The Scene Of Music: Sex Education

NOTE: This edition contains spoilers for the Netflix Original: Sex Education

Ever since the time of Charlie Chaplain's famous movies, music has been injected into film. It helps set a scene, evoke an emotion or simply be a piece of background music. It's just as important as the set, the writing and even the actors. Without it, i think a lot of your favourite movies would have a way different affect towards your memory of it. I've been thinking about writing about the music inside film for a while, determining my favourite films comes with the element of knowing if the music in certain scenes is correct. When I mean correct however, i mean the best choice. Not some goofy sample music for some basic Netflix Original love film such as "The Kissing Booth" or " To All the Boys I've Loved Before"; I mean "The Shawshank Redemption" overview song that is played when the prison is first revealed to the audience. The music from Thomas Newman clearly makes you feel the dread of entering a prison, the sorrow and the feeling of regret. Do you want something more up-to-date? Something easier to understand? Well the reason I've decided to write this pile of wank for you today is on the one scene inside a good Netflix Original: Sex Education.

Quick overview of Sex Education: Boy has sex therapist mum, boy meets "slutty" girl, boy and girl set up sex clinic because the boy has grown up understanding sex, he likes girl. It's deeper than that but if you haven't watched it already then stop watching your documentaries on Ted Bundy and have a gander at this.

The scene i wish to talk about is the scene that is in the mid season episode right at the end. To contextualise: Otis, our protagonist, has been involuntarily helping Jackson, the student head, to gain the advantage and date Maeve through the sex clinic. Otis also likes Maeve and decides to concede to his inner demon and mess up Jackson by telling him to make a "grand gesture" to Maeve in order to win her over, which Otis knows she doesn't like.

So, Jackson calls over all the college pupils into the cafeteria to present a "big announcement". Everyone arrives including Otis and Maeve but are separated in the crowd. He tells everyone that he shall no longer hide his feelings for this special person. Otis looks at Maeve, Maeve gives a "you think i give a sh*t" kinda look. Jackson announces that the special person is in fact.......[Dramatic Pause].........Maeve! He states "this is for you" and the song begins.

Jackson decides to sing "Love Really Hurts Without You" by Billy Ocean. The way he sings at first presents his inexperience, his lack of ability and so actually making him into a quite vulnerable character. People start to chuckle, but then the a band start to stand around him, a choir begins to sing. He gets off the table, asks Maeve out and the Billy Ocean fades in as it pans around them onto Otis, sad little forgotten Otis.

Now, I am a film geek. I adore film to it's core. That's why I feel that I can confidently say that no other song would of worked here. Maeve's character doesn't help herself with her image, she bangs the student head multiple times in the episodes prior and walks off like nothing as happened. The song simply demonstrates this through the line "You run around town like a fool and you think that it's groovy" which could being conveying that she acts dumb purposefully to get what she wants and she thinks its a interesting lifestyle. I personally don't think the song is suited for Jackson as the song seems to hold the point of view of Otis. That is shown when Ocean sings "You're givin' it to some other guy" which Otis has been painfully aware of and has shown through his lack of confidence to Maeve and Jacksons status that he physically shuts down when it's brought up; it hurts him deeply . It simply isn't the Maeve he enjoys being around. In an early scene, he states this to Jackson that Maeve "isn't a object" which Jackson has been treating her as since the very beginning of the show, to an extent.

Now, the quotes I've used were never actually used in the scene, only in the song. Jackson uses the second verse of the song to express himself to Maeve. To be frank, these lyrics suit him better. They are, however very general quotes. Jackson starts with "You walk like a dream and you make like you're queen of the action" with correctly depicts Maeve ruthlessness and resilience when it comes to problematic situations but still holds this gentleness around her. He comments on her look being "really something to see" which is also relating to her distinctive pink hair which, if i am correct, is the only dyed hair in the show. But if we step back a moment, not look so "deep into it", it's just standard rubbish. Jackson doesn't understand her true qualities and only sees her for the looks. The verse contains more descriptions on looks than it does on anything fundamentally meaningful or deeper. From this, it shows that this song, connected to Jackson and his feelings to Maeve are just nothing special. Which they ain't. I think this is a writing choice though however to further our interest into the relationship of Maeve and Otis.

Though there is one more line that really holds the most weight. Maeve is afraid of announcing her true self. Her intelligent side that she shows to Otis is never shown to Jackson as he just wouldn't understand. Therefore the line "You cheat and you lie to impress any guy that you fancy" can be seen as Maeve making herself seem more stupid, more "available" as she herself isn't confident. She literally strips herself down to her bear bone principles when it came to Jackson, an nice looking object. She never tells him anything first, she never speaks out about anything personal to him. Their entire relationship is hollow. She lies about her actual self.

I guess you could say i read into this too much. But in every scene in a film or every page in a book or every line in a song, their must be a reason they put it there. If there was no reason, then why is it so good in the first place? Or why even bother to start with? I really enjoyed watching Sex Education and the other music they use does pay homage to John Hughes, the creator of the "Breakfast Club". The writing, style, theme, cinematography and of course the music were all down well. Fortunately, they are bringing out a second season.

Production starting this spring.

It's another long one and if you have read this all then I thank you for giving me your time. Any ideas for future writing, feedback to my writing you can leave on my socials...because if you aren't from my instagram or Snapchat then who are you?

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"Love Really Hurts Without You" Billy Ocean