Summary
Sex Education Season 2, Episode 1 brings the popular Netflix series back with a natural continuation as the school is faced with an apparent STI outbreak.
This recap of Netflix Series Sex Education Season 2, Episode 1 contains significant spoilers.
- Read the Season 2 review.
- Read the recap of Episode 2.
- Access the archive of all the episode recaps.
Sex Education returns and it feels like it has not left. It’s a healthy, natural continuation of the story. Episode 1 opens up with Otis (Asa Butterfield) masturbating wherever possible — he’s an expert at it now that he is over the psychological wall, but he takes it too far. While out with his mother Jean, she leaves him in the car and he decides to try to have a cheeky w–k. His mother returns to the car early as she forgot her purse and he spunks all over the car window. Otis is clearly embarrassed about it, but Jean being Jean has a “sit down” talk with him about it. His best friend Eric thinks it is hilarious.
It’s back to high school — Otis still has not heard from Maeve, but apparently there is a chlamydia outbreak that has sent students into a panic. Otis is adamant that he does not want to give advice anymore.
School Chairman Maxine meets Headmaster Groff about the chlamydia outbreak and she wants to know what his plan is. At a school assembly during a choir, a girl is accused of spreading the STI. Otis is distracted, however, and heads to the bathroom to sort himself out again.
We finally meet Maeve in Episode 1; she’s working at a fast-food pretzel cafe. She spots a woman in the distance and chases after her in the mall — it’s her mother.
Fiona speaks to Otis about the chlamydia problem and wants help as everyone thinks it is her. She claims she has been tested and is all in the clear. With encouragement from Eric, Otis holds a meeting with Fiona and the accusers. Otis wants the names of their sexual partners to find out the source. He wants to ensure the rumor surrounding Fiona stops. Otis narrows down the sexual partners but he also wants to ask Jackson just in case — Jackson proves he is in the clear; he’s been tested. After his discussion with Jackson, Otis needs to w–k again.
Maeve and her mother Erin have lunch together. Erin explains she is on step 9 of NA (Narcotics Anonymous). Maeve is not ready for this conversation with her mother and walks off. Erin catches up to her and they both have a cigarette. Erin reveals she has met a new man and that he is supportive.
Otis and Ola meet to hook-up at Ola’s house. For some reason, Otis cannot get erect and Ola asks if it is her fault. Otis panics and leaves the bedroom but as he tumbles down the stairs, he sees his mother Jean with Ola’s father Jakob. Otis is distraught while they have a sit-down meeting about Jean and Jakob’s relationship — he expresses that he finally felt normal. Meanwhile, Erin promises Maeve that she will tell her new partner about her and Sean. Maeve immediately quits her job and dyes her hair to brunette.
Headmaster Groff holds a parent’s emergency meeting about the STI outbreak. Jean stands up and tells everyone that this is STI hysteria and chlamydia cannot be transferred airborne. She suggests they tailor the sex education program and she gets a round of applause.
As we reach the midway point of a good opening episode of Season 2, we learn more about Jackson’s wellbeing. He overhears Roz and Sofia arguing about his lack of focus due to his heartbreak. Jackson tells them that he wants to make them proud but at the gym, he purposefully hurts his hands on the weights. Episode 1 clearly presents a man that does not want the swimming life anymore. The repercussions are that the hospital tells Jackson that he has a hand fracture and he cannot swim for six weeks.
It doesn’t take long for Maeve to return to school; she asks the Headmaster for a second chance; Maeve gives Groff a pile of plagiarized essays she has written for students and blackmails him; if he does not let her back into school, she will reveal that the establishment is full of cheats. Groff does not buy the blackmail. On the way out of his office, Otis and Maeve catch each other for a brief discussion; it’s obvious that they still love each other.
Maeve is not done; she heads back into the Headmaster’s office and starts a speech on the school’s intercom speakers. She begins reading out the plagiarized essays; Groff returns flabbergasted with Chairman Maxine puzzled to what is happening; the teacher Emily claims it is a tradition to read out successful essays and manages to blag it. Maxine demands that Groff gets the school back in order. Maeve is back in and re-enrolled. We always knew that was going to happen, but she did it in style.
A fight has broken out between Fiona and her accusers Martha and Gwen. Otis tries to split them up in front of the entire school. Maeve notices that Owen is on the “sexual partners” list and tells Eric that Owen has been secretly sleeping with Martha and Gwen, and it has been upsetting him as they force him to keep it a secret. Otis is accidentally punched by one of the girls and he is knocked out.
In the aftermath, Owen tells Otis that he gave Martha and Gwen chlamydia. Otis tells Owen he has every right to be upset but the truth is the best way to control the outbreak. Otis uses his own advice and tells Ola about his obsession with masturbating. Ola is cool about it: “We’ll just figure it out together”.
Sex Education Season 2, Episode 1 closes with more trouble heading Otis’s way; Chairman Maxine calls Jean and asks her to revamp the sex education curriculum. After wise words from Eric, Otis talks to Maeve about relaunching the sex clinic. He manages to convince her to return — “This entirely about the money”.
We all know that is not true.
Index Cards
- Lily gives Ola a tour. There’s a new boy in the school that everyone thinks is hot, including Eric.
- Eric asks the headmaster when Adam will be back. The headmaster tells him that Adam will not be returning.
- Ola asks Lily about Maeve. She sees her as a threat.
- Maeve receives loads of money from her mother. She meets new neighbors Joe and Isaac.
