Warning: Major spoilers for Sex Education season 3 ahead.
The time has finally come! Sex Education season 4 will hit Netflix in mere hours, after literal years of wondering what awaits the students and staff of Moordale Secondary School — and based on everything we know about the season so far, we can expect plenty of hilarious misadventures and brand-new faces, as well as some bittersweet goodbyes.
Since its premiere in 2019, Sex Education has truly charmed the hearts of viewers with its star-studded cast and ingenious storytelling. It's now time to say farewell, as Sex Education season 4 will be the final season of the series — but, before that, we have eight new episodes to dig into including an 83-minute finale.
In case you need a refresher, season three of Sex Education ended with some major cliffhangers. Moordale appeared to be in a dire financial situation, and the doors of our favorite secondary school seemed to be closing. We'll have to wait and see how this impacts the community, but on top of that, there was plenty of personal drama. Eric and Adam were officially over, Maeve was headed off to the United States, and Jean welcomed a new baby. Phew. Looks like Otis will have to grapple with plenty of changes when Sex Ed returns.
Sex Education season 4 is essentially here, so this handy guide will keep you abreast of everything you need to know about the upcoming final season, including who is in the cast, what the new season will be about, when it will release on Netflix, and why the season could potentially not be the last we see of Moordale.
When is Sex Education season 4 coming out on Netflix?
Sex Education season 4, which was filmed in Wales across a span of this year and last, will arrive on Netflix on September 21, 2023, just in time to go back to school.
In a letter to the fans shared on July 5, 2023, series creator and lead writer Laurie Nunn announced the official release date of the show and reflected on the impact the show has had on its audience. “We wanted to make a show that would answer some of the questions we all used to have about love, sex, friendship, and our bodies,” wrote Nunn. “Something that would have helped our inner teenagers feel a little less alone. It's been overwhelming seeing how the show has connected with people around the world, and we hope it's made some of you feel a little less alone too.”
Will Sex Education season 4 really be the last season?
Netflix revealed that the fourth chapter of Sex Education will be its final season in a statement shared alongside Nunn's letter. “The residents of Moordale are going out on a high,” the streamer promised in a press release. “This season will be full of love, laughter, tears, friendship, new relationships (and old).”
Nunn shared that making the call to end the show with season 4 “was not an easy decision to make,” but “it became clear that this was the right time to graduate.” “We are incredibly proud of Sex Education and feel indebted to our brilliant writers, cast, and crew who put so much heart into making every episode," she continued. "They have worked tirelessly to bring you the final series, and we can’t wait to share it with you.”
That said, she has also teased the Sex Education universe could continue in the future, most likely via spinoffs. “Moordale is a really rich world, and writing about teenagers is always a lot of fun. So, I think that there’s always potential for more to be explored in that world," Nunn admitted to Tudum. But when those adjacent stories could arrive still remains a mystery, as Nunn says she is “taking a break and thinking about other things" for the time being.
Was season 4 always intended to be the last season of Sex Education?
Short answer: No. However, the show's creative team decided to wrap things up neatly while developing season 4. “As the themes and stories of the new season crystallized, it became clear that this was the right time to graduate,” Nunn revealed in her letter, sharing that it was a bittersweet move and not an easy decision to make.
Is there a trailer for Sex Education season 4?
Netflix dropped the full trailer for Sex Ed season 4 on September 12, a week before the show's release. On the horizon for our favorite group of sexually empowered teens are deeply personal arcs, more love, more laughter, new friendships, and splintered ones, new hobbies and opportunities, and, of course, more sexual experiences. Wait — is that Maeve, back in Moordale? Along with the trailer, Netflix has teased an 83-minute series finale, so get those tissues ready for a final farewell.
Earlier this summer, the streamer dropped the first teaser trailer for season 4, which starts off with Otis Milburn doing what he does best: being awkward. In a formal (and hilariously unnecessary) introduction to his new classmates, Otis explains in a confusing and shocking manner that he's a teenage sex therapist. During this speech, we see clips of our favorite characters — and a few new ones — in some compromising positions, exploring their own bodies and others' bodies. “It's time to finish,” reads the trailer's on-screen text. Let's do it.
What will Sex Education season 4 be about?
