Maeve and Isaac were only together for a brief time in Sex Education season 3, but their love scene was incredibly important to show on television. Between seasons 2 and 3 of the Netflix series, Maeve and Isaac grew closer as friends, but it was clear that their relationship would enter romantic territory at some point. After all, both characters had feelings for each other, so it seemed like only a matter of time before they got together. 

Sex Education has always been a sex-positive show, exploring the characters’ various sexual experiences, preferences, and sexualities in a way that is non-judgmental while also being incredibly sensitive and caring about it all. So it’s no surprise that the series treated Maeve and Isaac’s love scene with the same respect and tenderness. When Isaac and Maeve are finally intimate with each other, it feels like an extension of the pair's evolving relationship and the next step in its progression. It’s also a crucial scene because it shows Isaac, who is in a wheelchair, as a sexual being, someone who desires and is, in turn, desirable. 

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It’s rare to see that onscreen in any television series, with disabled people barely there as main characters, much less given a sex scene that is handled so well. But Sex Education treats Isaac as a full-fledged person with wants and the scene delivers in its exploration of that. The scene itself is handled with delicacy, with Maeve and Isaac asking each other what is and isn’t okay. Maeve also wonders aloud about what Isaac’s limitations are, but it is presented in a way that is simultaneously thoughtful and endearing. Sex Education takes its time with the scene, showing Isaac’s experience in a gentle way that doesn’t undermine him as a person. 

What also stands out about the scene is not just the physical acts of intimacy, but in the open communication Maeve and Isaac have with each other. There are no assumptions being made, which takes the intimate scene to a whole other level. Isaac and Maeve are shown to be passionate and romantic with each other, with Sex Education touching upon the details of the intimacy between the two— how and where Isaac and Maeve like to be touched, what is and isn’t too much or too little, etc. — to elevate the scene even further. This particular scene in Sex Education season 3 is even more pertinent because George Robinson, who portrays Isaac, is also a wheelchair user, which provides yet another representative layer. (It can often be that non-disabled actors are hired, which can diminish the authenticity of the portrayal). 

Maeve and Isaac may have not worked out in season 3 of Sex Education, especially after Isaac told Maeve the truth about Otis’ deleted voicemail, but the intimate scene itself was deeply important to show. Now that Isaac is a well-established character, it’s possible for him to form relationships with other characters besides Maeve in Sex Education season 4 (if it’s renewed by Netflix). Regardless of what happens, however, Isaac and Maeve’s love scene is one of the series’ triumphs. 

Next: Sex Education Season 3’s Unanswered Questions