Netflix's "Sex Education" Review
CONTENT WARNINGS: spoilers & mentions of gendered violence
The recent Netflix show “Sex Education” has rocked the internet with its raunchy, hilarious, and touchy portrayal of teenage sexual exploration. It not only tackles the trivial, more embarrassing inevitabilities regarding sex and love, but also large themes of masculinity, gender expression, and relationships. Otis, an (painfully) awkward teenage virgin, and his unlikely friend Maeve, an edgy and cool girl, start a sex clinic together. The greatest irony is that although Otis epitomizes the stereotype of a ‘virgin’, he exhibits more wisdom than his experienced peers — drawing upon his mother’s knowledge as a sex therapist. Eric, Otis’ best friend, is a gay flamboyant teenager who is expressive, although made to feel insecure by his peers and father who isn’t fully accepting of his lifestyle. The journeys of these principal characters and interactions with their peers beautifully illustrate the tension of growing into yourself.
Throughout the show, we witness the struggles that characters have within themselves and relationships. Otis, although incredibly wise on the subject of sex, is not comfortable with his own sexuality and body. This is mostly attributed to his mother, Jean, who is a sex therapist that isn’t too keen on boundaries. By prying into her son’s privacy constantly, she exacerbates the insecurity and pressure he feels within himself to be a “normal” teenager. But as we learn from the multitude of peers who confide in Otis on their sexual troubles, normalcy does not actually exist. We see that teenagers and even adults are on a spectrum of sexual comfortability in their relationships and themselves.
For example, a couple, with broken arms and casts around their necks after a horribly-gone wrong attempt at sex in the dark, reveal to Otis that their real problem is not their physical impairment, but the differences in the relationship. The girlfriend says she is insecure about her body, and thus the light, while her boyfriend is upset he can’t see her. Otis helps them reach a compromise, but most importantly, emphasizes communication and sacrifice in their relationship. While the most obvious theme is sex, the show uses that to reveal deeper truths about how we navigate relationships and love. It stresses the importance of becoming comfortable with oneself first and foremost, before sex and relationships, as it’s almost always a precondition for making the two go more smoothly.
In episode 5, Eric plans to celebrate his birthday with Otis by attending Hedwig, a concert where the two cross-dress as their favorite, feminine characters. After a series of inconvenient events, Eric is left stranded, his belongings stolen, and is forced to walk back home alone at night. When two men pull up and offer him a ride, mistaking him for a girl, there is palpable fear felt in Eric’s vulnerability. Quickly, insults escalate into physical aggression, and Eric is left badly hurt. This violence, which occurs frequently in transgender and cross-dressing communities, is a projection of ‘toxic masculinity’, which the show frequently touches upon. It was a necessary dark scene, in an otherwise, light-hearted and funny show. Just as Eric becomes shocked by the reality of the very real dangers that exist because of his identity, the viewers are reminded that we need to renew our conversation about sexuality and reverse harmful social constructs.
Nevertheless, if you are easily uncomfortable with the raunchy sexual subject matter, this show will likely not be for you. It is very flashy in its portrayal of some heavily awkward moments and at times, just plain cringe-worthy. However, if you’re already past this, I’d highly recommend the show for anyone willing to laugh, cry, and just reflect. One of the greatest things this show gets right is that at least a part of us can identify with the hyperbolic, silly, lives of these characters. But most importantly, we can also understand that we are not alone.
by ANDREA REIER