s character and Aimee to a certain extent. The first scene of the season, in which all the couples of Moordale are shown having sex through a brilliantly mashed up montage, pumps you up (pun intended) for how amazing the screenplay is going to be from here.
Another instance of dazzling cinematography (Jamie Cairney, Oli Russell) is the way the camera pans from one character to another, in the campus containing the same shot. This instant shift of emotions from one track to another without any break just hints at the amount of hard work invested in the screenplay. It’s also more relatable because of the issues addressed. It doesn’t let you be only a viewer for a long time, you’ll pick an issue from multiple of them addressed via many characters. You’ll pick the issue and go on the battle of solving that with your favourite character.
The script this time around also masterfully balances two important relationships, one straight (Otis & Maeve), one gay (Eric & Adam) without leaning more on either of the sides. There are some unwanted sequences, which I understand why they’re there (to build more sub-plots for the future episodes) but they are added just to match the 8-episode criteria of every season. The whole trip to France sequence should’ve been way more shorter and so as Otis’ ‘Pyaar Ka Punchnama’ moment with Ruby.
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In the aftermath of the fake chlamydia outbreak at Moordale Secondary, the sex musical and Dr Milburn’s attempt to get a comprehensive sex education curriculum in place, things have, let’s say, shaken up at school. We have a new principal, Hope Haddon who makes an entry dancing to a highly popular song, wearing a well-tailored dress, a slick haircut and sporting a lipstick shade that the cool kids approve of. Too good to be true, our inner student vibe warns us. And lo and behold, there are major Umbridge flashbacks, as Hope is on a mission to de-sexify the school. Uniforms are back, so is the ‘walk in a single-file’ rule, and the safe haven for all things decadent — the old, defunct toilet blocks — are also taken down. Abstinence makes a comeback. She must have taken lessons from Harry Potter, because her borderline racist, ancient approach to teaching that wants to fit students into mechanical boxes is right up Dolores Umbridge’s playbook.
Soon Hope’s diktats start to infringe on personal identities. Gone are Maeve’s statement nose rings and dyed hair, Lily’s cool alien-inspired hairdos, and Cal, a new student who identifies as non-binary, is forced to fit into the ‘girls’ line and toilet. Trouble soon starts to brew again in the hallowed halls of the school.
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England, since the time of Enid Blyton, gets the schools — and the stories of Young Adults — almost right each time. Be it the Malory Towers or St Clare’s series, and even Harry Potter, the magic aside, who wouldn’t want to attend Hogwarts? The good streak continues with YA shows like Skins, Misfits, The Inbetweeners and films like The History Boys. Sex Education is just continuing the good work and building up on the foundation of this tradition.
Even though, yes, the show is about angsty 17-year-olds, who yes are obsessed with ‘w***king off’, their genitalia and are procuring information from not-so-reliable sources. But the questions and issues the show raises can be experienced by people of all ages. It does so with such warmth, grace and empathy, that we all sigh and wish loudly that we had an Otis, Maeve, Eric and even Jackson in our school.
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This season revolves around the lives of 15 varied characters & these are just the important ones, there are a few more of the recurring cast creating a solid impact on the script. Makers continue to keep the ‘flawed’ Asa Butterfield’s Otis on the frontline at the other side of the table. His character arc doesn’t put him up like a role model for the teenagers but showcases his shortcomings proving why everyone’s messy but not everyone cleans. Emma Mackey’s Maeve levels up her ‘mature’ stats continuing to be one of the sanest minds.
Gillian Anderson’s Jean becomes pregnant in her 40s believing that the kid is fated. Nailing the nuances of a pregnant woman, Anderson continues to be the smart sex therapist of the city. Ncuti Gatwa’s Eric along with Connor Swindells’ Adam get the best character arcs in this season. They both together are this black-and-white couple (not referring to the colour of their skin) getting to know the complexities of each other. Ncuti Gatwa remains to be the best performer of the lot because of how well he can transition from a know-it-all extrovert to someone who feels trapped in his life.
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Kedar Williams-Stirling’s Jackson’s track is shorter this time around but his equation with Cal answers some of the most important questions of the show. Alistair Petrie’s Michael undergoes ‘hriday-parivartan’ giving the boring AF headmaster a bit more humane touch. The four pillars in Mimi Keene’s Ruby, Aimee Lou Wood’s Aimee, Tanya Reynolds’s Lily & Patricia Allison’s Ola provide ample support to the main characters.
Watch Season 3, and get enamoured by this beautiful series, and a scintillating third season. Perhaps it can teach our schools a thing or two. Oh, and one more thing. There are enough memes and gifs on the internet that tell us we should value people and friends who introduce us to new music. Sex Education has been that invaluable friend since their debut. The soundtrack for season three, continues the good work. Right from Nancy Sinatra to David Bowie, Queen to Duran Duran, they have it all. Just like school, something for everyone.
SCREEN SHOTS
