Spoiler warning: This review contains spoilers for season three of Sex Education.
Netflix’s hit series Sex Education is back with its third season as of September 17, 2021. This series follows roughly the same characters—many of whom are in their final year of high school—as their new head teacher, Hope, tries to reform the school to shed its title of “Sex School.” Although the second season ended quite literally with a bang, as the school put on a space-sex-alien adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, this season uses a much calmer approach, akin to its first (mostly).
Season three tackles many of the issues the previous two had yet to discuss. We see what it is like when families merge; when trans and non-binary students take an important role; when characters learn healthier communication techniques; and when they tackle the difficulties of getting ready to move away from home.
Ola and Otis are forced to move in together when Otis’s mother, Jean, realizes she’s pregnant with what she assumes is Ola’s father’s baby. The older couple spend the rest of the season trying to find and establish balance in their new, joint home with their children and with each other. Overall, this side of the storyline demonstrates a realistic possibility for freshly merged families, as everyone struggles on individual and communal levels, and tries to seek external and interpersonal support to make it through.
Season three also introduces two non-binary characters, Cal and Layla, who both face the same discrimination from the new head teacher and some classmates, but cope with and handle the oppression differently. Cal sits at the forefront alongside Jackson, who learns to confront his own preconceptions on gender and sexuality when he falls for Cal later in the season.
One of the most infamous characters of the show, Adam Groff, also undergoes a strong transformation this season. Now together with Eric, he confronts his own discomfort with expressing his sexuality in public and to his family members, and he slowly learns how to communicate with those around him. His father also undergoes a parallel transformation as he tries to learn how to live on his own, claim responsibility for his actions, and communicate his emotions and desires. In addition, he apologizes to those he hurt in his life. Unfortunately for him, the show also demonstrates the reality of when it might be too late for forgiveness.
Lastly, Maeve is encouraged by the teaching staff at Moordale to apply for a study programme for advanced students in the United States. After she is accepted and her promise for funding from the school board caves, she is left to redefine her success in the face of not being able to attend. By the end of the show, Maeve comes upon the money and hesitantly decides to leave, realizing the opportunity awaiting her.
Overall, I would say that the third season of Sex Education is stronger than the second, even though it has changed dramatically from its first. The only thing that holds it back (or, if you’re a bigger fan of the second season, saves it) is the epic sequence on open day, where the students of Moordale put on a video/dance/musical number for the Sex School.
