Watch Sex Education in quarantine

The argument

The world during quarantine is scary. Daily press briefings and the constant upsurge in Coronavirus numbers proves this. What audiences need during this time is some light relief, something to take their mind away from the outside world while stuck at home. Sex Education is the perfect answer. Light, witty, but also dealing in sensitive and serious subjects, the Netflix comedy provides the perfect antidote to rainy lonely days stuck in quarantine. Of all the comedies currently on Netflix, Sex Education is one of the most commercially and critically acclaimed. The first series was streamed over 40 million times within the first month. Ask any British teenager or young student and they will likely rave about the series. It has also impressed reviewers, with the Mirror proclaiming it an " hilariously honest and refreshingly diverse comedy". The show is not just pure comedy however. It also deals in the complexities of young adolescents' sexual lives. For this reason it is also educational and helps young people to approach the topic of sex with frank, open and honest conversations. This aspect of the series has been praised in the New York times who praised it as ' timely but not hamfistedly topical, feminist, with a refreshing lack of angst about its subject. Sex, in this show, isn’t an “issue” or a problem or a titillating lure: It’s an aspect of health.'

Context

Sex Education is a British comedy-drama series which premiered on 11 January 2019 on Netflix. It was a smash hit, and the second series was released onto the streaming platform on on 27 January 2020. The show follows the life of Otis, who inadvertently becomes his school's sex therapist. Hilarity and drama ensues.

Premises

Counter-arguments

Sex Education focuses a lot on sex and relationships. During quarantine, restrictions in different states mean that many people cannot meet their partners or boyfriends or girlfriends. This has meant that a lot of people have been feeling lonely and craving intimacy. Under such circumstances, a show focusing specifically on sexual aspects may be unhelpful for many people feeling frustrated and alone. Thriller type series such as The Stranger may be more appropriate for people who want to take their mind off the current Coronavirus circumstances.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] Viewing figures and reviews establish popularity and quality rather than suitability for the purpose the premise names, and "the perfect antidote" is simply asserted. The question also asks for the best thing to watch, which requires the comparison with the sibling positions that the argument never attempts. [Rejecting P2] The second half undercuts the first: a series praised for treating its subject frankly and seriously is being recommended as light relief, and the two recommendations pull apart. The counter identifies the specific tension the premise misses — a show about sex and relationships during a period when many people were separated from partners.