I’ve just finished watching Sex Education

[frelling_tralk]

I was a little on the fence about watching it at first, but it actually turned out to be a surprisingly fun and touching show. Tbh I was mostly interested in checking it out because of Gillian Anderson, but then I ended up getting more invested in the teen characters instead. The promotion was a bit misleading actually as I got the impression that Gillian and the Otis actor we going to be co-leads, instead it was really mostly a teen-focused drama, and Gillian was more of a supporting player as the snooping mother. It reminded me a lot of Skins actually, although I must say that sixth form was never that scandalous and sex-obsessed when I was at school, some of the sex and nudity was certainly a bit eye-opening!

Maeve and Eric were my favourites, although I do seem to caring about the wrong relationships unfortunately! I really liked Maeve with Jackson after she responded to his big gesture at the end of episode 4, so I was a bit bemused that the show then started pushing Otis/Maeve as their main couple after that. I really prefer them as friends and don’t see them as a couple at all, but I seem to be in the minority there I guess. And I sensed that they were building up to Eric/Adam coupling and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that at first after Adam was bullying him so much, but then I ended up really feeling for his character as well when you see just how strict and cold his father is, and how he obviously longs for the warm relationship that Eric shares with his father

Gilliam’s character annoyed me a bit quite honestly with how many boundaries she kept crossing with her son, I was so cross when she actually showed up at the gate to spy when Otis was trying to go to a party with his peers, who does that! She did have a lot of funny moments too though with how matter of fact she came across as lol, and her fling with the plumber was pretty hot. I hope she loosens up around him next season though, I really don’t care for the whole emotionally closed off/why are you still contacting me the morning after when it was just sex to me attitude meh

It was just renewed for a second season today and Netflix seem really happy with the ratings, although I can’t say that I’ve actually seen it talked-about that much? Well I’m probably not the right demo for it though :P

Comments

[bm-shipper.livejournal.com]

Sex Education just got renewed for Season 2, another 8-episodes-season, tvline confirmed about an hour ago as well :) I know a lot of people on my f-list watched it, so yeah... That's what I thought when I saw your post, so I had to tell you :D But obviously you already knew that when you made your post. I watched, I think 2 episodes or such, but I don't know... I didn't think it was very good... but okay :P

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I thought that was kind of a funny coincidence that it got renewed just as I finished watching it this morning *g* I haven’t seen a lot of discussion on it really though considering that Netflix have been boasting about how many millions are watching, but maybe I’m not looking in the right places. What was it you didn’t like about it?

I wasn’t that excited to watch it originally because the promotion made it look like it was just going to be this try-hard raunchy comedy, the trailer was pretty focused around Gillian Anderson’s character annoying her son with her frank talk, and then him dispensing his own sex advice at school. But I ended up caring more about the ensemble, I found it to be a show with a lot of heart when it came to the characters struggling with their personal life’s and growing up, Otis being a teenage sex therapist didn’t even end up being that big of a focus in the end considering how much the promo focused on it

[bm-shipper.livejournal.com]

I Think I am just over the whole Teenage Drama and I Never was that Kind of a Teenager, that I could identify with any of the People in the Show. When I was at this Ahe Things were different. When I was like 15 or 16 it was Not like all the Teenagers already had Sex and in school and the likes. So I just thought it was way over the Top. But Maybe Teenagers are like that nowadays. I know I was Not. Lol.

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

Ah okay, I know what you mean actually as Riverdale and Sabrina are recent shows that really didn’t appeal to me with all of their teenage drama, even though I’ve always enjoyed those type of teenage sci fi/mystery shows I’m the past. I was starting to wonder if I was over teen drama shows as well, but then I really found myself getting drawn in by the characters on this show, so I guess not!

