Netflix’s Sex Education just lost more of its main cast. And unfortunately, for LGBTQ fans of the comedy-drama, the two characters to leave recently were queer.
Tayana Reynolds, who played Lily in the series, revealed that she won’t be returning for the show’s fourth season, according to Deadline.
“I’m not [returning], actually, which is sad, very sad,” Reynolds told the UK’s Radio Times. “It’s just the natural progression of these shows – when you have such big ensemble casts and so many characters, I think you have to let a few older characters go to make way for newer ones, which is absolutely the right thing, the way it should happen.”
And it turns out, Reynolds isn’t only actor who played an LGBTQ character to depart the show. Last week, Patricia Allison who played Ola, Lily’s girlfriend and the main character Otis’s stepsister, announced that she too would not return for season four. Allison said so while being interviewed by Capital Xtra Breakfast.
“I won’t be joining the team for season 4,” Allison said. “I absolutely have loved my time on Sex Education, and I’m so sorry to have to break that to you guys,” adding “I’ve been doing it for three years and I’ve loved it.”
That’s not all. The show will also be missing Bridgerton season two star Simone Ashley. Ashley, who played popular girl Olivia, also announced her departure from Sex Education earlier this year.
As for how these characters will be written off the show, season three’s finale leaves room for a natural exit. At the season’s end, Moordale Secondary School was closed. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the school will remain closed at the start of season 4. This then leads to the series relocating to a different school with a mix of new and returning characters. Perhaps these three characters will end up leaving to attend another school?
In an interview with GLAMOUR, Laurie Nunn, the show’s creator, said, “I do sometimes get a bit scared when we leave on a really big cliff-hanger, and then I think, Oh no, what if we don’t get to continue this storyline? What if series three ends and Maeve goes to America and then we never see these characters again? That would be quite heartbreaking, but I think you’ve got to take the risk and try and leave people wanting more.”
The only problem is Patricia Allison’s Ola. The last season saw her adjusting to the new life of being main character Otis’s stepsister. In addition, the teenagers’ parents gave birth to a new baby. Not seeing Ola after that may be strange, but perhaps she’ll leave for a dorm school?
For now, filming for the new season is expected to begin late this summer. We’ll then find out what happened to Ola when Season 4 premieres on Netflix sometime in the future.
Source: Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, GLAMOUR,
there’s nothing I hate more than shows canceling out recurring characters. This just feels so unnecessary, and it’s frustrating.
Justice for Olivia too! Man, her storyline was great.