The official synopsis of Sex Education season 4 reads as follows, per Netflix: “Following the closure of Moordale Secondary, Otis and Eric now face a new frontier — their first day at Cavendish Sixth Form College. Otis is nervous about setting up his new clinic, while Eric is praying they won’t be losers again. But Cavendish is a culture shock for all the Moordale students — they thought they were progressive, but this new college is another level. There’s daily yoga in the communal garden, a strong sustainability vibe, and a group of kids who are popular for being … kind?! Viv is totally thrown by the college’s student-led, non-competitive approach, while Jackson is still struggling to get over Cal. Aimee tries something new by taking an Art A Level, and Adam grapples with whether mainstream education is for him. Over in the U.S., Maeve is living her dream at the prestigious Wallace University, being taught by cult author Thomas Molloy. Otis is pining after her while adjusting to not being an only child at home, or the only therapist on campus.”
Who is in the cast of Sex Education season 4?
Sex Education season 4 will be once again led by Asa Butterfield as Otis Milburn, as well as Gillian Anderson (Jean, Otis's mom), Ncuti Gatwa (Eric Effiong), Emma Mackey (Maeve Wiley), Aimee-Lou Wood (Aimee Gibbs), Connor Swindells (Adam Groff), and Kedar Williams-Stirling (Jackson Marchetti). News of Ncuti Gatwa's return comes after fans worried his packed schedule would prevent him from returning to the show. In case you missed the exciting news, Gatwa was cast as the new Doctor in BBC's Doctor Who, and appeared in Greta Gerwig's blockbuster Barbie movie.
Supporting actors set to return are Alistair Petrie and Samantha Spiro (Michael and Maureen, Adam's parents), Mimi Keene (Ruby Matthews), Chinenye Ezeudu (Vivienne Odusanya), Dua Saleh (Cal Bowman), George Robinson (Isaac Goodwin, Maeve's ex), Jim Howick (Colin Hendricks, Moordale's former science teacher and Swing Band conductor), Rakhee Thakrar (Moordale's former English teacher), and Daniel Ings (Dan, one of Jean's one-night stands).
There's no word yet whether Mikael Persbrandt, who plays Jean's boyfriend and Ola's father Jakob, will return — however, if he were to leave, Persbrandt wouldn't be the first actor to depart the series before its season 4 premiere. Ahead of season four, Sex Education lost a number of characters: Simone Ashley, who portrayed Olivia Hanan, announced her exit back in April 2022, saying she was “a Bridgerton girl now”; only a few months later, Patricia Allison, who fans know as Ola, said she was leaving to do “some other little things"; and shortly after, Tanya Reynolds, who played Lily, confirmed she was exiting the series, too.
In efforts to soften the blow of the absence of these beloved characters, the series has added Thaddea Graham (best known from Doctor Who), Lisa McGrillis (Somewhere Boy), Marie Reuther (Kamikaze), actress and model Jodie Turner-Smith, comedian Eshaan Akbar, Emmy award-winning actor and Schitt’s Creek star, Dan Levy, and newcomers Felix Mufti, Anthony Lexa, Alexandra James, Reda Elazouar, Bella Maclean and Imani Yahshua. So far, all we know about these new additions to the cast is a description of Dan Levy's character: he will play Mr. Molloy, Maeve’s U.S. Ivy League tutor.
Are there any first-look photos for Sex Education season 4?
Netflix initially dropped only three photos from the upcoming final season, revealing first looks at Asa Butterfield, Mimi Keene, Emma Mackey, and Dan Levy in character.
Then, on August 2, the streamer released a wider first look at the final season of the series with nine new pictures hinting at school and family dynamics at play this season. On the family side, we get a peek at Jean and Otis caring for the new baby, as well as Mr. Groff and Adam seemingly spending some quality father-son time together while having a picnic… on the hood of a car? (We're guessing they needed some time outside of the house together.)
On the school front, Netflix released a picture of besties Eric Effiong and Otis Milburn (and yes, Otis is still rocking the same not-so-puffer jacket he has worn since season 1) laughing away while they seemingly crash an outdoor yoga class and a picture of Dua Saleh as Cal Bowman.
We also got a peek at Ruby Matthews proudly holding a water bottle that reads “Cavendish College” alongside her bento box lunch, a nod to the gang's new school Cavendish Sixth Form College.
We don't know where Emma Mackey's Maeve is exactly in this photo (remember she left for the U.S. at the end of season 3?), but it sure looks like she's still enjoying her female literature. In this new pic from season 4 released by Netflix, she's seen in a library setting and appears to be reading a copy of Barnes & Noble's novel compilation The Brontë Sisters, which includes Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and Agnes Grey.
Elsewhere, we see Jackson Marchetti and Viv sharing some intense looks; Isaac seemingly giving out a speech or, and this is perhaps more in character, confronting someone; as well as Aimee looking pensively at a pair or jeans in her room. So many questions, so few answers. Patience is a virtue. See these photos as well as more shots released by Netflix on September 12 below:
This story will continue to be updated as news about Sex Education season 4 breaks.