It’s nothing like school was for me either though lol, I remember people saying the same about Skins when it came to the characters constantly drinking, taking drugs, and having sex, it’s definitely a very over the top depiction. I thought it was interesting actually when Otis counsels one character in a later episode by pointing out that not all teenagers are having sex, so it’s nothing to worry about, but the very show he’s on is hardly a good example of that! :P Honestly the ~naughty kids~ at my school generally didn’t even stay on for sixth form, it was usually only the fairly studious people that wanted to stay on for A-Levels, and they were absolutely not having wild parties every week or smoking on campus (the ones that did smoke and have wild weekends were usually the ~naughty kids~ as we called them lol, and they would have left at 16)

It’s not like the American school system where everyone can stay on at school until you’re 18 regardless of your grades, in which case it makes sense to see typical slackers in school dramas there at 16-18 years old, but I always found it a bit odd to see characters like Cook from Skins or Adam from Sex Education in sixth form while being told that they put no work or effort in. Maybe things have changed since I guess, but certainly back in my day you could only stay on for further education if you had good enough grades for it

[eiffels.livejournal.com]

I’ve been on the fence on watching it too but you’re the second person who told me it was good and it did get picked up for a second season and all. Maybe I’ll check it out.

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

I would recommend it personally, a lot of people have said that they weren’t really sold on the show originally because Netflix didn’t do a good job of promoting it, it comes across as just a sex comedy from the trailers. And yes it is that as well (it certainly er starts off with a bang lol as it opens on a couple in the middle of rather graphic sex), but it’s also a really touching coming of age drama, I found that the characters had a lot of heart to then. It reminds me a bit of shows like Skins and My Mad Fat Diary in that respect.

[malicat.livejournal.com]

I loved Sex Education so much and I also prefer Maeve/Jackson myself. I think the writing overall was good but I felt like this whole 'we are not compatible/right for each other' thing at the end because to me what they actually *showed* was that they were good with each other!

I'm not really on board with Eric and Adam though. Eric deserves better imo. I mean,I'm not unsympathetic with Adam. His father is THE WORST and it must be hard for a closeted gay kid (or queer kid) who can't 'win' his father's love no matter how hard he tries (obviously he shouldn't have to try in the first place) but it was all a bit cliché and I would have prefered to see a change in Adam first - him becoming a better person and making up for his actions - before something happened with Eric you know? That said,the scene in class with them was very cute and I think with more devlopment I could like them together eventually :)

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

I felt a little bit of whiplash tbh because it seemed like Maeve/Jackson were being set up as the couple to root for in the beginning, and then suddenly in the second half of the season she was mooning after Otis and we were being told that she wasn’t feeling it with Jackson at all, even though that’s certainly not the impression I was getting in the beginning. Early on it seemed more like she just didn’t feel good enough for Jackson and was closing herself off for that reason, not that she just wasn’t that into him at all?

I hate the cliche of the nerdy guy always ending up with the hot girl of his dreams in the end anyway, and I really thought that they were just going to be set up as friends in the beginning. Okay Otis understandably ended up developing a bit of a crush, but Maeve’s own crush came out of the blue to me. And the writers have said in interviews that they want the audience to be torn between rooting for Otis with Ola or with Maeve, but it’s pretty obvious who they really intend to be endgame when you have Otis’s first kiss with Ola framed with Maeve looking on tearfully

And I know what you mean about Eric and Adam, I kept getting the feeling that it was being set up that Adam had repressed feelings for Eric, but I definitely feel like they need to develop that some more. I could buy feelings exploding during detention, but then it felt like quite a leap when he then wanted to brush arms with Eric in class. I agree that that moment was very cute, but I think I actually buy then more as two people having hate sex, a relationship isn’t really there for me yet when I felt like there was next to no setup for Adam being comfortable enough to actually want to do something coupley with Eric. I’m guessing that it was a bit rushed because the writers wanted to set up Adam having feelings for Eric, and it going beyond just sex, but they also wanted to save both reveals for the finale, whereas I think I would have preferred if they had spend a little more time building up to it. Maybe them first getting together in episode 7, and then in episode 8 Adam loosening up a little with his gesture in class, showing that he does have real feelings for Eric as well

[impala-chick.livejournal.com]

Yay, Sex Education! :D

I really liked Maeve with Jackson after she responded to his big gesture at the end of episode 4
Me too!!! I am only into Maeve and Otis as friends, but it was crazy how hard the show started to push them together :/ I found it so awesome how Jackson genuinely changed his behavior and realized there is more to a relationship than sex. I thought he was turning into a great guy, even if a tad bit boring at times.

And I see so much potential for Adam! They set him up as this shitty bully, and then they slowly started to reveal why he's got all these issues, and I really hope we see more of him. I ship him with Eric for sure, but my caveat is he has a lot of work to do on himself before he gets to where he needs to be.

