There’s pressure to buy gifts for everyone; pressure to make a delicious dinner; pressure to make good impressions; and the inevitable pressure to keep up with family get-togethers.
If you survive all that Christmas has to throw at you, don’t you dare rest - New Year is right around the corner. The question of “Which party should I go to?”, followed by “Have I even been invited to one?” plague the minds of those fatigued with festivities. And then, there comes the inevitable thought: “Who do I kiss at midnight?”
What better show is there to explore the social pressures of the holiday season?
Enter Sex Education. What show out there is better suited to exploring the social pressures of Christmas and New Year? The show could explore the awkwardness of family dinners and the peer pressure to share these occasions with lovers.
The different backgrounds of the main characters - Eric, Otis and Maeve - are prime material for showing how family get-togethers can make for uncomfortable situations. I imagine Eric’s story could be particularly poignant here, as some of his family may well be unsupportive of his life decisions, potentially reaching boiling point over the festive season.
In the case of Otis, I’d be curious as to who would he and his mum would have a Christmas dinner with; would Otis’ dad come home to spend quality family time with him? Similarly, I’d like to see what Maeve’s Christmas traditions are and whether she ever had family traditions that she has adopted as her own.
Moving onto the show’s potential commentary on New Year’s Eve, a party held by ‘The Untouchables’ could be an interesting setup for tackling the stresses of kissing someone at the stroke of midnight. If one of ‘The Untouchables’ themselves was the subject of this, using an event to maintain a popular, pretty and desirable image could make for an interesting take on the societal pressures that come to the forefront on occasions like these. And of course, for drama’s sake, it’s always juicy to see who will couple-up for the big night.
Sex Education has great themes to explore during a Christmas special while remaining true to their narrative style and the usual content of the show. Besides, what better setup is there for another season of sex therapy classes at Moorfield High than student after student struggling to fulfill ill-advised New Year’s resolutions?
Sex Education Season 3 is set to release 17 January.
