Despite strong moments sprinkled throughout, the sixth and seventh episodes of the final season of “Sex Education” continue to suffer the familiar fate of its predecessors.
Episode Six
Episode six’s main storyline centers on the funeral of Maeve and Sean’s mom, Erin. The two must combat each other as they grieve the loss of their neglected parent while engaging in funeral preparations.
The dynamic between the siblings continues to be the best part of the episodes. Both Maeve and Sean display the two extremes of parental loss. Maeve opts to provide her mother with a proper farewell while Sean offers to strip away the facade his sister built.
The bickering comes to a realistic climax when Sean reveals the built-up turmoil he had been harboring to the unsuspecting funeral spectators. The reveal is heart-arching for Maeve and fans of her character arc. She gives an emotional speech that puts an end to the long-running familial subplot. She buries her mother and her glooming influence over her life.
The funeral scenes also keep up the series’ unusual charm with an overly eager funeral host assisting Maeve in her preparations. Also in attendance are former teachers Miss Sands and Mr. Hendricks. The former’s delighted return is accompanied by his tender rendition of Erin’s favorite song: “Without or Without You” by U2.
Aimee forms a supporting role to Maeve in the episode, picking up where Sean left behind while preparing for Erin’s funeral. She continues to be the highlight of the season by inviting Maeve’s former classmates as guests. It’s a touching moment showcasing Aimee’s pure heart.
Unlike the star of the season, it seems like Otis’ arc continues downward. This episode sees him being a bad friend to Eric, being self-interested rather than friendly. It’s a strange characterization for Otis who is now taking the “unlikeable protagonist” trope to the extreme.
On the upside, Eric’s arc with the visions from God continues to be strange. It culminates in a long-awaited scene between him and Adam. The two share a touching reunion, bonding over their shared experiences with their sexualities. Adam calls him “efforquesent” (a mispronunciation of effervescent) which reveals to Eric that his divine intervention was real. The arc is a return to form to the show’s roots amazingly.
Apart from the focus on Maeve, the episode features a pleasant lack of Cavendish students for a more appealing watch. The only glimpse of the characters comes in the form of O. Her secret bullying of Ruby is finally revealed when Ruby calls into Jean’s show, which O guest stars in and is a perfect catalyst for the next episode.
Episode Six rating: 5/5
Episode Seven
Episode seven fails to live up to the last episode, which was the height of season four. The episode sees viewers back into the halls of Cavendish while the characters reconcile with the weight of mock exams.
At the end of the last episode, Otis thought about his mother when he and O were about to have sex. The strange thought causes a rift between the two that is discussed once O and Otis are stuck in an elevator together.
Trying to bypass time, the two avoid the awkwardness of being high school social piranhas. However, it serves no use as the weird tension finally results in their motives being revealed.
In one of O’s most touching moments this season, she describes how her identity as a POC and asexual student would make her seem alienated if she did not try to fit in. She attributed her past actions toward Ruby and the formation of her sex clinic to come across as relatable. In turn, her reveal makes her even more relatable to minority audience members who feel the same way.
As for Otis, he reveals that his avoidance of sex is a result of his mother’s heartbreak. He does not want to undergo the same pain she felt when his father left. It is another relatable scene, performed skillfully in the episode.
The malfunctioning elevator results in a protest from the students as well, disrupting the students’ mock exam. Isaac stages the protest to highlight the school’s lack of accommodations for students with disabilities. Despite feeling jarring regarding the episode’s pacing, the scene does showcase how passionate Aimee and Isaac are when it comes to artistic expression.
Like Aimee, it is hard for Eric and Adam to not be highlights of the season. And this episode effortlessly showcases the depths of the two’s arcs this season. Eric receives a sign from Cal gifting him bread (a biblical homage) and decides he does want to be baptized. At work, Adam drives through a fence with a tractor and worries about upsetting his father. The scene is closely followed by a cathartic moment from Adam, where he finally confronts his father for all the mental turmoil he has given him.
The episode is not solely for the teenagers to confront their inner struggles. Jean and her sister, Joanna, fight and unveil how sexual abuse and avoidance of therapy have resulted in their breakdowns. It is an insightful moment that happens far too quickly, and too late for it to hold a lasting effect on the season. Still, it is a great callback to the episode’s opening scene showcasing the abuse Joanna went through as a 12-year-old.
Viv’s storyline also tackles abuse in this episode. The entire season built up to Beau’s eventual abusive behavior, and the show highlighted it realistically. It is unfortunate to see Viv not receive a happy ending with a new relationship, but her friendship with Jackson has always been her strongest connection.
As for Jackson, it seems like the writers wanted to cram an entire season arc into the show’s final episode. He is now worried about finding his biological father a strange characterization for him. While it is exciting to see the show explore this aspect of his character, it comes far too late into the season for it to hold any emotional weight.
Maeve and Jean finally share a moment in this episode, as well. The scene is touching and is what she (and the viewers) needed. Maeve’s guidance from a proper mother figure leads to the episode’s emotional ending which sees Maeve going back to the United States.
After a long-awaited and short-lived sex scene between the two, Otis and Maeve bid farewell to one another as Otis refuses to open his eyes and see her leave. The goodbye serves as a fitting conclusion to the two’s arc despite another episode remaining.
Episode Seven rating: 4/5
