Season 1 Discussion

[beeemkcl]

Sex Education: S01E01 bullet points and analysis

 

 

Note: I’m generally going to put all the Maeve/Jackson stuff in the Otis/Maeve section.

 

 

* Otis Milburn doesn’t have a lock on his bedroom door, and it seems his bedroom is regularly mistaken for the location of the bathroom. This probably contributes to his sexual ‘disfunction’.

 

 

* It’s odd the Milburn house seems to have only one bathroom.

 

 

* Not including Remi Milburn (Otis’s father), Otis is upper middle class. Including Remi, Otis is at least lower upper class. Both Otis’s parents are renowned sex therapists and best-selling authors on sex.

 

Either Otis was taught a lot of his sex therapy knowledge and/or it simply ‘rubbed off’ on Otis. While seemingly not as intelligent as Maeve Wiley, Otis has a high IQ.

 

 

* Otis is the clear alpha in the Otis-Eric Effoing friendship.

 

 

* Otis and Eric are relatively very open (for men) about talking about their ‘sex lives’ to each other.

 

 

* It’s implied Otis could be popular if he wanted to be, but he’s relatively very reserved and doesn’t seem interested in popularity if he has to ‘work at it’.

 

 

* It seems the entire school knows of Maeve Wiley.

 

 

* It’s possible Maeve Wiley and Aimee Gibbs’s friendship is still a secret or somewhat secret at this point.

 

 

* What is the minimum wage in the area in the series? Can Maeve write papers quicker and make more money from doing that than if she got a part-time job somewhere?

 

 

* Maeve clearly would prefer to have a ‘normal’ family.

 

 

* Maeve is possibly going to sit next to Aimee at lunch. Has Maeve ever done that before? Did the Untouchables before S01E01 know that Aimee and she are friends?

 

 

* Otis can hear his mother having sex. That probably contributes to his sexual dysfunction.

 

 

 

 

OTIS/MAEVE:

 

 

* Otis knows his mother (Jean Milburn) has casual sex with relatively random partners. Otis doesn’t consider casual sex a ‘big deal’. Otis doesn’t seem to get significantly jealous of Maeve/Jackson until Maeve/Jackson are boyfriend/girlfriend and Maeve doesn’t ‘hang out’ with Otis as much.

 

 

* Otis’s sexual ‘dysfunction’ is probably the primary reason Otis doesn’t ‘make a move’ on Maeve and seems relatively considerably not jealous of Maeve/Jackson.

 

 

* Does Eric before S01E01 know or consider or think Otis is physically attracted to Maeve Wiley?

 

 

* Maeve seems the ONLY girl Otis is actually considerably physically attracted to. He doesn’t seem to think much of any of the Untouchables in terms of looks. He later

dates Ola Nyman

because of ‘why not’ and

Spoiler

Ola asked him out

?

 

Otis’s initial attraction to Maeve is likely entirely based on her looks. He doesn’t know until later that she sells essays and such to people. He doesn’t seem to know she’s possibly smart until their interactions in S01E02.

 

 

* It’s possible Otis and Maeve had never had a class together before S01E01. It’s clear that they haven’t interacted before S01E01.

 

 

 

SCHOOL HALLWAY SCENE:

 

 

* Did Otis ‘run into’ Maeve on purpose? It seems she was going straight—not rounding a corner--; so, it seems he would likely know she’s walking straight toward him. He looks down at his schedule and runs right into her.

 

Maeve walks straight into Otis.

 

 

* Why does Maeve ‘take the fall’ for Otis? Otis was looking down and ‘not paying attention’ when he ran into Maeve. It’s mostly his fault they ‘ran into’ each other.

 

Maeve has self-esteem issues and social class issues. She may simply not ‘want to deal with’ Otis and wants Otis to ‘go away’. But the rest of the episode has her relatively protective of Otis.

 

Does Maeve know of Otis Milburn?

 

 

* Both Otis Milburn and Jackson Marchetti essentially take the first opportunity available to them to flirt with Maeve.

 

Maeve at this time is physically attracted to Jackson and doesn’t seem physically attracted to Otis (at least not enough to have sex with Otis).

 

 

 

ENGLISH CLASS SCENE:

 

 

* Maeve glances down at Otis when she walks in class to her seat.

 

 

* Otis ‘checks Maeve out’ before she sits down, and Maeve sees this. Maeve thus would reason Otis is physically attracted to her.

 

 

* How does Maeve know exactly when Otis looked back at her again?

 

The times Maeve knows when Otis is looking at her are possibly to likely because of pheromones. Maeve probably is picking up on Otis’s pheromones.

 

 

 

NIGHTTIME CAR SCENE:

 

 

* Maeve has sex with Jackson in his car the night after the day he expresses interest in her. But she doesn’t want to actually date Jackson and doesn’t seem to have feelings for Jackson.

 

Given one needs to be 17 years old before one can drive a car in the UK, Jackson Marchetti and Ruby Mathews are already 17 years old in S01E01. We soon learn Maeve is 17 years old. Otis is still 16 years old

Spoiler

throughout Season 2

. So, Maeve is over 1 year older than Otis.

