Unfortunately, Sex Education season 4 won't be able to fix its big Maeve (Emma Mackey) and Otis (Asa Butterfield) problem. Netflix's coming-of-age series has tackled several plot lines over the years. Relationships between characters have evolved and situations have changed, but despite that, what has always been clear is that Maeve and Otis' dream romance remains to be at the center of its storytelling. The show has yet to deliver on this promise as it opted to keep them apart for much of the previous series, and regrettably, Sex Education season 4 won't be able to resolve it.
Despite returning, Mackey confirmed that Maeve will have a limited presence on Sex Education season 4, meaning that it cannot fully develop her burgeoning romance with Otis. For context, the pair finally confessed their feelings for each other after years of going back and forth, but they had to go their separate ways again because of Maeve's study abroad grant. Sex Education season 4 will keep the pair physically separated as Maeve stays in the United States while Otis deals with the fallout from Moordale Secondary's closure at home. Although this wasn't the ideal scenario for romance, there would have been ways to move their relationship forward despite their distance. Now, however, knowing that Maeve will have a reduced role in Sex Education season 4, doing anything significant regarding her and Otis' relationship is almost impossible. Even if Netflix tries, it will likely be disappointing because they can't fully utilize Mackey. As such, Sex Education season 4 may well not resolve its Otis and Maeve problem.
Why Maeve Has A Reduced Role In Sex Education Season 4
Barbie film on the docket, but she may have other ongoing deals that would keep her from doing Sex Education season 4 full-time.
Can Sex Education Still Do Maeve and Otis Justice?
It's uncertain what lies ahead of Sex Education season 4. Despite the show's popularity, its story has a natural ending. Couple that with the cast venturing out of the Netflix series and the end may be near for the coming-of-age project. This means that it is running out of time to deliver on its promise of a full-blown Otis and Maeve romance. As established, Sex Education season 4 won't have enough time to properly develop their relationship given their long-distance set-up, not to mention Maeve's reduced role. Even with the potential Sex Education season 5 moving forward, it would be difficult to give them a happy ending without feeling rushed and unearned.
All in all, Otis and Maeve's problem stems from Sex Education's storytelling itself. Netflix milked the will-they/won't-they dynamic a tad too long to the point that it became irrelevant to the series' whole story. Now, the issue has become too big to address quickly. Given all of this, it may be better for the series to just give up on the pairing – however heartbreaking it may be for fans.