Netflix finally has shows about the lives of teenagers that aren’t mentally unsettling (13 Reasons Why) or cringe-worthy (Riverdale).
The site’s two new releases, Derry Girls and Sex Education, have much in common. The scripts are witty, the young cast is terrific, and both shows tackle the lives of teenagers with nuance, without resorting to preachy drama
Derry Girls follows the lives of five teenagersfour cheeky girls and one shy boygrowing up in 1990s Northern Ireland during the guerrilla war between Irish nationalists and British loyalists. The focus though is always on the group and how they get into mischief at their Catholic high school. The best part: it’s the women (girls, really) getting into trouble, shooting their mouths off, and generally creating havoc.
The gang is led by Erin Quinn (Saoirse-Monica Jackson, with delightful facial expressions) who wants to fight every injustice; her cousin Orla (Louisa Harland) is the Phoebe of the groupdopey and just a bit dumb; there’s Clare (Nicola Coughlan), the sweet-faced, panic-stricken and hyper child, who fasts for Ethiopia and acts as the group’s moral compass; Jamie Lee O’Donnell as the foul-mouthed Michelle is the bad/cool girl with swagger to spare and the one who also creates the most chaos; and, finally, the wee English fella’ James (Dylan Llewellyn), sent to the all-girls’ school because they’re afraid he would get beaten up (for being English) at a boys’ school. Together, they get into many misadventures.
Sex Education has teenagers getting into adventures of another kindsexual. Set in a small town in the UK, the show follows the life of high-school student Otis (Asa Butterfield, charming, nervous and believable), the son of sex therapist Jean Milburn (Gillian Anderson, channelling Meryl Streep for the role).
Aided by the wily and complicated Maeve (portrayed outstandingly by Emma Mackey), Otis starts dishing out sex and relationship advice to his clueless classmates; an unusual move for a virgin who fakes masturbation.
In Derry Girls, the five teenagers are entertaining, spouting gags in every line and being rebellious by accident. Each one brings some comic genius to their escapadesranging from destroying a fish and chips shop, to witnessing the miracle’ of the Madonna crying in a church.
Sex Education’s characters seem more familiar because the show falls for some usual tropesa gay best friend; the school stud who turns out to be a troubled character living in fear of his father, the school principal; and the popular jock falling for the school rebel, who is secretly very talented. Luckily, we get to peel off the layers behind each character, exploring their stories and learning that looks can be deceiving.
The strong characters and a great cast in both shows make for an entertaining watch. Season 2 (for both) cannot come soon enough.