 

 

* I assume Jackson doesn’t know Maeve lives in a caravan in a ‘trailer park’.

 

 

 

SCIENCE CLASS SCENE:

 

 

* Maeve expresses annoyance at Otis that he has to sit next her to in science class. She’s not sitting next to Aimee.

 

 

* It’s ambiguous, but there’s hint that Maeve likes Otis. When he’s not looking at her, she’s smiling. She smiles when Otis easily opens the condom packet. It’s possible Maeve has some level of physical attraction to Otis.

 

 

* Does Maeve consider Otis is simply embarrassed to ‘put on the condom’ in front her or does she consider he may be sexually inexperienced and perhaps has never put on a condom before?

 

Given S01E05, it seems the former is more likely.

 

 

* Otis has zero trouble easily talking to Maeve. And he’s easily assertive with her. He tells her she’s incorrect. He takes her pen from her.

 

 

* Maeve initially finds the Otis Milburn’s mother ‘wank)ng’ a vegetable funny—when Otis doesn’t know what the class is laughing at on their phones. But she immediately feels bad for Otis when the video is ‘shown to the class’.

 

Maeve seems possibly the only student in the class who feels bad or Otis. The rest of the students in class simply find it funny.

 

Part of the reason Maeve feels bad for Otis is simply because of her ‘social outcast’ status. But S01E01 is perhaps the first time Otis and Maeve have ever spoken to each other. Maeve had sex with Jackson—the current most popular guy in school—and he seems to want to be her boyfriend.

 

Maeve’s feeling so bad for Otis makes it possible she already has some feelings or interest in him or at least somewhat likes him. In any case, she cares at least somewhat about him and his feelings.

 

 

 

ASBESTOS BATHROOM SCENE:

 

 

* Maeve likely develops some feelings for Otis when he gives the therapy session to Adam. Otis to Adam: “It shouldn’t matter what anyone in the school thinks [of you]. {Shows reaction of Maeve maybe developing some feelings for Otis.} You are who you are. Don’t let anyone take that away from you.”

 

Otis actually mostly doesn’t care what the school thinks of him. He has Eric. And Otis is a relatively privileged kid. Both Maeve and Eric have mocking nicknames that the school calls them. Otis while not popular doesn’t actually seem unpopular.

 

Otis to Adam: “Be proud of your penis and your heritage. ‘Cause neither are going anywhere. {Reaction shot of Maeve. Maeve is not proud of her heritage. Maeve considers herself ‘white trash’.} “You should work with what you got.” {Reaction shot of Maeve. Maeve smiles and considers this.}

 

Otis doesn’t work out at all. And Otis is the son of two world-renowned sex therapists and his family—including his father—is worth perhaps 8-figures.

 

Otis is very comfortable with his socioeconomic position and he simply doesn’t want to be embarrassed by his mother. But he respects her job. And he respects his father and currently actually seems to like his father more than he likes his mother.

 

Maeve has major self-esteem issues because of her socioeconomic status. She knows she’s smart and she does very well in school. She reads a lot. But it takes the encouragement from Otis and Ms. Emily Sands (Maeve’s English teacher) for Maeve to ‘strive’ and think better of her possible future.

 

Without Otis and Ms. Sands as mentors and inspiration, Maeve may not have tried to ‘better herself’ as she does.

 

 

* Maeve gets Adam Groff to apologize to Otis for sending the Jean Milburn ‘wank)ng the vegetable’ video around and Otis seems surprised she does this.

 

 

* Would Maeve have ‘hung out’ with Otis if Otis hadn’t fixed Adam’s ‘sexual problem’?

 

 

 

OUTSIDE SCHOOL SCENE:

 

 

* Maeve seems to get at least a little jealous when Jackson is seemingly flirting with Ruby. It doesn’t seem Jackson ever had sex with Ruby. And Jackson never cheated on Maeve.

 

- S01E05 is

Spoiler

the first time Maeve sees Otis having possible attraction to and/or interest in another girl/woman.

 

 

And then there’s S02E06 (Otis’s party) and S02E07 (the aftermath of that party).

 

 

* How does Otis know Maeve was looking at him? Did he just happen to glance in her direction? Is he picking up her pheromones?

 

In any case, Maeve is already at least somewhat interested in Otis. But would Otis/Maeve ever be likely had Otis not successfully ‘cured’ Adam? Would Maeve have ever tried to befriend Otis?

 

A large part of Maeve’s physical attraction to Jackson is Jackson’s being Head Boy of Moordale, his being a star athlete, and his possibly ‘going places’ in the future.

 

Otis is 16 years old and he’s already a good sex therapist. Unless Jackson wins a gold medal at the Summer Olympics, is Jackson likely to be more successful than Otis?

 

And already in S01E01: Maeve seems to like Otis more than she likes Jackson and she cares about Otis more than she cares about Jackson.

