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Everything We Know About 'Sex Education' Season 3

Everything We Know About 'Sex Education' Season 3

Everyone's fave NSFW teen drama is back for a third round next year.

Ciara Sheppard

Ciara Sheppard

*Spoilers for Sex Education ahead*

Teen drama Sex Education has proved a runaway hit since it first hit screens last year, delighting fans with its boundary-pushing story lines and quirky characters. So it's no wonder fans were thrilled to hear it's coming back to Netflix for a third season.

The NSFW teen drama sees a group of high school students navigate their coming of age and sexuality, and all the cringe and embarrassing moments that come with it.

Season 2 only launched on Netflix in January, and as usual, it continued to be the most woke show on TV exploring issues such as self harm, consent, sexual assault and more.

Mere days after we'd finished bingeing the series, Netflix announced it would be returning for season 3. Here's everything we know about the third instalment so far.

Who is returning for Sex Education Season 3?

While there's no official word on who will be returning, you can bet most of the main cast will be back.

These include Asa Butterfield (Otis Milburn), Gillian Anderson (Dr Jean F. Milburn), Ncuti Gatwa (Eric Effiong), Emma Mackey (Maeve Wiley), Patricia Allison (Ola Nyman), Connor Swindells (Adam Groff) and Kedar Williams-Stirling (Jackson Marchetti).

The cast of 'Sex Education' at the season 2 premiere (
Netflix)

Recurring cast members such as Jim Howick (Colin Hendricks), Rakhee Thakrar (Emily Sands), Hannah Waddingham (Sofia Marchetti) and Sharon Duncan-Brewster (Roz Marchetti) are also likely to make an appearance.

Edward Bluemel, who plays Maeve's brother Sean Wiley, hasn't been seen since Season 1. Could he also return? We can but hope.

As with Season 2, we also predict there'll be a cast of new faces to get excited about. Netflix announced the Season 2 equivalent in November, so you can bet we'll get some details around the same time later this year. Eek.

What happened in Sex Education Season 2?

Season 2 of Sex Education saw Otis' sexual awakening take full form as he progressed in his relationship with Ola, all the while coming to terms with the fact his sex therapist mum Jean is dating her dad Jakob.

Otis and Ola experiment with sex in season 3 (
Netflix)

At the same time, Maeve comes to terms with her feeling for her former business partner, ultimately coming clean at the end of the series, admitting to having feelings for him.

Otis is furious at Maeve's timing, despite secretly feeling the same towards her. Ola eventually breaks up with him, and comes to terms with the fact he's in love with Maeve. He leaves her a voicemail with his declaration of love, but it's deleted by Maeve's new friend Isaac.

Maeve admits her true feelings for Otis (
Netflix)

Meanwhile, Season 2 saw Jackson's overwhelming pressures from his parents to succeed with his swimming cause him to self harm. While unable to train, Jackson seeks the help of super smart student Viv, who encourages him to pursue other hobbies. He ends up auditioning for the role of Romeo in the school play - and wins the part.

One of the season's central dramas focuses on Eric and an unexpected love triangle. Otis's best friend is wept off his feet by the new French student at Moordale, Rahim. The pair make it official, but Eric can't help to get Adam out of his head, especially since he's back in town after being expelled from the army.

In a dramatic finale, a reformed Adam decides to make a gesture of love towards Eric during the school play in front of the entire audience, and his dad, headteacher Mr. Groff.

Adam makes a romantic gesture towards Eric (
Netflix)

Meanwhile, Jean comes clean with Jakob about kissing her ex husband, ending their relationship. Matters are made more complicated when the sex therapist discovers she is pregnant with his baby.

Aimee is sexually assaulted on the bus and has to come to terms with her PTSD. With the help of Maeve, she reports it to the police.

Aimee becomes a victim of sexual assault (
Netflix)

What will happen in Sex Education Season 3?

While there's no official line for what's in store for season 3, Netflix may have given us a few hints when it announced the show would be returning.

