The end is near for Netflix’s Sex Education.
The streamer announced Wednesday that the teen dramedy's fourth and final season will premiere on Sept. 21. Alongside that announcement news, Netflix unveiled the first official teaser for the final season.
The teaser sees fan favorites Asa Butterfield, Ncuti Gatwa and Emma Mackey return to their roles one last time — and the thought of sex is still very much on their minds. Butterfield's Otis, for one, notes how he continues to "live and breathe sex all day, every day."
The clip also promises a head-turning last hurrah as it continues to show the many ways sex encompasses everyone's lives.
Series creator Laurie Nunn explained what made season 4 the best place to conclude the series.
“Writing this feels bittersweet, as we’ve decided the fourth season will also be the final installment of our show,” Nunn wrote in a letter to fans. “This was not an easy decision to make, but as the themes and stories of the new season crystallised, it became clear that this was the right time to graduate.”
She continued, “A lot has happened since our first writers room in 2017, when we spent a month cramped in an office above a sex shop, talking about what it felt like to go through puberty. The painful awkwardness, first crushes and big, big feelings.”
The post also paid tribute to the taboo topics explored in the high school setting throughout the first three seasons. "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. Something that would have helped our inner teenagers feel a little less alone," she added. "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."
News of Sex Education's end comes after it was confirmed multiple cast members wouldn’t be returning for an additional season. Patricia Allison (Ola), Tanya Reynolds (Lily), Rakhee Thakrar (Ms. Sands) and Simone Ashley will not be featured in season 4.
Also ahead of the news that season 4 would be the last, Mackey announced she wasn't expecting to reprise the role of Maeve Wiley past that. "[Will I be back for] season 5 or 6? Bloody hell, I've just finished the fourth one, love — last week!" she said at the 2023 BAFTA Awards. "No, I don't think so. I think, yeah, I've said goodbye to Maeve. It's a happy goodbye."
As a few cast members step away for season 4, the show has gained Schitt’s Creek alum Dan Levy as cult author Thomas Molloy. Jodie Turner-Smith, Thaddea Graham, Lisa McGrillis, Marie Reuther, Eshaan Akbar, Felix Mufti, Anthony Lexa, Alexandra James, Reda Elazouar, Bella Maclean and Imani Yahshua are also joining the serires.
The first three seasons of Sex Education are now streaming on Netflix.
