As more and more original cast members leave the series, it’s clear that the time is fast approaching when Sex Education has to come to an end. The Netflix series has been a smash hit with both critics and audiences since it burst onto the small screen in 2019. However, given the integral role that its cast and characters play, the increasing number of absentees is a major cause for concern.
Since season 1, Sex Education has retained a regular cast list, with some chopping and changing between different series. Leads such as Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Ncuti Gatwa, and Emma Mackey have all delivered iconic performances, cementing themselves as fan-favorite characters and integral to the future of the show. Alongside these major roles, performers like Mimi Keane as Ruby Matthews and Jim Howick as eccentric music teacher Colin Hendricks have made the show one of the most eclectic and colorful series on television. As a result, while Sex Education ostensibly follows the trials and tribulations of Butterfield’s Otis, new Doctor Who Gatwa’s Eric, and Mackey’s Maeve, the show actually covers a huge swathe of different experiences and stories.
While a broad range of established characters has been one of Sex Education‘s greatest strengths, it also means that the series is unusually susceptible to anyone leaving. Both Patricia Allison (who played Olsa) and Tanya Reynolds (alien-loving Lily Inglehart) have both confirmed that they will not be returning for season 4, leaving a significant void for viewers. The fact that familiar faces seem to be leaving the project with increasing regularity shows that perhaps Sex Education season 4 will mark the end. While it’s possible for shows to limp on with major cast turnover, the fact is that it’s the characters that make Sex Education so special. In their absence, it’s only right that the series bow out on a high, rather than hastily try to re-cobble together the magic and risk ruining its legacy later down the line.
Will Sex Education Season 4 Be The Last One?
News of departing cast members has only increased speculation that Sex Education season 4 will be the final series. As of mid-2022, there has been no confirmation from Netflix that season 4 will mark the end of the show, yet there are several reasons why this makes sense as a natural cut-off. For one thing, many of the characters are reaching the end of their time at Moordale due to natural aging. As this is the institution that binds them all together, it follows that a move away from the school spells the end of Sex Education. Coupled with the season 3 cliff-hanger, which sees the school ostensibly shut down after the infamous musical debacle, it all seems like season 4 provides the perfect opportunity to close the Moordale chapter, and thus end the Sex Education story as viewers know it.
There have also been some sage words on the future prospects of the show from now-former cast members. In an interview with Digital Spy, Inglehart revealed that – from her perspective at least – season 4 is the most natural endpoint. As she put it, “I think it’s that thing when you’re playing teenagers, and the whole the root of the show is in a particular environment like a school. You have to age, you have to move on, so there is always an end in sight. It’s not like Friends for example, where it’s just following these people as they grow up and in their lives, because this is in an institution.” This supports the idea that, for all its popularity, Sex Education‘s time is almost up, Rather than try to keep going for the sake of the brand, it may well be worth recognizing that all good things must end.