The streamer announced the comedy is back for round three via a hilarious promo video, featuring none other than Alistair Petrie, aka Mr Groff, as he goes full art historian.

In it, the actor - who plays the miserable headteacher of Moordale secondary school - walks down the hallway of the school, lined with paintings of his pupils.

Mr Groff gives an art history lesson in the announcement teaser (
Netflix)

Petrie examines the paintings - which all feature various props and symbols - as he offers cryptic musings on each character.

While he doesn't give much away, we reckon' there's definitely some Easter Eggs in the teaser well be kicking ourselves about when the series finally airs.

For example, Otis's portrait features "an arousing wheel of brie", which we can only assume will inspire a Call Me By My Name/ American Pie-inspired scene. Who knows.

When he comes to Eric's, Petrie says: "Eric, asking the old question 'he loves me, he loves me not' - based on a French game..." which no doubt alludes to new character French Rahim, potentially teasing that things aren't quite over between them, despite him choosing Adam at the end of Season 2.

Eric falls for French student Rahim (
Netflix)

Besides this, we can expect to see the most of the loose ends from Season 2 tied up, including Otis and Maeve's romance (hopefully).

Fans will remember that the season ended with Otis declaring his love for Maeve over voicemail. "It's you," he said. "It's always been you. I love you."

But Isaac, who also has a crush on Maeve, deleted Otis' voicemail on her phone. It's likely season three will begin with Otis thinking Maeve has rejected him - something we can only hope is quickly put right.

Could Isaac continue to sabotage Otis and Maeve's relationship? Will Maeve ever find out Otis's true feelings for her?!

Otis declares his feelings for Maeve, but the voicemail is deleted (
Netflix)

Elsewhere in Maeve's world, she's dealing with her own personal struggles. In the second season, she was forced to call child protection services on her mum Erin after Isaac and his brother Joe find drug paraphernalia in her belongings.

Will she be back for Season 3? And more to the point, was she actually using? Call us cynics but we know Isaac has a sly side after his stunt with Otis's voicemail... could behave planted it?

Meanwhile, Jackson's finally come clean to his parents that he no longer wants to swim - could he pursue his newfound passion for acting? He's also forged a new friendship with brainiac student Viv, who we *think* has developed a soft spot for the former jock. Could anything happen there beyond friendship?

Jackson and Viv - could there be more? (
Netflix)

While Season 2 ended with Eric choosing Adam over Rahim (don't even get us started on this - not happy), it's likely Adam's longtime struggles with his sexuality aren't going to go away just like that. Could this leave bumps in the road of he and Eric's relationship?

Also, we can't help but wonder if that's a final au revoir for Rahim. Eric clearly had feelings for him, so perhaps they'll reconcile? If not, we hope writers keep Rahim in for his value alone. Yes, we are fully Team Rahim.

We're Team Rahim (
Netflix)

Finally, how will Jakob take the news of Jean's pregnancy, and how will Otic react to his new step sibling? We hope it's all that ends well with Jean and Jakob - they're the perfect couple, why won't they see it?!

It remains to be seen what twists and turns Season 3 will take, but it pays to know writer and creator Laurie Nunn is enjoying making the show.

"I love writing these characters," she told our friends at LADBible. "It's such a big ensemble and I think the theme of the show - in terms of it being about sex and relationships - it really just offers up endless story opportunities.

"So I think the show definitely has legs if Netflix are nice enough to let me keep writing it and let Ben [Taylor] keep directing it!"

However, if you were hoping for 15 more seasons, we're sorry to disappoint. "I always feel that teen shows should maybe stop before university," Nunn said. "Otherwise, you get to the point where people are 30 years old and they're playing teenagers."

'Sex Education' will be back in January 2021 (
Netflix)

When will Sex Education Season 3 air?

Again, there's no official word on when we'll get season 3, but considering season one premiere in January 2019, and season 2 in January 2020, logic says we're looking at Jan 2021.

*Counts down the days.*

Featured Image Credit: Netflix

Topics: Entertainment News, TV and Film, Sex Education