I haven’t felt this uncomfortable since the peach scene in Call Me By Your Name. Masturbation is awkward. Adults pretending to be teenagers masturbating is painfully cringeworthy. The show opens up with a bang, literally. Watching a teenage couple having quite an intense sexual experience that leaves off without a climax, I wondered if I should turn it off. But Netflix offers Italian Subtitles on their original content and that is my goal of 2019, so I committed. And I’m so glad that I did.
The show follows Otis, played by Asa Butterfield, a sexually repressed 16 year old boy who takes notes from his sex therapist mother and opens his own underground clinic in his high school alongside his partner and crime and Margot Robbie doppleganger, Maeve, played by Emma Mackey. Unlikely that sexually active high school kids would take therapy advice for a 16 year old virgin, but if you look passed that it’s a progressive coming of age story on sexuality, anxiety, social pressure, bullying and friendship.
What makes this show so good is how bold and unapologetic it is. It took me a moment to appreciate it. It’s crude and shocking, but its also honest and vulnerable. Sometimes the most important conversations are the ones that make us the most uncomfortable. Albeit, they go a little too far. You can’t help but think about how painfully uncomfortable the production of filming these scenes were and cringe at the thought.
Each episode starts with a sexually frustrated teenager/couple that goes to Otis for counseling. The writer, Laurie Nunn, is intentional in her overt messages she’s trying to get across to her young audience and she’s good at it. We go through their sexual discovery, learn better communication, understand the word “no”, promote interracial relationships/friendships, gay/straight relationships. We learn how to be an ally and a friend.
If you have not watched yet, but plan to. Look away now.
For me the shining star of this show is not Otis, but his best friend Eric played by Ncuti Gatwa. A hysterical, openly gay Nigerian/British teenager, he teaches life’s most important lesson; to be courageous enough to be yourself. Eric is grappling between being his true self and face attacks for it or dulling his shine to make the world around him more comfortable. He finds inspiration in his family church during a sermon “His love is greater than fear. His love is stronger than uncertainty. His love is deeper than hate. Jesus said “Love your neighbor, as you love yourself.” Yourself. Love starts here. We must all learn to love ourselves before we truly love others. Who are you to not love yourself?” A show that doesn’t bash religion, but instead proves you can be both gay and loved by God and in a church that accepts you. Eric showed up to his school dance in true Eric attire, fabulously dressed in a Nigerian inspired suit and headpiece. His father asked him, “but why do you have to be so much?” He replies “this is me. I’ll be hurt either way. Isn’t it better to be who I am?” His father speaking up for himself for the first time out of fear of being a Nigerian man in a white world admits “he’s learning from his brave son.” The feels. This is just pure gold.
As for the “shocking” season finale, it seemed to be quite obvious to me that Adam, Eric’s long term bully, was actually gay and crushing on him. Tale as old as time, if he picks on you, he likes you. Interested in seeing how his story line rolls out in season two.
I love the choices Laurie made to make Maeve’s love triangle between two genuinely good guys. Too often the nice guy gets overlooked for the asshole. Instead his contender is Jackson; a sweet, caring, driven, smart student athlete; who’s vulnerable and open about his anxiety disorder from the pressure put on him. He’s not judgmental towards Maeve and accepting of her and her less than glamour life. It’s so easy to route for him. His only fault is that he’s not Otis. Because Otis sees Maeve. He recognizes her heart, her mind, even through an anonymously written paper. Otis knows Maeve. He knows the way she thinks, what she wants, what she’s afraid of.
See Otis is friendzoned, but he accepts that. He is not waiting for Maeve or only acting as her friend in the hopes that she will come around and love him back. He accepts her silent “no” and pursues other relationships. His actions are only out of genuine friendship and respect for her and thats how he eventually captures Maeve’s attention.
Message: Don’t just choose a good guy, choose the guy who is good for you.
I rate this show a 9.5 only because of the distress it caused me in those moments of discomfort.