 

 

 

OTIS’S BEDROOM SCENE:

 

 

* Did Maeve leave the female anatomy worksheet with Otis? She writes: “Maeve and Otis” and circles the 2 names together.

 

Otis ‘wank)s’ to the thought of Otis/Maeve. It’s the first time we see him ‘wa)k’.

 

Otis’s attraction to Maeve seems almost entirely physical at this point.

 

So, Otis has a bunch of interactions with Maeve, Maeve seems to care at least somewhat about him, Maeve gets Adam to apologize to Otis, Maeve tells Otis she’ll ‘see him around’.

 

Otis cannot ‘finish’ or simply doesn’t want to. In the morning, he throws out his magazine and lotion. And tells his mother: “I can’t mas)urbate, but I don’t want to talk about it. I’m dealing with it on my own.”

 

 

 

MORNING SCHOOL SCENE:

 

 

* Otis doesn’t want Maeve’s seeing him with his helmet on—he doesn’t look as ‘cool’ with it on.

 

 

* Otis is relatively confident and flirty with Maeve in the scene.

 

 

* Is Maeve actually flirting with Otis when she takes off his helmet and such or is she pretending to flirt with him? I consider she’s mostly pretending. Maeve knows Otis is physically attracted to her; so, she uses that to get him to agree to her sex therapy business plan.

 

Maeve may have some physical attraction to Otis in S01E01, but she wouldn’t have sex with him.

[Happytobehere]

I am liked the show much more than I thought I would.

Erick is awful and I loved watching his growth. I was happy when his father revealed that contrary to the stereotype of Black fathers, that he loved and supports his gay son.  I am still undecided about the Adam relationship, but yeah, it was obvious fro  the first episode that Adam’s fixation on Erick and his “tromboner” was rooted in something other than hate. I spent the season wondering which of Erick’s in-school tormentors (Adam or the the kid Erick punched) would wind up getting with him.

I mostly like Otis. Still trying to decide if he is using Ola. I like his friendship with Erick and that he found what he is good at and genuinely seems to enjoy helping his fellow students. I loved when he finally stood up to his mother and was glad that the show avoided the trope of him telling his mother that he isn’t surprised his father cheated on her and that she deserves to be alone because she is the worst as he ran fro the house.

The things I did not like:

Uninteresting triangle with Otis, Maeve and Ola. Why can’t Otis and Maeve be friends, yes friends who had moments where they thought it could be more, but friends nonetheless. Is it because it would mean a male/female friendship without sex coming into the mix and heaven forbid that happen.

Maeve using Jackson from the first episode until she decided she no longer had a use for him in the final episode, and he still helped her because he is genuinely a good guy. I don’t dislike her, in fact I actually like her for the most part,  but her use of Jackson as an ornament to make herself feel good was disgusting and her sad life does not excuse her disregard for him as a person. She used him as a prop and it doesn’t speak well of her.

 

[marshmallows]

So I'm really late to the game. But overall, I really liked the show and most of the characters. I just have a few issues with some of the characters.

I feel bad for Maeve and her home life, but how she treats Jackson is just horrible. Jackson isn't just your typical popular jock or the "nice" guy. He is genuinely a good person with actual struggles. She won't go out of her comfort zone to do things Jackson might like- like dancing with him or taking photos with him at the dance- even if she isn't into it, it's nice to do things for your significant other sometimes even if it's not something you particularly enjoy especially if it's as harmless as dancing and taking some pictures. I also don't like how she diminishes his struggles with his overbearing mother. I get where Maeve is coming from because her parents didn't care enough to even stick around and she is trying to show him that his mom cares about him, but just because his struggles aren't as hard as hers doesn't make his problems any less real. His mom is really overbearing and puts an immense amount of pressure on him to the point he is on antianxiety meds and throws up before all his swim meets. I just had a real soft spot for Jackson and did not appreciate how Maeve treated him.

Ok so Headmaster Groff is a jerk and clearly does not know how to communicate with his son Adam, but Adam is quite horrible. I mean he shows his penis to the entire school, he cheats on exams, he bullies kids. I mean I get his father's disappointment. 

I think my favorite thing about the whole show was the Otis/Eric friendship. I loved how unapologetically Otis dressed up like Hedwig and danced with Eric at the school dance. It was just so heartwarming to see a straight male/gay male friendship.

[Aulty]

On 9/27/2021 at 6:41 PM, marshmallows said:

I just have a few issues with some of the characters.

A few of those things will be explored further in the next seasons. Without giving anything away, I think they do a really good job pulling back the curtain on the Groffs.

[Kristi800]

Quote

I think my favorite thing about the whole show was the Otis/Eric friendship. I loved how unapologetically Otis dressed up like Hedwig and danced with Eric at the school dance. It was just so heartwarming to see a straight male/gay male friendship.

It was, but I didn't like how quickly Eric forgave Otis. He could have ended really really hurt and Otis was like "but you have to forgive me!" and then Eric did. And Otis ditched him for vagina pictures and the Queen Bees?!