Netflix's 'Sex Education' season three is its best yet

Netflix's coming-of-age series has gone from strength to strength, delivering another stand-out series full of sex, drugs, and labia cupcakes.

Whether you managed to breeze through your high school years full of fond memories or perhaps you left with some loathsome ones, the return to school will always drum up some sort of memories in us, no matter how positive or negative. It's a good thing then that 'Sex Education' season three is so honest, hilarious and relatable to anyone who tunes in.

We return to Moordale following the summer break, and there's a lot of catching up to be done between all of the teenagers. Otis (Asa Butterfield) has a mysterious new lover he's been with all summer, which he's keeping under wraps; Eric (Ncuti Gatwa) and Adam (Connor Swindells) are official and must adjust to the school knowing their status; while Maeve (Emma Mackey) deals with her mother's (Anne-Marie Duff) silent treatment. Oh, and there's a brand new headteacher who is about to change up things at Moordale, now dubbed by the media as the "Sex School".

Jemima Kirke is a new addition this season, starring as the headteacher who believes she knows what is best for her students, Hope. Initially viewed as the "young", "cool" and "with it" headteacher, as her grip over the school intensifies, we see her true colours begin to show, reminding us very much of younger, more put-together version of Imelda Staunton’s wonderfully unhinged Dolores Umbridge from 'Harry Potter'. 

Also new to the cast this season is Dua Saleh as Cal, a nonbinary student who struggles to abide by Hope's new rules; and Jason Isaacs who appears briefly as Peter Groff, Mr Groff’s (Alistair Petrie) abhorrent older brother. Gillian Anderson and Mikael Persbrandt also return as Jean and Jakob, who are juggling with the arrival of their new addition to the family.

Although the main cast is able to hold their own as usual, where 'Sex Education' season three triumphs is by bringing its secondary characters to the forefront of its storytelling. Adam's struggle with his sexuality and sexual preferences is particularly touching; alien-obsessed Lily (Tanya Reynolds) begins to question what makes her so unique and weird; while Ruby (Mimi Keene) brings heart to a character previously perceived as a stuck-up "it girl".

The more episodes you watch, the more you begin to realise that it's a live-action version of Netflix’s animated series 'Big Mouth' - albeit with plenty more warmth to it, and without any hormone monsters running around wreaking havoc - the teens are well able to cause enough trouble for themselves. A highlight from the series is midway through where they embark on a school trip via bus to France - let's just say they manage to get themselves into a pretty crappy situation. Eric also takes a trip to Nigeria, which opens his eyes to life outside of his sleepy English town.

'Sex Education' is another relatable yet over-the-top triumph for Netflix - now all we have to do is wait and see if there's a season four.

'Sex Education' season three will begin on Netflix on Friday, September 17.