Aimee Gibbs is one of four members of Moordale High's popular/mean kids, The Untouchables. The only reason they keep her around is for the parties she's able to host in her large and rather luxurious house. But she doesn't really like hanging out with them, so at the end of the first season of Sex Education, she ditches them for Maeve.
The hit Netflix series continues to delve deeper into Aimee's character in its second season, in which she faces a traumatic experience with sexual assault. Maeve supports her as she processes this event. Aimee also supports Maeve as she competes for the Quiz Heads and grapples with her feelings for Otis. But Aimee sometimes comes across as an insensitive airhead.
Good Friend: Encourages Maeve To Be Honest
Maeve might not have had the courage to come forward and tell Otis how she feels if it weren't for Aimee. Aimee sees that Maeve is secretly pining over Otis from a distance, and she thinks it would be better for both of them if Maeve just tells him how she feels.
Though this strategy doesn't go according to plan, and the second season ends on a rather heartrending note, it does actually leave some hope for the pair going into season 3. At least now both characters know where they stand.
Bad Friend: Doesn't Think About Consequences
Being honest is almost always a good idea, and it works for Aimee, but it doesn't work for Maeve. Aimee doesn't know Otis well enough to consider how he might react to Maeve's revelation.
She asks Maeve what she has to lose in telling him how she feels, but the truth is that she has a lot to lose. It ruins their friendship and makes their interactions awkward, and it also cancels out the possibility of starting up their business again - and Maeve could use the money.
Good Friend: Baking Is Her Love Language
Though Aimee may seem shallow and insensitive at times, the way she shows her love and care for people is one of the subtler elements of her character. In season 2, Aimee decides to become a baker.
She bakes sweets for Maeve and the Quiz Heads - all of which turn out rather badly - to show them that she cares about and supports them. Baking requires a lot of effort, especially for Aimee since she's never done it before, so this shows how much she loves her friends and wants to treat them.
Bad Friend: Misleading Informant
On the flip side, sometimes Aimee goes too far and it doesn't end well. One example of this is her advice for what to do about Otis, but her tendency to give out not-so-great advice isn't a one-off thing.
She tries to tell Maeve the answer to a question at the quiz championships, which would have been the wrong answer had Maeve listened to her. She also advises Maeve to "not dress like [her]self" when meeting Jackson's parents. While this tactic works, it means that Maeve is presenting a false version of herself to the Marchetti family and they don't actually know who she is.
Good Friend: Wants The Best For Maeve
No matter what mistakes she makes, Aimee always has Maeve's best interests at heart. She wants her to tell Otis how she feels because she knows Maeve wants to be with him, and she thinks Maeve would be happier for it.
In season 1, she helps Maeve decide whether or not she wants to date Jackson because she thinks having a boyfriend will make Maeve happy. Aimee never uses Maeve or treats her like anything less than her best friend.
Bad Friend: She's A Follower
Though Aimee would never hurt anyone, she doesn't always speak up. She spends the entire first season following along after The Untouchables, who treat her like she's worthless.
She doesn't seem to enjoy their company, but she's so used to being a part of them that she struggles to break away. She falls easily into being someone's second choice or backup plan when she should be equal with her friends.
Good Friend: Accepts And Loves People As They Are
When Aimee finally does break up with The Untouchables, she becomes her own person with her own views. She also doesn't care what judgment people will pass over her friendship with Maeve, even though she has a bad reputation.
Similarly, she dates Steve because she actually likes him, unlike her previous boyfriends. He isn't usually the type of person Aimee would go for because he's so studious, but she admires him for it. She also thinks Maeve and Otis should be together simply because they love each other; their social and economic backgrounds don't matter.
Bad Friend: Fickle
Aimee is quick to move from person to person, which she does a lot in season 1. Maeve even loses track of her boyfriends. But Aimee could also have the same problem when it comes to her friends.
She has no qualms over leaving The Untouchables - though this may be because of who they are and how they force her to behave. She's also unsure of what she wants to do in life and whether or not she should speak up about certain things, like her assault - but again, this is a tricky issue that may have more to it than her fickleness.
Good Friend: Always Shows Up
Aimee is always around for her friends to lean on. When Maeve has nobody else to talk to or ask for advice, Aimee is there to listen and offer her opinion. In season 2, Maeve unloads her worries about Otis to her because she knows Aimee will listen and try to help her.
Though they don't appear in many scenes together, Aimee has a great relationship with her mother. Finally, Aimee always shows up to support the Quiz Heads, even when she has other things going on in her life.
Bad Friend: Doesn't Put Herself First
Aimee often delivers comic relief to balance out Maeve's darkness, but a lot of her arc is defined by serious issues. She is sexually assaulted on the bus in season 2, and at first, she tries to ignore the experience and repress her emotional reaction to it. She tries to busy herself with concerns over Maeve's birthday, and then offering advice about Otis, pretending she loves walking everywhere, and hanging out with Steve.
This means that the effects of the traumatic experience are delayed, and her emotions don't develop in her until much later in the season. As a result, she spends much of the time in between afraid and anxious. No matter how much she loves her friends, she should put herself first because she wouldn't be any good to anyone if she wasn't happy herself.