Sex Education Season 3, Episode 4 recap: Unique conflicts arising

The following article contains SPOILERS for Sex Education Season 3, Episode 4.

Read our recap for Sex Education Season 3, Episode 3 HERE.

Everyone at this point in Sex Education Season 3 is deep in their main story. This season, in particular, has done well in showing various types of conflict. Otis, Jean, Jackson, and Maeve are experiencing new forms of relationships. Ola, Adam, Eric, and Maeve (again) are going through some minor identity crises. And in this episode, we see Hope Haddon changing how her teachers operate at Moordale after focusing on the students for the first few episodes.

Still hung up on Jean Milburn’s book, especially after the town newspaper published an article, Hope creates new guidelines for their Sex and Relationship Education (or SRE) curriculum.

After changing the name to Growth and Development, the content of the course becomes harmful for secondary-aged kids to hear. Rather than teaching safe sex and comforting the students, Hope implements a system that teaches abstinence, intimidates gay men with STI’s and STDs, and uses pregnancy to scare the girls.

Because they are amazing, both Otis and Maeve stand up to this backward curriculum and are given a slight reprimand for their rebellious (but righteous) efforts. Because hysteria has begun for the students, Miss Emily Swati Sands steps in and offers some students some proper sense of direction regarding sexual activities. I think this is just foreshadowing that once Hope makes enough enemies, it will not just be the students responsible for her downfall.

Sex Education Season 3, Episode 4: The Student Forum

Jackson is becoming one of my favorite characters because of how considerate he has become. His series arc is so genuine as he changes from vain to selfless. It all made sense, and it is well written. Adding the character of Cal does well in showing how much the former head boy has changed while also telling a beautiful story about a nonbinary person.

This episode showed Viv’s realization of how harmful Hope’s new rules are, but she returns to the butt-kisser looking out for herself and her future. How she acts as the head girl on the upcoming field trip will likely set up the climax for all of the conflict and friction for Viv and Jackson.

The forum that Jackson recommended (but Viv took credit for) seems like a pivotal point during the climax of this third season. With us knowing that Cal is not the only nonbinary student at Moordale, the abstinence courses, and students’ identity being taken away, I think this is when Hope’s aforementioned downfall will begin if not fully occur. And if that’s the case, then I will be celebrating from the comfort of my own home.

I just have to get this out of the way now because I do not want to spend too much time on it because of how much it annoys me. Maeve is becoming closer again with Isaac. After Isaac cooks dinner for Maeve with her favorites (yes, Isaac’s brother does the actual cooking), the two become much more intimate.

They explore each other’s body’s with most of their clothes on, and in all seriousness, the scene is beautiful. Physically handicapped folks hardly receive scenes like these, and that is an honest shame and disappointment. This arc is making me like Isaac more, especially because he is the one who admitted his faults, but I still have my eyes on him.

Sex Education Season 3, Episode 4: Otis and Ruby’s love quarrels

After not sharing the same loving sentiment back to Ruby, Otis has found himself in hot water with his girlfriend. Ruby is not being affectionate, spending less time with Otis, and has reprioritized her fellow Untouchables over him.

These two are playing emotional chicken with one another since we find out when he tells Eric that Otis knows why she is upset. However, following advice from Eric and being the mature-beyond-his-years self, Otis tries to initiate a conversation with Ruby, but she is having none of it. And after the school day, and dealing with abstinence courses, the timing of it all could not have been worse.

After Olivia and Anwar receive some helpful answers at the sexual health clinic recommended by Miss Emily, Ruby realizes her issues will not be fixed there. She finally lets Otis explain his piece, and this whole scene is so emotional and heartbreaking. Otis says that he is not in love with Ruby, but that doesn’t mean he will never love her in the future.

Ruby is just shocked since she is used to everyone admiring her and especially since she opened up so much to Otis. The two did break up, but I do not think this is the end. The thrill of being away on a school field trip is a common trope in television series, and with a raunchy and irreverent show like this one, I have a feeling the two will be intimate in France.

The episode ends with everyone, including Colin and Emily, heading on a French field trip and I am very much looking forward to these future episodes. Whenever a field trip occurs during a television show based around a school, those episodes are always some of the best. I have very high expectations for this France trip.

Sex Education Season 3 is streaming now on Netflix.