Why Sex Education season 4 failed

Why viewers loved Sex Education

In the first three seasons, Sex Education showed a high level of quality. The series aimed to familiarize teenagers with the culture of sex.

"The secret of its success seems remarkably simple and somewhat banal. It's clear that critics, psychologists, and sexologists primarily appreciate the show for its educational role," the analysis states.

The series managed to reach millions of viewers worldwide and more or less explain things that are not always easy to discuss: sexual practices, sexual violence, sexual maturity, desire, menstruation, ejaculation, pregnancy, and contraception.

In reality, it has long been necessary to add sex education to the school curriculum because it is crucial for the normal development of individuals.

(Kinorium)

Recall the plot. The main character is shy nerd Otis, who provides sexual advice to his classmates and has complicated romantic and platonic relationships with smart rebellious girl Maeve. This love story is what interests the viewers the most.

Many events with dozens of characters are unfolding, each of them intriguing and fascinating in some way. This is what hooked the viewers.

The creators managed to portray a holistic and appealing world of teenagers, making the viewers genuinely care about Otis-Maeve relationship. It's an eternal, seemingly simple story, one that's timeless – love or not. And that's what draws you into the world of teenage problems.

(Kinorium)

"All the really great drama and comedy TV series of the last two decades relied on breakthrough scripts, placing the main focus on the psychological veracity of the characters and the plot worked out to the smallest detail. And no matter what theme any masterpiece series touches, no matter how experimental or entertaining it is, its basic principles always remain the same - these are the stories of the characters," Svidomi writes.

The fourth season failed

In the final episodes of the fourth season, the characters that viewers were familiar with changed radically. They seemed to have lost their former depth and humanity, and the situations they faced in their new progressive school resembled the plots of commercials.

The main character, Otis, turned into a caricature of a loser, with an unexplainable occasional touch of sensitivity. And his beloved Maeve became a stereotypical but talented writer.

Otis's best friend, Eric, whose character was praised for breaking the stereotype of the typical gay friend for three years in a row, became that very stereotypical gay friend.

It turns out that all the sincerity and value of Sex Education rooted in previous seasons has now become just a vulgarity and a manifestation of all good against all bad.

(Kinorium)

"What an irony. The series that rebelled against stereotypes offered viewers a sincere melodrama, and brought invaluable social benefits has now become a boring propaganda piece. Punks have once again sold themselves, signing a contract with a major record label - this is what the viewer feels when watching the fourth season," notes the article's author, Stanislav Tarasenko.

The magic is gone, replaced by a corporate calculation. Perhaps this is why leading actors of the series, such as Ncuti Gatwa and Emma Mackey, have announced that they will no longer participate in Sex Education.

If the series had ended after three seasons, with the warm hugging of Maeve and Otis as the finale, it would have been ideal.