Despite being one of Netflix’s more popular original series, I think my supervisor at work and I are the only people I actually know who watch this show. Sex Education is quirky and bizarre and has only gotten more so as the seasons have gone on, but there is something so satisfying to me about living in the colorful, fantastical world the show has created. I feel for the characters all so much. Each and every one is funny, entertaining, and heartbreaking in their own way and the show works hard to give them all gratifying story arcs and character development. Everyone is genuinely a good person deep down but they all have their burdens to deal with. I am, of course, invested in the central will they/won’t they relationship of Otis and Maeve, but Maeve on her own has always been such a tough, cool female lead that has captivated me from the first episode. Of the slightly more supporting characters, Eric and Aimee (best friends of the two leads) are just absolute rays of sunshine who both go on heartwrenching journeys over the course of the series and work hard to grow and live. I would probably take a bullet for either of them I care about them so much. 

I think in general the show depicts a lot of powerful moments of community and friendship and just showing up for the people you care about. It does tackle a lot of important issues (LGBTQ+ rights, disabilities, religion, mental health, sexual assault, trauma, toxic masculinity, etc.) but it doesn’t come off as preachy or self righteous (for the most part). The storylines aren’t centered around fighting for these issues; they just show people who deal with these issues living their lives where that is sometimes a factor and sometimes not. I feel like I’ve learned a lot without even trying or feeling like I was watching something intentionally informative. 

Season 4 was the final season of the series and the ending definitely did make me cry. In the final episode, they tried to give every character a proper send off which I appreciated even though it did make the episode drag on a little too long. I don’t necessarily agree with everyone’s endings, but I understand and respect them. This season started to feel a little repetitive with certain disagreements between characters and issues they dealt with. They also dipped even further into the surreal elements like hallucinations and dream sequences that felt more wacky than was likely intended. While this season was not as strong as previous seasons, I still enjoyed it and always love being in this world with these characters.  For those who haven’t watched the show, I think season 1 is incredible and worth the watch. It’s whimsical, it’s quirky, it’s weird, but if you can get past that and appreciate the beautiful aesthetic, the British accents, and the overwhelming amount of heart radiating off the screen, I think you’ll enjoy it as much as I do!

2023 Count: 25 seasons, 41 movies, 1 special