The first season of "Sex Education" was one of the most refreshing shows to premiere on Netflix in recent years.
Striking a great balance between de-stigmatising sex, and sexual acts in its many forms, while still being entertaining. Season two is no different and turns the volume up several notches.
Sex and how teens explore their sexual awakening still remain at the forefront, however, this time we're get an equal dose of the good and the bad.
Otis Milburn (Asa Butterfield) and Eric Effiong (Ncuti Gatwa) are once again our leads. And they have gone through a lot of character growth since we last saw them.
Especially, Otis. He remains one strange awkward teen despite being very knowledgeable about sex - due to his mom being a sex therapist - and is great at solving other people’s problems.
However, when it comes to his adventures, our enduring protagonist still struggles a bit, often taking one step forward and two steps back.
Along the way, he does not only learn more about himself but he also learns to be a better communicator with his partner. It’s nice to see a cisgendered heterosexual man on screen who isn’t afraid to show that he doesn't know everything.
Eric is still a joy to watch and overall this show has done a phenomenal job when it comes to queer representation. While in season one we had to go through the predictable “coming out” journey with him, this time around we finally follow him just living his best queer life - kissing boys and exploring young queer love which many LGBTQI+ people, including myself, wishes we had at school.
Maeve Wiley (Emma Mackey) is still a bad*ss, but she's still dealing with her demons and you get a better understanding of why she is such a guarded person.
The new characters introduced in the last few episodes of season one also make for great additions to the show. And their integration feels very natural.
One thing I deeply loved about the show, especially as a millennial, is that they don’t write the teens as idiots.
Furthermore, while they do deal with teen angst it’s done in a very realistic and relatable way (unlike "Daybreak" and "The Society").
Overall, the show is even more entertaining in the second season.
We get more sex, more awkward teen moments and a number of truly heartfelt episodes. I know we are all still catching up on "You" season 2, "The Circle", "The Witcher" and maybe even "Titans" season 2 - although I gave up on that show (a discussion for another day) - but even in its second season "Sex Education" stays a show you have to binge when it drops on Friday, January 17.
You won’t regret it.