It feels fitting that we get back to basics a bit in “Episode Two.” This show has always thrived most by balancing its serialized storytelling with episodic sex-therapy stories, and in this one, we get two. It’s important to remind us why, in the end, we root for Otis: He genuinely cares about people. Sure, there’s some ego involved — he wants to hold an election to choose the sole sex therapist at Cavendish, hoping to crush O’s clinic — but it’s in service to a genuine belief in his ability to help.
At this point in Sex Education’s run, the writers have put enough work into the tangled ensemble that even a minor pairing like Otis and Jackson can yield some really satisfying scenes. These two were initially rivals for Maeve’s affections, but they’ve come a long way, even if Jackson still casually mentions disliking Otis. When they run into each other in the Cavendish weight room — Otis wants to pump some iron after obsessively online stalking Maeve’s jacked classmate Tyrone — there’s an easy companionship there. Each ends up offering the other some comfort about their respective relationship issues.
Jackson is still not over Cal; that much is clear. It’s gotten to the point that he’s actually hoping for a sign that he might be queer because maybe that would mean they still have a chance together. So when his fuck buddy casually sticks a finger up his bum and he likes it, he sees it as a potential way back to the person who used to be so helpful in quieting the ever-present roar of anxiety in his head.
It’s a fun, character-motivated twist on the typical version of this story, where Jackson’s unexpected orgasm leads to a lot of panic about the possibility of him being gay. Here, the meaning is deeper. When Otis points out that plenty of straight men enjoy prostate stimulation, it doesn’t come as a relief to Jackson. If anything, it’s bad news; another path back to Cal closed off forever. Still, helpful lessons are learned here, especially that Jackson and Anabelle should practice enthusiastic consent. Their final hookup sets up the next phase of Jackson’s arc as he discovers a suspicious lump on his testicle.
Otis’s other big win in “Episode Two” is earning some more cred at Cavendish by repairing Abbi and Roman’s relationship. Ruby is the one to suggest he get involved: If he gets through to the popular kids, maybe he can put in a good word and Ruby can claw back some of the power she had at Moordale. Sure enough, he does manage to get the job done, listening to Roman vent about how he caught Abbi masturbating after insisting she didn’t want to have sex that night. (In general, things have been different since Abbi got kicked out of her parents’ house and moved in with Roman’s trans-friendly family.) Otis suggests they ease up on the pressures of regular sex life and just focus on being with each other for the time being. Before long, they’re once again attached at the hip, and O begins losing clients to Otis.
The promise of an election makes for a good ongoing story line in this final season, especially because the drama trickles down to multiple characters. For one, Otis is in a shaky place with Maeve, especially after letting his misplaced jealousy of Tyrone (who’s gay) get the better of him. She’s considering staying in America if she gets a much-coveted internship with Mr. Molloy, and that whole situation is bound to get even more complicated with Ruby as her sort-of-boyfriend’s new campaign manager.
But I’m most concerned about Otis’s friendship with Eric, the real heart of this show. Eric warns his bestie against interfering with his new friend group, but perhaps Oatcake’s biggest fuck-up in this episode is a subtle one: fixating on O while Eric is trying to open up about his conflicted feelings on baptism. With Otis so distracted by his new rivalry, making some new queer friends holds even more appeal for Eric. After a dispiriting trip to church, where Eric is encouraged to keep his sexuality to himself and focus on his private relationship with God, he learns that Abbi has dealt with a similar crisis of faith. When she started transitioning, she had to leave her old church, and Roman is too anti-religious to give another church a chance.
The Coven’s characterization in the first episode didn’t leave a lot of room for nuance; they appeared primarily as a personification of the new status quo at Cavendish. With their air of superiority and strict anti-gossip policy, they just weren’t lovable in the way most of our established characters are. “Episode Two” helps rectify that, showing Abbi and Roman, in particular, as flawed, vulnerable, and weighed down by baggage.
I’m hoping the same can be accomplished with Jean’s sister, Joanna (Lisa McGrillis), whose sudden presence in the Milburn household can’t quite fill the void left by Jakob. I’m not immediately connecting with her yet, nor am I particularly fascinated by Jean’s bumpy start at her new radio show, even if Hannah Gadsby does a decent job playing her accommodating producer. But with someone else here now to help out, hopefully there will be time to explore the root of Jean’s issues in more depth (and confirm the identity of Joy’s father, about which the show is still playing coy).
Adam’s initial days at his farm apprenticeship are similarly disconnected from the larger Cavendish ecosystem but feel more emotionally rewarding at this point. It’s funny to see him grapple with a slight fear of horses, but the story really comes to life when his father enters the picture. During dinner with the family, Michael presses too hard about Adam’s career prospects, pushing his son away right when he’s trying to bridge the 18-year-old gap between them. Until the moment Maureen explicitly tells her estranged husband why Adam is upset — he’s so afraid of disappointing his dad that he doesn’t even try to see anything through — Michael doesn’t grasp what he’s doing wrong. But he does want to change, and visiting Adam in his bedroom to apologize for his harshness counts for a lot after a lifetime of sticking to his guns. He even offers a driving lesson, which Adam will need to continue the apprenticeship.
Last season, I wrote that Adam was one of Sex Education’s most remarkable accomplishments in empathy. But his father’s character development is perhaps equally impressive. Troy Hunter’s script threads a delicate needle here: We get to see how much Michael has grown, but we’re always made to remember the man he was for most of his life. People can change a lot, but it’s not easy, and it’s not immediate. All those old versions of you are still rattling around somewhere in there, and talking about it is the first step.
All the Good Things and the Bad Things That May Be
• We have quite a few potential slow-burn flirtations right now: Viv and Beau, Aimee and Isaac, and possibly Cal and Aisha.
• “Oh my God, he is hot! … And so are you, in a quiet and soft, intelligent way.”
• “Are you afraid of horses?” “No, of course not. Their faces are a completely normal size.”
