Sex Education season 4 spoilers follow.
Sex Education just did something hugely important in a very short matter of moments – and in Bisexual Awareness Week, too.
Adam Groff (Connor Swindells) quickly became one of the standouts from across the four seasons. Yes, it's Eric's show – just move over, Otis – and Aimee truly is special, but Adam's arc has been one of the biggest across the series.
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From repugnant school bully to animal-loving misfit, few other characters have given us as much emotional whiplash. And now he's hugging horses, which just takes our investment in him up so many more notches.
The end of season three delivered the divisive blow of Eric and Adam's heartbreaking yet necessary break-up. Adam and Eric were in very different places along the road towards self-love and acceptance, and it was ultimately best for both of them (as much as we cried through admitting it) to part ways.
Related: Sex Education highlights something very important through Maeve and Isaac
In season four, the pair reunited at Maeve's mum's funeral. Adam told Eric that he had come out to his parents, but also admitted that he was still "finding it really hard to be fully out" and referenced the "shame" that he was still battling.
In that moment, Eric was once again a source of comfort. Adam finally seemed at peace with the fact that they hadn't worked out romantically, but the touching exchange between them secured Eric's formative role in helping Adam to see where his own road was leading.
If Eric could be out and proud, Adam, in his own way, could one day be too.
Meanwhile, as he had been crashing tractors and teaching his dad how to ride a horse, chemistry had been simmering between Adam and Jem (Bella Maclean), the instructor at the stables.
Sex Education could have, unwittingly, left audiences open to push a certain type of narrative here. Bisexual and pansexual people can have a hard time asserting their queerness, with dismissive phrases writing things off as being 'just a phase'. This can be doubly hard to push back against if you happen to find yourself in a relationship that might appear, on the surface, to be a heterosexual one.
When it comes to what we see reflected on television, some within the LGBTQ+ community can also sometimes get caught up in sharing disappointment when a bisexual character ends up in a relationship that presents to others as being 'straight'. It's an indictment of how bad queer representation in media has typically been, but bi folks shouldn't have to shoulder that.
But back to Sex Ed and all of its magic. The foundation was being set for Adam's next romantic relationship to be with a girl, but Sex Education said "no biphobia today!" and instead made a concerted effort to further underline Adam's identity in the process.
When Jem had first asked about Adam's previous relationship, she had made the predictable assumption that he would have had an ex-girlfriend – and Adam chose not to correct her. Whether through a fear of coming out, not being ready to share that part of himself with her yet, or just finding it easier not to have to explain, Adam was simply not ready at that point. And that's absolutely fine, by the way.
But a few days later, something shifted.
"My ex is called Eric," he told her. "I'm attracted to men and women."
He hadn't needed to tell her this, of course. That feeds into a whole other biphobic idea that you owe that kind of information to your partner, or else you're somehow being deceptive or untrustworthy.
But the show's decision to have Adam come out to Jem was a heartwarming one; it highlighted how far Adam had come in accepting himself, also showing that he'd found new ways to process and articulate his own emotions.
What's more, the dialogue that followed felt just as much for the benefit of those watching at home as it did for the characters in the scene.
Adam pointedly expressed that his previous relationship with Eric, and his identity as a bisexual man, was "not a phase", adding: "That's just who I am."
Adam shared: "And I haven't always liked that about myself, but I want to. And anyway, I just wanted you to know."
In response, she simply asked him out on a date.
And with that, the Sex Education writers created a pretty kick-ass moment for bisexual representation. We're going to miss this show.
Sex Education seasons 1-4 are streaming on Netflix.
TV Editor, Digital Spy Laura has been watching television for over 30 years and professionally writing about entertainment for almost 10 of those. Previously at LOOK and now heading up the TV desk at the UK's biggest TV and movies site Digital Spy, Laura has helped steer conversations around some of the most popular shows on the box. Laura has appeared on Channel 5 News and radio to talk viewing habits and TV recommendations. As well as putting her nerd-level Buffy knowledge to good use during an IRL meet with Sarah Michelle Gellar, Laura also once had afternoon tea with One Direction, has sat around the fire pit of the Love Island villa, spoken to Sir David Attenborough about the world's oceans and even interviewed Rylan from inside the Big Brother house (housemate status, forever pending).
