The popular Netflix series Sex Education is heading into its fourth season without a handful of its cast , and a couple of others plan to exit following season 4, so it's time for the show to end. The British television show premiered in early 2019 on the streaming service and was an immediate hit among critics and audiences worldwide. Following three successful seasons, Netflix renewed Sex Education for season 4 in September 2021, and it's expected to debut in the fall of 2023.
Unfortunately, a few cast from the earlier seasons won't appear in the show's return in 2023. Patricia Allison (Ola Nyman), Tanya Reynolds (Lily Iglehart), Simone Ashley (Olivia Hanan), and Rakhee Thakra (Emily Sands) aren't slated to reprise their roles in the fourth season. Plus, following the new episodes, Emma Mackey (Maeve Wiley) and Ncuti Gatwa (Eric Effiong) confirmed that they are exiting the series. Given all this information, Netflix must put fans out of their misery and clear the air regarding Sex Education's status after season 4.
Knowing Sex Education Season 4 Is The Last Would Make Cast Exits Easier
Cast exits are standard developments in the television industry. But when a show has as many departures as Sex Education does before and after season 4, it would make sense to conclude the series, especially since two of the three central characters won't appear in a hypothetical fifth season. Sex Education wouldn't be the same without Maeve and Eric by Otis Milburn's side, and it's difficult to imagine that the show would be as nearly as successful as it is without those two characters. But if season 4 was the Netflix series' last outing, fans don't have to picture what Sex Education would look like without Maeve and Eric.
It was also devastating when Allison and Reynolds announced that Ola and Lily wouldn't appear in season 4 since their characters gradually became central figures (and fan favorites). Their exits could be easily written into the show since Netflix has already revealed that the fourth season will feature Otis and Eric attending Cavendish Sixth Form College after the closure of Moordale Secondary and Maeve traveling to the United States for a study program. However, Ola and Lily's absence will still be felt. But if Netflix confirms that Sex Education season 4 is the show's final season before it premieres, it might be easier to accept the multiple cast exits.
Sex Education S4 Being The Last One Makes Sense (Even Without Cast Exits)
Despite the abundance of departures before and after Sex Education season 4, the Netflix series ending before it could get renewed for a fifth season is understandable. The characters are getting older and are almost at the point where it's time to move on from their teenage lives. Otis, Eric, and Maeve can't go to the same school and hand out solicited sex advice to their peers forever (and in season 4, they won't be). The premise of this show has an expiration date, and four seasons is an amazing achievement that anyone should be proud of.
Sex Education season 4 gives the writers a chance to perfectly wrap up every story and allow their characters to achieve satisfying endings (before adulthood). Hopefully, they took that opportunity and ran with it so that fans aren't left with questions about Otis, Eric, Maeve, and others following the last episode of season 4. At some point, they have to go their separate ways, and it would be fruitless to drag a goodbye out just for the sake of continuing Sex Education. Sometimes, it's better when a show ends on its own instead of trying to continue pointless and tiring stories that are a far cry from the series' glory days.
Will Sex Education Season 4 Actually Be The Last One?
Even though it makes complete sense to end Sex Education following season 4, that doesn't mean that Netflix will cancel the show. The streaming service has yet to confirm or deny what the future holds for the series, and, unfortunately, fans likely won't know anything about a potential fifth season until the fourth one drops in late 2023. But there is the possibility that Sex Education could continue without a plethora of its central characters.
Similar to how Glee (unsuccessfully) continued after its main characters graduated, Netflix could make Sex Education season 5 with new characters following a similar storyline. Of course, it would be different because it would be an entirely new cast. However, given the popularity of the series, it wouldn't be surprising if the streaming service wanted to squeeze as much out of Sex Education as humanly possible — even if that means that Otis, Eric, and Maeve are gone forever.