And I agree about Gillian. It was definitely annoying when she showed up at the party (and keeps crossing boundaries), but maybe that's the point. Just because she's open about sex doesn't automatically make her a great parent. I'm curious to see how her and Otis' relationship grows.

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

Exactly, it really seemed like the show was setting up a nice relationship for Jackson and Maeve one minute, and then suddenly we have her sniffing Otis’s jumper and being told that he’s the one she really wants, even though there was no indication before that that she viewed Otis as anything other than a friend?! If it were up to me I would have just kept the main trio as friends, not every male and female friend need to start dating after all, but the show hasn’t exactly been subtle about Ola and Jackson just being roadblocks in the way of the real ship

And same, I thought they did a great job in the end of showing why Adam was the way he was, your heart really does break for him when you see how isolated and powerless he feels at home, although yeah he still has a lot of work to do on himself as that’s still no excuse for being a bully

Gillian’s character was an interesting one for sure, but I found her hard to emphasise with when she came off as quite cold and dismissive (probably doesn’t help that Gillian puts on such an OT snooty British accent, lol have to say I’ve never known anyone in my life speak quite that poshly and properly!) I can understand why the character crosses so many boundaries with her son I suppose, because it did come across like he was the only real connection in her life, otherwise it seemed like she was very clinical in how she would use people for casual sex and then just toss them aside afterwards, although I’m guessing that season 2 will be dealing with that more now that she is starting to really fall for someone

[impala-chick.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I was really looking forward to a show where the two leads could be male and female besties instead of romantic partners. And Maeve's quick turnaround was a little odd. Now it seems like they want to switch the pining trope so that Otis is the one moving on and Maeve is the one pining, but I wonder how much that will change their dynamic.

haha, yeah her accent is pretty snooty. I am hopeful about her love interest! He seemed genuine and fun, although maybe too stereotypical.

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

And Maeve's quick turnaround was a little odd

That’s what confused me definitely, I get it more with Otis because he’s very shy and experienced, it makes sense that he would develop a crush on this really pretty and outspoken new girl, but I’m not sure that the show has done much to explain Maeve’s feelings for Otis. Yeah he’s sweet to her and treats her well, but then so does Jackson :shrugs: I mean I’m not super invested either way lol, Otis/Maeve being suddenly pushed at us just annoys me because it’s such an expected thing to do when your nerdy main character has a crush on someone to end up putting them together, even though realistically I don’t think that Maeve would have considered Otis as a romantic option at that age

And Gillian’s poshness threw me at the beginning of the trailer lol, I’m living in Oxford myself and that can be pretty posh, but certainly no one I know speaks with quite such an upper-crust and precise kind of accent *g*

[impala-chick.livejournal.com]

That's so interesting to me - so is her accent like old English? I've heard about how different parts of the UK have different accents (like the US), but I don't know much else about it.

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

WelI I guess that the very upper-class people who are only surrounded by other upper-class people talk that way still to be fair, it’s just not really the norm any more! Even if you were born to a pretty posh household, chances are that the way that most of the people around you speak will rub off on you and you will subconsciously dial it down a bit over the years, but Jean still sounded super upper crust in a way that to me feels like an OT impression of our accent. Whereas Otis for example sounds more like a regular middle-class kid with a slightly posh accent, so it comes across as a lot more authentic imo than the very clipped and precise way that Jean talks

[impala-chick.livejournal.com]

Oh, that is interesting. I just assumed she was doing a "well educated" accent but maybe it's supposed to be over the top for comedic effect?

[snogged.livejournal.com]

I haven't watched it yet. I'll probably check it out eventually though.

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

I’d recommend it if you do ever want to give it a shot :)

[dustypinkroses.livejournal.com]

I have two episodes left, I LOVE IT so far!

I agree with thinking Otis and the mom were going to be the leads! so not the case at all. I feel like there are many different stories with different characters, very interesting to watch! They all come from such different families and so on.

I skipped the stuff under the cut but I will read it when I’m done with the show ;) ...this entry kinda pushed me to watch the show so thank you haha!

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

Yeah I didn’t realise just how much the college ensemble were going to be the focus, I got the impression from the promo that it would be more focused around Otis and his homelife with his mother, and instead their relationship was just one of many subplots

Glad to have pushed you to watch! :D It does seem to be really catching on now