“Sex Education” continues to be one of the most progressive series on Netflix. The first season focused on Otis Milburn (Asa Butterfield) educating his Moordale High classmates about sex and giving them relationship advice. The second season still featured the same topics, but what stood out was the fact that it tackled sexual assault.
In episode three, Aimee Gibbs (Aimee Lou Woods) gets on a bus while carrying Maeve Wiley’s (Emma Mackey) birthday cake. Midway through her trip to school, she feels the man behind masturbating on her leg. She then asks the driver to stop so she can get down. Aimee then sees a white stain on her jeans, which she later downplays as a silly incident when Maeve asks her about it.
“Aimee, you were sexually assaulted,” Maeve tells her with concern and convinces her to report it to the police. Aimee protests at first, saying that it’s a hassle, but she eventually agrees. While they’re at the station, Aimee constantly apologizes to the officers for taking up their time.
Usually when a series or film tackles sexual assault, the police are often depicted as either dismissive of or rude to the woman. But in “Sex Education,” the officers were understanding and made sure Aimee was comfortable while answering questions about the man who assaulted her on the bus.
Despite knowing that she did the right thing by going to the police, Aimee still felt unsafe and refuses to ride the bus because she’s afraid that she might see the man who assaulted her. It also came to a point that Aimee had to briefly break up with her boyfriend because she felt uncomfortable being touched by another man (e.g. hugging and hand-holding).
By episode seven, Aimee breaks down and opens up to Maeve and their other female classmates about what she’s been feeling. This scene is somewhat heartwarming because of the display of female solidarity. I say “somewhat” because everyone started sharing their own stories of sexual harassment and assault—from Maeve getting catcalled for wearing shorts to a man flashing his penis to Viv at a public pool.
When we interviewed Emma Mackey last year, she told us that she wanted to see more scenes that showcase female relationships and empowerment in “Sex Education.” We certainly got that in the second season’s penultimate episode.
Aimee’s experience is all too familiar, especially for women who’ve experienced the same things at least once in their lives. It was also heartbreaking to hear her say that because her assaulter looked “innocent,” she felt like everyone around her was capable of doing the same thing. Fortunately, she has a group of friends who are there for her while she slowly heals. We all need that.
Another thing that “Sex Education” did right was not use rape as an example of sexual assault. In the past, “13 Reasons Why” was criticized for including violent rape scenes, which many people considered an insensitive way to add shock factor to the series. “Sex Education” showed that there are other forms of sexual assault and harassment, and they can all be traumatic for people. They didn’t have to show a rape scene that could trigger survivors to prove a point.
With the second season ending on a cliffhanger, we can’t wait to see what’s in store for season three. Of course, we’re still rooting for Otis and Maeve to get together, but we also want to see how this newly formed female group will shape the story in future episodes.
Photos courtesy of Netflix
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