Why won’t there be a Sex Education season 5? When Sex Education first joined the Netflix catalog in 2019, audiences were shocked to see an honest-to-god accurate portrayal of sexual exploration amid a coming-of-age setting.
Sex Education season 4 has just hit the airwaves, and according to Netflix, it marks the conclusion of one of the best TV series available on the streaming service. Sad times for fans, since the comedy series has long been known as one of the funniest and most heartwarming stories out there.
But what gives? Why is the incredible series now coming to an end after only four seasons? Well, there are a couple of reasons, and they’ll all make sense once we tell you why there won’t be a Sex Education season 5.
Here’s why there won’t be a Sex Education season 5
While there was no official reason given by Netflix, there are a few factors that come into play when signalling the end of the series, and the writers ultimately decided season 4 would provide the most organic ending for the show and its characters.
First things first, Sex Education suffers from the same problem that always rears its ugly head when making a show about teens: the cast is simply aging out of their roles.
While the majority of the Sex Ed characters are supposed to be in their teenage years, the cast is mostly in their late twenties/early thirties. (Personally, we think they look great, but perhaps not convincingly so as literal children.)
What’s more, the actors have also gone on to find new projects and roles due to the success of the show. Members of the Sex Education cast have gone on to star in Bridgerton, Barbie, and other new movies and TV shows alike.
Additionally, Ncuti Gatwa is going on to become the titular Time Lord in the new season of Doctor Who, so it’s safe to say that they’re all pretty busy these days, and simply won’t be able to commit the same amount of time to the series as they once could.
Finally, series creator Laurie Nunn revealed in a statement that, while season 4 wasn’t originally supposed to be the end, as the season was created and developed, the writers’ room discovered that they were essentially already resolving all the character arcs and plot points. (If you want to find out more about how it ended, take a look at our Sex Education season 4 ending explained and our Sex Education season 4 review!)
“When we did the writers’ room for season four we didn’t set out for it to be the final series. Something just started to happen through the writing process where I realized that by the time we arrived at that final episode, there weren’t any cliff-hangers and everything had just resolved itself, so I had this feeling that if I left the characters there, I would feel happy for them and hopeful for their future,” she said.
There you have it! We might not be happy about it, but Sex Education is over. If you’re looking for something else to fill the now empty spot in your heart, check out our list of everything new on Netflix, all the best drama series, and the best Disney Plus shows to watch now.
You can also get your fill of teenage heartbreak with our guide to Wednesday season 2, as well as the Bridgerton season 2 release date and the Ginny and Georgia season 3 release date.