Adam grows and accomplishes a lot in Sex Education season 3, but he ultimately still falls short at the dog show he enters; here's why it's okay. At the start of season 1, Adam was an emotionally repressed bully with little personal direction and a lot of issues he had yet to address or work through, but he’s come a long way since then. So why doesn’t all of his hard work and dedication end with a victory at the dog contest?
In Sex Education season 3, Adam is at a pivotal time in his life, trying to take control of himself and his identity in multiple ways. He comes out to his mother and his peers, he starts to express his emotions, and he begins building self-confidence by exploring and practicing the things he’s good at and genuinely enjoys. One of those things is training his adorable dog Madam, who enters into a proper competition at the end of the season.
Despite a great performance at the dog show, Adam falls short of victory and doesn’t end up placing in the top three. A win at the contest would have been a nice happy ending for his Sex Education season 3 arc to finish on, but his loss actually fits a bit better with his current story. His journey has been one of self-discovery and actualization – finding the things that motivate him and bring him joy, and which he can continue to work on. It’s clear that Adam loves working with his dog, and the season 3 dog show certainly won’t be his last. In fact, he even gets an honorable mention in the awards ceremony for having a spectacular debut, teasing bigger things to come.
It would have been unrealistic for Adam to win the contest on his first try. The more important thing is that he seems motivated and fulfilled by the work he put in. Adam and Eric break up in Sex Education season 3 prior to the competition, marking the end of a very formative relationship. The dog show is a clear way for Adam to still publicly embody the kind of person he wants to be, free of inhibition and doubt. His journey toward that goal is far from over, but he’s on the right path at the end of Sex Education season 3.
Self-improvement is hard. It takes real work and real time, especially for someone like Adam, who spent most of his life repressing his emotions and avoiding his true self. Sex Education season 3, like the two seasons that came before it, is a story about growth, and growth is a process, not an achievement. Adam may yet get his blue ribbon in Sex Education season 4 or later, but for now, it’s enough that he’s simply pursuing something he actually cares about.