The relationships are more complicated than ever.
Sex Education Season 3 Episode 1 put many relationships to the test, throwing surprising curveballs at the audience, as well as the show’s signature humor.
It was the perfect return to the wonderful world of Moordale, where sex appears to be on the mind of everyone.
We’ll start with Otis because the show seems to think he’s the lead character, even if he’s one of the most frustrating.
Otis having sex with Ruby was a true shocker because there were no breadcrumbs to suggest this would happen, but it was an interesting way to propel Otis forward as a character.
Host: She wrote this book in response to working on campus at Moordale Secondary, which got some pretty bad press recently following a chlamydia outbreak, and the performance of a so-called Sex Musical. So, Dr. Milburn, tell us about the book.
Jean: Well, I was shocked at the ineptitude of the SRE curriculum in schools, and so I created this easy to read manual to help empower our teenagers, and their parents, as they become sexually active young adults.
Host: Sounds a bit racy.
Jean: Well, if by racy, you mean highly researched and completely essential to the health and wellbeing of our children, then, yes, I suppose it is.
I thought going into Sex Education Season 3, Isaac would be used as a plot device to keep Otis and Maeve apart, but it looks like they’ve naturally drifted apart.
Otis should have known Eric wouldn’t be able to keep the secret about his best friend romancing the most popular girl in the school.
To be fair, it was a true shocker to audiences, so I can only imagine how the people at the school felt when it was revealed to the masses.
Enough of the yearning looks, you pillock. Just tell her you like her already.
Joe
Ahead of the premiere, Ruby had been portrayed as a one-dimensional character, and the show would be wise to delve deeper into her machinations.
If that also means developing her catty friends, I’m all for it.
Ruby could have cut Otis loose when the truth spread through the school like wildfire, but saying they can keep seeing each other without hiding in cars or public toilets, well, it’s progression.
Ruby stood to lose a lot of respect from the people who look up to her, but it’s nice to see her care about what she wants instead of the optics of her getting close with someone people laugh at regularly.
Aimee: Sorry love.
Maeve: Aimes.
Aimee: You Okay?
Woman: No!
Aimee: Yeah, let’s try that again, shall we?
It did cross my mind that Kyle probably told everyone, so it was nice to show that Otis and Eric’s friendship is starting to show some cracks.
It’s a tale as old as time, but when your best friend finds a love interest, it’s not uncommon for the friendship to be tested.
Eric didn’t even seem remotely sorry for potentially ruining the relationship, but then again, Eric was too busy trying to keep his own relationship from falling apart.
After so long away, Adam returning to the school was always going to come with its fair share of caveats.
Girl #1: What’s Adam Groff doing back here?
Girl #2: I heard his mom bribed the school to let him back in.
Girl #3: And he’s gay now, right?
Adam bullied pretty much everyone in the school, so no one was going to welcome him back with open arms.
He’s been marked as trouble, and he faces an uphill battle. If he could be a little bit more comfortable in his own skin, he’d be able to navigate high school, complete it, and move on to whatever he thinks is best for his life.
Adam is struggling with people knowing his sexuality, and the show is handling this topic very well. If someone was going to help him through it, I figured it would be Eric.
Ola and Adam don’t strike me as people who are friends, but Ola was on her own journey of self-discovery on Sex Education Season 2.
Otis: To win the race come on the face?
Kyle: Yeah.
Otis: Are you just getting all your advice from porn?
Kyle: No offense, mate, I’ve had way more sex than you.
Adam and Eric’s relationship hinges on whether Adam manages to stop thinking everyone is talking about him. There was some marked progress when Adam admitted his sexuality in the locker room.
This will be a slow process, but at least he has people going to bat for him.
The complicated dynamic between Maeve and Otis didn’t even seem forced, which was a good thing. The writers have managed to craft compelling ways to keep these two apart for longer.
Isaac is a worrisome figure. He doesn’t want to admit his feelings for Maeve, but it’s hard to care for him when you consider that he lied to get Maeve on his side.
Ruby: Shut up and have sex with me.
Otis: What are you sad about tonight?
Ruby: I’m a teenage girl, Otis. I’m always sad.
Isaac successfully drove the wedge between Maeve and Otis, even if Otis was doing some horrible things.
Maeve still harbors feelings for Otis, but I think she wants him to reveal his feelings because she’s scared of getting hurt.
It was inevitable they would be brought back together on a professional level. Kyle using the alias Sex God and charging people for advice came out of nowhere, but the students have become accustomed to getting help with these problems they face daily.
Kyle, however, cared more about the money than the help, and there was something nice about Maeve and Otis being pushed together to help Dex.
Boys: Groff loves penis.
Eric: How did the test go?
Adam: Have you got a problem?
Boy: No, sorry Adam.
Eric: What was that?
Adam: They were talking about me.
Eric: That doesn’t mean you can hurt them.
Adam: Sorry.
Eric: No, i can’t do this again.
They still work very well together. They had their biggest competitor confirming as such, but Otis telling Hope about Sex God seemingly changed the trajectory of the entire series.
The old toilet block was like a character on the show, and now that it’s been destroyed, where will the teenagers get their advice?
Even worse was Otis being the reason it got destroyed. Otis clearly wants to put the past behind him and move on, but in doing so, he’s pushed Maeve even further away.
I don’t know whether they can find a way back from this, but the show works so well when they work together. The premise would be a little redundant.
Jean: Nice day at school.
Otis: Yeah, it was okay. Your book is causing quite a stir. The press was there.
Jean: Hmm, it’s not that controversial.
Hope is a bit of a wildcard. Her entrance was absurd, but she’s been drafted in to get rid of this “Sex School” label attached to Moordale High.
She’s likely under a lot of pressure to accomplish this goal, which will probably put her on the outs with the students.
Jean keeping the truth from Jakob was a surprise. Jean is usually a straight-shooter who doesn’t mince her words, so to have her scared to speak about a subject made for a nice change of pace.
In Jakob’s defense, Jean has robbed him of the time of planning fatherhood from the get-go. Yes, she was scared about how he would react, but if she told him from the beginning that she didn’t expect him to look after the baby, they could have struck up a stronger bond.
Boy: They’re not still going on about Sex School, are they?
Maeve: Mm. It’s as if no one in this town’s had sex before.
Jean and Jakob are a refreshing relationship because they are both very different, and it would be great if they could work through their issues and become a blended family.
This was a very successful first episode of the third season. The show remains comical, relevant, and fun.
What did you think of Otis telling Hope about the Sex King?
Do you think Hope will be a villain?
What are your thoughts on Isaac?
Did Aimee take you by surprise with the goat, or was it on-brand for her?
Hit the comments.
Sex Education streams on Netflix around the globe.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.