☛ Cette critique est aussi disponible en français [➦].

Translated by Florence Bois-Villeneuve. 

After the dazzling success of its first two seasons, the third season of Sex Education was released on Netflix on September 17. The 2019 English series, created by Laurie Nunn, primarily follows the love and sex stories of the students, parents of students and staff at Moordale Academy High School. 

In the first two seasons, young Otis Milburn (Asa Butterfield) was inspired by his sexologist mother to provide sexual advice for a fee to students who needed more education on the subject. Thanks to the help of his friend Maeve (Emma Mackey), among others, Otis is able to loosen tongues and open minds to the point that it gives Moordale the reputation of a sex school. 

In this third season, we reunite with the same characters after a major scandal at the end of season 2, largely due to the end-of-year show, which was a musical about aliens and sexual pleasure, complete with chlamydia outbreak. A new school principal, Hope (Jemima Kirke), comes in to try to restore the school’s reputation. Otis and his friends find themselves once again confronted with a rather old-fashioned view of sexuality, and struggle to change mentalities towards a more progressive, realistic and caring approach. 

Sex Education was applauded for highlighting aspects of sexuality that are less discussed by the general public, set against a backdrop of jokes and bright colours. Season 3 is no exception, and goes one step further by introducing non-binarity, notably through the character of Cal (Dua Saleh). The series takes on a slightly more intersectional dimension, particularly when Eric (Ncuti Gatwa) travels to Nigeria for his cousin’s wedding and faces the complexities of living as an openly gay man in that country.

The themes dealt with are still innovative, as they are rarely portrayed on television. A good example of this in a beautiful scene of intimacy between Isaac (George Robinson), who is paralyzed, and Maeve. However, the pace is slower than in previous seasons, and the repetitive theme of division between the generations is a little repetitive.

The creation of the www.all-vulvas-are-beautiful.com website, consulted by character Aimee (Aimee Lou Wood) upon the recommendation of her sex therapist Jean Milburn (Gilian Anderson), created a great opportunity for real sexual education for the series’ audience. The site is a collaboration between the production team and The Vulva Gallery. The original platform, created and illustrated by Hilde Atalanta, features portraits of vulvas and testimonials of people from all walks of life. 

All in all, Sex Education gives a lot of hope for the future of diverse and inclusive sexual representation, and offers a refreshing vision of change. 

Référence 

Creation : Laurie Nunn
Titre : Sex Education (season 3)
Date : September 17 2021

This serie is available on Netflix.