Saying Farewell to “Sex Education”

Gianna Wilcox

On Sept. 21, the Netflix original comedy series “Sex Education” came to an end with its fourth and final season. The series premiered in January 2019. The first season follows Otis Milburn as he deals with his lack of sexual experience but overwhelming knowledge on the matter due to his mother’s profession as a sex therapist. 

After growing up surrounded by images of and open conversations about sex, Otis became a reluctant expert. After his classmates learn about his home life, he decides to share his knowledge by setting up a sex therapy clinic with the help of the school’s resident bad girl, Maeve Wiley, and his best friend, Eric Effiong. 

After four years, in its final season, the beloved characters of “Sex Education” are in a new school after Moordale Secondary shut down, where they must navigate their new environment while still dealing with problems from their past. The final season satisfyingly concludes all past and new storylines while still maintaining its sweet and raunchy brand of humor. 

For example, in season two, Aimee, Maeve’s best friend, was sexually assaulted on the bus while on her way to see Maeve. At first, she has trouble accepting that she was assaulted, but once she does, she continues to have trouble dealing with it. 

At the end of the season, Aimee conquers her fear of riding the bus again with the help of Maeve and her other female classmates. It seems like she has moved past the assault, but the following season reveals surviving and dealing with a sexual assault is not a linear process. 

It’s not until this final season that Aimee can fully heal and move past her unfortunate experience with the help of Isaac, Maeve’s ex-fling, and her self-discovery through art. 

As for new storylines, after having a health scare, Jackson Marchetti, one of the main characters, decides to try and find his biological father. Jackson grew up being raised by two loving mothers, and until his health scare, he’s never questioned his lineage. 

In fact, he always thought that his biological father was just a sperm donor. However, after tracking down the clinic his mothers claimed to use, he found no record of him or his father. He confronts his mothers about it, but they tell him to drop it and leave it alone. 

Despite all of the resistance from his moms, Jackson finds his answers, even though they aren’t what he expected. Once he finds his answers, he demands to know the truth about his father. It causes a rift between Jackson and his moms, but at least he finally has the truth.

The final season also continues the show’s theme of introducing new characters despite the series ending. Each season, the audience meets new characters, and this season is no different.

Some new characters included are Abbi, Roman, Aisha, and O. These characters are either members of the LGBTQ+ community, people of color, or a combination of both. Adding them to the cast adds another level of diversity that has not been at the forefront in past seasons. For example, Roman and Abbi’s characters shed light on the realities of being transgender or in a transgender relationship. 

Overall, the final season wraps everything up in a neat little bow. However, there is one thing the writers could’ve handled better: Jackson’s final storyline. 

In my opinion, the whole thing felt rushed. Something as big as discovering the truth about his father should have started in an earlier season and wrapped up in this final season, like Aimee’s storyline. Starting the storyline earlier in the series would’ve allowed it to have more depth and detail.

Despite this fact, the final season of “Sex Education” ended beautifully. In this day and age, it’s rare that shows get an actual ending instead of getting canceled. “Sex Education” didn’t waste this opportunity and gave their beloved characters a proper sendoff.