Otis may be one of the most frustrating characters, but he’s one of the most honest.
Sex Education Season 3 Episode 4 could have gone in many different directions, depending on how Otis reacted to Ruby’s declaration of love.
Otis has been conditioned by his mother to be honest about his feelings, and for the most part, he’s stuck to that since the beginning of the series.
He could have easily returned the “I love you” to Ruby, but it was admirable that he was open with her about his feelings.
Could he get to say “love” at one point? Yes, but he was concerned about throwing the word out there without truly meaning it.
It’s easy to understand why Ruby was so adamant about saying it. She had strong feelings for Otis after giving him the introduction to his father.
Ruby liked the trajectory of the relationship, even if it scared Otis. It’s a shame these two are over so soon, but it’s clear they want very different things in life.
Ruby has been softened up considerably throughout the first half of Sex Education Season 3, but I suspect she’ll be back to her former self as a coping mechanism to the end of the relationship.
If Otis and Maeve don’t work out, I wouldn’t be annoyed if these two reunited. Their connection burned bright, and it made for a nice change of pace.
The show desperately wants to make Otis and Maeve work out. We’re supposed to root for them, but a part of me is conflicted because they work much better as friends.
They clearly took the “hate is safer than love” approach after the events of Sex Education Season 2, but they have no reason to be avoiding one another now.
Otis did some questionable things to Maeve when she was most vulnerable, but deep down, they longed for each other.
Maureen: You okay?
Jean: Jakob is building a treehouse.
Maureen: Pardon?
Jean: He’s building a treehouse for the baby, which is really lovely, right?
Isaac continues to be a big hurdle, and Maeve blindly trusting him after what he did is concerning. Even though Isaac’s sorry, it makes me wonder what else he’s capable of.
We’re digging deeper into why he deleted the message and didn’t tell Maeve Otis stopped by, but there’s still so much about this young man we don’t know.
The series is developing him to throw in conflict for Maeve and Otis, and I’m not sure I care about the character. It’s hard to care for characters that have done treacherous things.
Maybe my opinion will change as the series progresses, but for now, Maeve is making a mistake in trusting him again.
It’s possible their relationship could go from strength to strength, but the series will always make viewers question what if things were easier for Maeve and Otis.
After being thrown out of the sex lessons, their chat solidified the fact that they are still pining for one another.
Speaking of those so-called sex lessons, what the hell was Hope thinking?
She wants to make her mark on the school and be the person associated with bringing the school back to its former glory, but her actions are truly heinous.
Hope started as a decent enough character, but the way she treated Cal has made her one of the biggest villains in the show’s history.
Hope would be wise to realize that these teenagers can and will take what is happening out of the school and make it common knowledge.
Hope desperately wants the students to think sex is a bad thing, and that’s not healthy. I’m now counting down the days until she is taken down.
Also problematic is the way she’s playing Viv and Jackson against one another. These two had a strong bond earlier in the season, but Hope’s meddling ways are going to drive a bigger wedge between them.
Asking Viv to report any drama from the school trip is a bit much, especially when two teachers are chaperoning. Hope has these rules for the students, but she doesn’t follow any code of practice.
She wants results, and she doesn’t care who she hurts in the process.
The persistent arguing between Eric and Adam is starting to fall flat, but all of their arguments feel naturally nestled into the story.
Their relationship kicked off in secret, so taking it public was always going to be difficult. Adam continues to struggle with how other people perceive him, and I don’t think he’s ever going to be able to shake that unless he has it out with his father.
Speaking of his father, did anyone else feel bad for him when he thought Maureen wanted him back?
Michael is a casualty of his upbringing. He had an overbearing father and brother who always treated him like the black sheep. That had a psychological impact on him.
Maureen might be able to get on board with Michael if he is more open about his feelings and not feeling like he has to conform to these archetypes of males.
I doubt Maureen would take him back in a romantic sense, but she would at least be civil if it meant he had a relationship with his son.
There is so much unresolved tension between the father and son that needs to be addressed.
This was the weakest installment of the season to date, but it was still decent.
What are your thoughts on Hope’s actions?
Were you surprised Otis refused to say he loved Ruby?
Hit the comments below.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.