Season two of Netflix's hit show Sex Education arrived to much anticipation from fans. The show returned in full-force with more complex storylines of characters with even more unique personal dilemmas and backgrounds. Possibly the most exciting thing that came out of season two, however, was the introduction of the character Isaac.
Isaac offers a unique storyline all his own, one that shakes up the worlds viewers have gotten used to in the show. Isaac is a working-class paraplegic man living with his brother in a trailer park. His great sense of humor and ability to bring light to dark issues is what makes him such a wonderful character, and the writers give his story some great ups and downs in the series. He are five times Isaac earns points in viewers' eyes, and five he loses them.
For Him: He's Resilient
Isaac has been through a lot. He lost the use of his legs from falling from a tree as a child, his parents are heroin addicts, and he lives in a trailer park with his brother where they struggle to make ends meet. Despite these things, Isaac rarely shows signs of feeling bad for himself, he has a good sense of humor, and he has a way of lightening up heavy situations, which is why Maeve and he hit it off so well.
Against Him: He's A Trouble-Maker
Isaac is a trouble-maker from the start. Maeve first gets to know him because she realizes that he is conning the people in the trailer park, where he is a newcomer. Isaac uses his disability to his benefit by cultivating people's pity of him and manipulating them to give him things he wants or needs. One could say this is fair enough, but Isaac is also seen to cause friction in situations just for the sheer fun of it.
For Him: He's Soft At Heart
He's sarcastic and acts as if nothing gets to him, but Isaac proves himself to be a sensitive person on many counts. He uses playfulness and dark humor to get attention, but beyond this, he is comfortable with trying to delve into real issues and feelings. Viewers see this in his relationship to Maeve, whom he connects with through jokes but ultimately tries to form a deeper understanding with.
Against Him: He's Entitled
One of the smart things the show does with Isaac's character is to illustrate the fact that his disability doesn't exempt him from human flaws. He is as guilty of being badly behaved as anybody else, and sometimes even more than most.
Isaac interacts with Maeve as if it's assumed that she will want to be friends with him, never abashed in his blatant approaches to get her to hang out with him.
For Him: He's There For Maeve
Isaac and Maeve both grew up with parents who are drug addicts. He knows how difficult it is to be the child in such a dysfunctional family, and he shows support for Maeve when she seems to need it. Maeve is notorious for putting up a wall when it comes to taking help from people, but Isaac also recognizes this and knows how to navigate it, having likely built similar walls himself.
Against Him: He Uses Maeve
Isaac seems to genuinely care for Maeve as a person, but his romantic feelings can get in the way of actually doing what is best for her, as has, unfortunately, happened to Maeve on the show before and continues to happen with other relationships in the show. It's very possible that Isaac thinks he does what is best for Maeve, but he's also a lonely, teenaged boy, and this makes him behave in ways that are only to his benefit, such as using Maeve as more of an object to win than a person to consider carefully.
For Him: He's Shameless
If Isaac is ever in a situation where it seems likely that someone could crack a joke at his expense, the scene flips and frames him as the person who comes out of it with the upper-hand. Isaac's confidence emanates from him to the point where he spread more self-assuredness than most of the other characters on the show.
Isaac says what he wants and does what he wants without worrying what other people think, shocking those around him, and causing viewers to reconsider normative ideas of pity surrounding disabled people.
Against Him: He's Rude
Isaac is funny and charming and refreshing, but he's also, at times, just plain rude. He is quick to judge people, and will often treat people with disdain due to the assumptions he makes about them. This might be a sign of a cultivated defensiveness in response to how he grew up, and the fact that he might have been treated poorly for his disability in the past. Regardless, this isn't an excuse for treating other people poorly.
For Him: He Knows Hardship
It's difficult to be too critical of Isaac when one considers his life experiences. He brings an element of wisdom to the show that wasn't there before. Maeve's character slightly touched on it, exploring issues of class and familial troubles related to addiction, and Isaac's character strengthens and expands upon these themes. Both come from similar backgrounds but have key differences in how they exist in society. Maeve is a woman, and Isaac a paraplegic. His character prompts viewers to consider how different physicalities affect how a person navigates the world.
Against Him: He Thinks He Knows Best
A common side-effect of living an extraordinarily difficult life is adopting the belief that one's opinion is superior to others. Isaac has a difficult time giving people a chance if it seems like they haven't had as difficult a life as he has. It also means that he feels he has the right to make decisions that he otherwise might not, such as deleting Otis' message from Maeve's phone. Isaac thinks is hardships have gained him the right to consider himself an authority on how the world works when in reality he is still just a young guy who has a lot to learn.