Review by AlidaFarrens

 On Jan. 17 Netflix released a new season of “Sex Education” and it has caught the attention of teens and adults all over the country. “Sex Education” is a British comedy that tells the story of Otis Milburn (Asa Butterfield), the teenage son of a professional sex therapist. The show centers around his high school life, but touches on major topics like sexual assault and STDs. 

“Sex Education” is rated TV-MA (for mature audiences) and has parents wondering, should my kids watch this? The show is blunt when it comes to topics about sex and contains scenes where characters are discussing things like sexual preferences and same-sex relationships. 

I would argue that the show should be watched by people who can take sexual topics seriously and are ready to learn more about their bodies. It truly can be educational if taken seriously and can further one’s understanding of their sexuality. This show is for mature viewers and should be analyzed as such. 

Otis’s mom, Jean Milburn (Gillian Anderson), is a sex therapist who openly talks to her son about sex which makes him extremely uncomfortable. Although Otis doesn’t like having these open conversations with his mom, he ends up going into high school knowing a lot more about sex than his friends. Because of this, he is able to give them advice and educate them about topics that are related to sex. 

On the newest season of “Sex Education,” Aimee, a sweet, kind-hearted teen decides to make a birthday cake for her best friend Maeve, a strong feminist who proudly advocates for her friends. Aimee was sexually assaulted while riding the bus to deliver the cake to her friend. Although it was extremely evident that she was being assaulted, no one on the bus even attempted to help her. Aimee brushes off the incident and moves on with her day, feeling that what happened to her was not important. Aimee brings up what happened to her with Maeve and she convinces Aimee to go to the police station to report the terrible incident. 

Another episode of “Sex Education” shows all of the main female characters discussing their own experiences with sexual assault. They find comfort in each other and it creates a very strong bond between all of them. It shows how strong young women are and how their sexual assault experiences don’t define them. 

The truth is, Marian girls want to learn more about this topic and past students have been asking for a proper class that educates girls about sex for years. There is a fear that Marian students are very naive during and especially after they leave high school because they fail to understand basic information. “Sex Education” opens the door for young women to learn more about this important topic. 

Mrs. Beth Dye, physical education teacher at Marian, has begun teaching a new required class for all current freshmen and sophomores called Intro to Wellness. This class will help educate Marian students on things like STDs, STIs and facts about pregnancy.

“The class will be very scientific and factual based,” Dye said. She has no problem talking with girls about things that are related to sex and thinks that this class will make girls more aware of their bodies. 

Overall, “Sex Education” opened my eyes to a lot of other perspectives that teenagers have on sex. It reminded me that every person is at a different place in their lives and makes their own choices accordingly. 

I would argue that the show is educational and not just on the basis of sex. It portrays high school in a realistic way, which makes it really easy to relate to. The show explains sex in a casual, but upfront manner that many parents may struggle with. “Sex Education” normalizes the topic of sex, which is what I feel we need more of at Marian.