“I think I’m addicted to wanking,” a concerned student at Moordale Secondary School confesses to 16-year-old Otis Milburn. Frantically, Otis sprints down the hallway running into more and more students who want to tell him their sexual and relationship problems. Only now does Otis realize that he will be the sexual therapist to all of Moordale in “Sex Education,” a popular Netflix series that released its second season Jan. 17.

With the help of friends, Otis (Asa Butterfield) will turn the sexual confusion of his fellow classmates into a profit by running a secret sex therapy clinic, giving students advice and tips all while he deals with problems of his own. Growing up in South Wales, Otis lives with his divorced mother, Jean (Gillian Anderson), who works as a professional sexual and relationship therapist, so being open about that part of his life was natural, until his teenage years began. 

“Sex Education” is a collection of emotions all teens experience: hate, love, and confusion about their lives and bodies. Through each relatable character, “Sex Education” recognizes micro and macro hardships teenagers experience, each new challenge feeling like an incomparable, life-changing event. In exploring sexuality, the show isn’t afraid of showing skin or nudity (so viewer discretion is advised). With this fearless approach to teen life, this Netflix Original Series is able to cover topics rarely explored on screen: the things teens do behind the scenes.  

Beyond simply exploring the lives of fictional characters, this show has an educational attribute as well, thus the name “Sex Education,” as the show spreads awareness about sexual health and safe sex. This is not your average health class video, of course, but it teaches teenagers about sex in a humorous, relatable environment that they can watch with others or by themselves. 

Character development in the series is key to the message of the show. Every character prominent or not, is going through, from poverty to bullying to self-discovery. Like Otis’ friends Eric (Ncuti Gatwa) and Maeve (Emma Mackey), who needed to go through physical and emotional trouble to understand how the world treats people who are not heterosexual and people in poverty. 

“Sex Education” reaches out to multiple audiences. Because everyone is going through their own problems in the series, it also shows kids not to judge a book by their cover. For example, when watching The CW’s “Riverdale,” some audience members may be caught up in the plot and how unbelievably attractive the characters are, but in “Sex Education,” you fall in love with the characters because how they feel not just on looks. 

“Sex Education,” is a new believable view on teen life that makes you laugh, cry, and cringe with the characters and their experiences. Make this you next weekend binge.