Netflix: Sex Education

I started watching Netflix's "Sex Education," having no idea what it was about and having read zero reviews. It looked like it could be exploitative teen shit. I'm glad I gave it a chance.

The Netflix blurb is unpromising:

The trailer isn't much more compelling:



What I found was not the soft-porn teen crap that I expected (although the series does present a frank and very funny, but probably somewhat unrealistic, account of teen sexuality), but, instead, a wonderful study of our modern human condition set in a beautiful Wales landscape, with great acting, fantastic music, and a refreshing look at at the nexus of family life and sexual roles. The dialogue is smart (many of the teens in this series are way more literate than me), and the characters, some at first stereotypical, unfold in surprising ways. Some reviewers on IMDB complain about the series' setting, which seems confused as to which era it's portraying - music, autos, and fashion span the 70s, 80s, 90s, up to today - while others complain about the Americanization of the high school in Wales around which the story centers. I think that the setting confusion is endearing and furthers quite a few of the show's themes.

One of the most refreshing parts of the series is the lack of racial issues. Although many racial and ethnic groups are present and interacting socially and sexually, race doesn't matter much in the personal interactions portrayed. Class and social status does play a big part.

I'm sure it's not for everybody, and it's certainly not a good bet for the squeamish, but I think "Sex Education" is well-worth a view. There are only eight episodes in this first season. I wish there were more.