Summary
Sex Education Season 2, Episode 8 closes some stories, but leaves the major arcs open, forcing the audience to beg for a third season.
This recap of Netflix Series Sex Education Season 2, Episode 8 contains significant spoilers.
- Read the Season 2 review.
- Read the recap of the previous episode (7).
- Access the archive of all the episode recaps.
Ah, the writers just could not help themselves but we’ll get to that later. Episode 8, the finale, has plenty of drama and it also features the Romeo and Juliet play and Maeve in the quiz finals.
At the start of Episode 8, Ola and Lily are playing out a sexual fantasy but as things progress, Lily says she has vaginismus. Ola asks if she can ever cure it and Lily explains that she has to build up her confidence slowly with sex toys. They decide to masturbate next to each other instead.
At breakfast it is awkward between Otis and Jean; Jean asks if Otis will ever admit that he lied. Otis tries to therapize her — “You rejected Jakob and now you are rejecting me”. Jean insists that people do not invoice for a casual conversation while Otis refuses to believe what he did was wrong, wondering why they cannot “talk it out”. Jean expresses how she thought she was raising a man that took responsibility for his actions. Ouch.
Maeve’s mother has a job interview — she’s going to miss the quiz finals. Maeve finds a babysitter for Elsie. Maeve believes her mother is using again and asks the trusted Isaac to investigate…
Otis finally gets the chance to speak to Maeve in Episode 8 — she tells him she’s disappointed in him. Ola tells Otis that he tries to be too much of a good guy that he turns out not to be a good guy. Otis believes he knows what to do now. Meanwhile, Adam drops his father’s stuff off as instructed by his mother. Mr. Groff asks him if his wife misses him and Adam asks if he can come back to school. Adam bumps into Eric and they quickly catch up. In the distance, Rahim sees them laughing with each other. Adam tells Eric that he understands that he hurt him.
Remi really is the caricature of himself; Episode 8 sees him doing an event for his book about failing masculinity. Otis visits and heads to the book signing — he wants to talk to his father. Meanwhile, Joe and Isaac enter Maeve’s caravan to investigate. A new blow for Maeve; Joe finds drugs.
The quiz finals are beginning and Emily Sands scopes out the opposition that always wins. Isaac and Joe send Maeve proof of the drugs. Maeve instantly rings social services to report Elsie as a child at risk.
Otis finally gets his father’s time. He asks Remi why he left him when he was a child. He states that his mother was there for him, but he never had his father. Remi tries to skirt around it. Otis tells him to stop lying and that he feels angry inside for Remi being an absent father. Remi admits to being an a—hole. Otis asks how he can prevent being like his father, which comes with a simple response — “Try stay honest”. Otis sees Maeve on TV participating in the quiz and he leaves a voicemail for her. He tells her he is proud and that he’s being unbelievably stupid.
Rahim is starting to see the signs in Sex Education Season 2, Episode 8; he tells Adam that he knows he likes his boyfriend and that he can make him laugh in a way he cannot. Ola convinces the store owner to not fire Adam by admitting she knew the front door of the store would not lock. The owner fires both of them. When Adam questions why Ola did that she tells him that she loves Adam as a friend. Adam is surprised — “No one has ever said that I’m their friend before.” He gives Ola a big hug. Adam is starting to understand what it is like to have friends.
Back at the quiz and Maeve freezes on a question as she sees her mother sit down in the crowd. The quiz team considers giving up as they are behind in points but Vivienne gives them a pep talk.
Jean tells her doctor that she thinks she’s perimenopausal. The doctor suggests that she’s actually suffering from a broken heart but wants to help give a diagnosis anyway. The doctor confirms that Jean is perimenopausal but also that she’s pregnant — Jean bursts into tears. More complications for Jean.
The quiz team brings the points back and they win the National Championship. Maeve’s mother wants to take Maeve for a celebratory strawberry milkshake. When they both return home, the social services arrive and Maeve’s mother gets emotional claiming she slipped up once. She angrily starts pushing the social service officers away and gets angry at Maeve. Maeve looks at her mother with a measure of guilt. Her mother claims she will never forgive Maeve. This was a big moment in the development of Maeve’s character.
The Romeo and Juliet show starts near the third act of Episode 8. Ola tells Otis she’s dating Lily and he seems fine about it. Otis apologizes to Jakob for being immature about him being in a relationship with his mother. Jakob tells Otis that he is an a—hole but that he’s a good man. When the show starts, Jackson starts freaking out but the teacher calms him down. The show is a post-modern approach of Romeo and Juliet, with erotic messages, which makes Mr. Groff panic next to Maxine.
Jackson bumbles on stage nervously, and unable to say his lines while breathing quickly. With Vivienne mouthing the words, he starts forming into his character and finds his flow. The show then goes full erotic with the lyrics and performances. Mr. Groff is fuming.
In a moment of clarity and elation, Adam runs to the school after a brief chat with his mother about the meaning of love. He stops the show at a key moment between Romeo and Juliet and asks for Eric on the stage. He tells Eric that he wants to hold his hand. Eric accepts Adam’s hand and Rahim walks out upset. The show resumes while Rahim sits outside heartbroken.
An angry Mr. Groff stops the show. He accuses Jean of corrupting the students with her sex advice. Otis stands up and admits he was the one giving out the advice and he owns up to it and defends his mother, claiming she gave out professional, useful advice. Suddenly, students stand up one at a time and defend Jean. Maxine pulls Mr. Groff into his office and tells him he needs to take time off and puts him on leave.
After a dramatic show, Otis tells Jean that she can get back with Jakob and that he will be mature about it. Eric introduces Adam to his family and apologizes to Rahim. Rahim tells him to leave it — “He can hold your hand but I’m not sure he can catch you”.
Sex Education Season 2, Episode 8 ends in tantalizing circumstances. Those who enjoy the prospect of Otis and Maeve being together will have to wait as the writers have decided to painfully delay the romance for good. It’s a good move as it begs for another third season but I was surprised it was not resolved in Season 2. Episode 8 ends with Maeve crying at home, so she goes to see Isaac. He tells Maeve that she did the right thing. She offers to make him an omelet but sees there is no milk in the fridge. She heads out. Otis heads to the caravan park and looks for Maeve. Isaac tells Otis that he cannot be sure when Maeve will be back, even though he knows she’s only headed out for milk. Otis is cool about it and tells Isaac to tell Maeve that he has left her a message.
The finale ends with Isaac listening to the voicemail which ends with “It’s always been you. I love you, Maeve”. Isaac deletes the message.
It’s safe to say that it’s difficult to like Isaac right now.
Index Cards
- Rahim hates musicals.
- Aimee makes cupcakes for the quiz team. Still trying to bake.
- Lily moves up dildo size.
- Aimee tells Steven that she’s ready for a hug.
- Adam asks his mother if they can let his father back. Maureen says you have to let the people know who you love that you love them, something Mr. Groff struggled to do.
- Jackson asks Vivienne if they can be friends again. She accepts.
