When the series finale of Netflix’s “Sex Education” came out at the end of September, I found myself reflecting on the healing impact that the series had on the teenagers and adults of modern society. The first season amassed around 40 million viewers and quickly became one of Netflix’s self reported Global Top 10. It is clear that “Sex Education” rose to the top of the charts because of its shocking transparency around society’s most taboo issues.
Every community, no matter the size, has these taboo topics. They are whispered at middle school sleepovers and banned at the Thanksgiving dinner table. The lack of discourse around these topics is a breeding ground for misinformation and bias. This issue is intensified by the lack of comprehensive sex education; only 30 states require sex education to be taught in public schools, so students are left to learn from peers and other unreliable resources.
“Sex Education” brings the most stigmatized topics to the forefront. At the series’ beginning, Otis, the main character played by Asa Butterfield, takes a role as a school sex therapist, operating his service out of a run-down bathroom stall. Despite its humble setting, Otis’ clinic proves to be a valuable resource for students of all identities. He works with students who are questioning their sexuality and students who are confident advocates for LGBTQIA+ rights. Regardless of how they come to him, Otis responds with judgment-free advice that makes the students — and the viewers — feel a little bit more normal.
For example, one of Otis’s classmates, Florence, comes to his clinic with a lack of desire for physical intimacy. All around her, her classmates are pressuring her into intimate relationships with another student, but she is uninterested. This leaves Florence, typically a confident actress, feeling ashamed and alone. Otis encourages Florence to focus on her own journey and ignore what her friends are saying, while Otis’ mother, an actual sex therapist played by Gillian Anderson, educates Florence about asexuality, which helps her discover that aspect of her identity.
Despite its title, “Sex Education” addresses a variety of topics outside of intimacy. In the final season, the show addresses topics like grief, ableism, toxic parental relationships and motherhood. Otis’s mother has another child in this season. She struggles with renewed motherhood, turbulent romantic relationships and her career. Her chaotic home and stressed appearance display just how overwhelmed she is. After encouragement from family and friends, she breaks down and admits her struggles in a tear-filled call to her doctor to request medication for postpartum depression.
“Sex Education” also uses its platform to highlight important human rights issues. Throughout the fourth season, the main characters attend a school that prides itself on inclusivity and social progress. At the series end, Isaac, a character with a disability, speaks up about the lack of accessibility in the school. After drawing attention to the school’s performative activism, he and a hard-of-hearing student begin a sit-in that ultimately results in improvements in visibility and accommodations for students with disabilities.
In this show, nothing is off limits. It addresses the messy, humiliating and sad aspects of intimacy and life. Because of this, viewers can find solace in knowing that they are seen and are not as “weird” as they might have thought. In a society where we are made to feel ashamed and isolated for our differences, that is exactly the feeling that we need.
“Sex Education’s” message is best summarized by Otis in the fourth season:
“I am incredibly awkward and I struggle with public speaking. I suffer from anxiety, and I often don’t like the way my body looks…so… I am a mess, but I think all teenagers are and I think that’s why it’s so important that we can talk.”
The quote is simple, poignant and an important reminder that no matter what society says, you are not alone.