Sex Education: Is season 4 the final series of the Netflix show?

09/21/2023

It’s been a while since we last saw Otis, Maeve and the rest of the Sex Education crew – but the long-awaited fourth series is finally upon us.

Yep, Sex Education season 4 drops on to Netflix on Thursday September 21 – with Asa Butterfield, Emma Mackey, Ncuti Gatwa, Aimee-Lou Woodand Gillian Anderson all returning – and Schitt’s Creek star Dan Levy among the cast newcomers.

We’ve already had a taste of what to expect, with a trailer showing loved-up Otis trying desperately to find a good position to take a nude photo, in a bid to impress Maeve (Mackey) during an exchange of texts.

Business as usual, from the looks of it – but will this be the final season of the show or can we expect a series five to follow?

Here’s what you need to know…

Is Sex Education ending with season 4?

If you’ve watched Sex Education avidly since it debuted on Netflix in 2019, we’ve got some bad news for you – unfortunately season 4 will be the final series.

The trailer confirms that the show will wrap up after series 4, with the trailer calling it ‘the final season’ and making cheeky references to it coming to an end by saying ‘Grab your tissues…let’s finish together.’

Creator Laurie Nunn has also been clear that the new series will be the last, telling Netflix Tudum: It’s the end as we know it.

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‘During that process, it just started to feel very clear that the stories were coming to an end, the characters were being left in a place that I felt really good about it.’

The cast has also spoken about the show coming to an end, with Barbie star Mackey previously saying it would be ‘weird’ for the grown-up actors to continue playing teens for years to come.

The 27-year-old said: ‘It’s just always tricky, it’s different when you’re playing a character that is sort of stuck in time.

‘You know, we’re playing 17-year-olds, and we’re all almost 30, it is a bit weird.’

Talking about how emotional it had been working with the cast, Emma added that the launchpad has been a ‘blessing’ but ‘it’s something that I want to gracefully exit from, and be happy that it exists and protect it and enjoy it in the time that it has existed in but yeah, it needs to be left alone now I think.’

What will happen in Sex Education season 4?

You can expect a few changes as the final season of the show dawns – with Mooredale Secondary having shut down and its students now attending Cavendish Sixth Form College.

The synopsis tells us that Cavendish is a ‘culture shock’ for its newcomers, with ‘There’s ‘daily yoga in the communal garden, a strong sustainability vibe and a group of kids who are popular for…being kind?’

Meanwhile, Maeve is getting to grips with education in the US, being taught by cult author Thomas Molloy (Levy) as the prestigious Wallace University.

But with season 3 ending on a cliffhanger after Maeve and Otis finally shared a kiss before she jetted off to the States, will there be a happy ending for the pair – or will he reunite with Ruby (Mimi Keene)