You know your childhood is officially over when you watch a show in which your middle school celebrity crush talks only about sex.
“Sex Education” follows the story of awkward high school student Otis Milburn (Asa Butterfield), the son of two sex therapists, as he forms an underground sex clinic for his fellow classmates with the help of outsider Maeve Wiley (Emma Mackey) and his best friend, Eric (Ncuti Gatwa).
From giving advice on common bodily problems to helping the most popular boy in school get the girl, Otis is able to help just about everyone but ends up pushing those he cares about away in the process.
While the show comes across as pure slapstick comedy, I was laughing consistently throughout every episode. The humour was more situational rather than reaching for sexual jokes that would have seemed overly cheesy and out of place.
However, “Sex Education” wasn’t afraid to tackle more serious subjects. Moments focused on parental neglect, divorce and unplanned pregnancies were presented in such a beautiful way that they were still deep and thoughtful without removing too much of the comedic element.
If you need any reason to watch “Sex Education,” it should honestly be for the script.
The characters developed well beyond the seemingly basic stereotypes. They leave you emotional and wanting more.
From Eric, who is openly gay, struggling with just how open he should be to Aimee’s (Aimee Lou Wood) need to please everyone coupled with her ability to remain loyal to those who matter most, no character is left underutilized.
Without such a fantastic cast, the show could have been far more awkward and remarkably less endearing than it was.
Gillian Anderson and Butterfield’s mother/son relationship was positively charming and sweet despite the few problems they faced. The entire ensemble of classmates’ interactions remained incredibly consistent while still maintaining crucial character developments.
However, Wood and Gatwa’s performances stole both the show and my heart. Their acting was hilarious and incredibly charismatic during their comedic scenes, but they were absolutely spectacular when it came to the more dramatic moments of the show.
Despite an outstanding cast and gorgeous writing, the only disclaimer I have for the show is that it is, well … raunchy, to say the least.
Besides language, the most common worry for the audience is focused on the sexual aspects of the show. “Sex Education” is a show obviously about sex. They use every term from Urban Dictionary and discuss all sorts of sexual problems.
But, and I urge you, if you are uncomfortable with nudity, skip the show. Most of the nudity only occurs for a few seconds at a time, and only once every other episode, but you will see things, male and female.
Overall, “Sex Education” is crude in nature, but that just adds more fun and humor to the story.
If you’re looking for a show that provides genuine laughter with an actual plot and you’re not too squeamish about sex, I would highly, highly recommend this one!
I personally cannot wait for season two.
