Sex Education Season 4 fans will feel an undeniable rush of pleasure once they get to Episode 7. After years of will-they, won’t-they tension, loaded glances, and false starts, protagonists Maeve (Emma Mackey) and Otis (Asa Butterfield) finally go all the way in the bedroom. 

“It’s the Ross-and-Rachel scene of Sex Education,” the series’ intimacy coordinator David Thackeray tells Tudum. “It’s the moment that the fans have been waiting for — is it ever going to happen? And it does.” 

Thackeray was an actor and a director before he became an intimacy coordinator. Although his earliest credit in the role comes from the superhero prequel Pennyworth, he’s been with Sex Education since Season 2, which debuted in 2020. 

“Sex Education is the one to do sex scenes, because they’ve always got a message,” he says. “It’s never about how someone’s body’s looking, or suddenly the camera’s just holding still on that. And if it was, then that would definitely be a question that I would be asking.” 

Otis and Maeve’s sex scene is a culmination of that approach to intimacy. Otis, the teen sex therapist who couldn’t even enjoy solo pleasure in Season 1, and Maeve, whose intelligence and wit keep everyone at arm’s length, are at last able to be completely vulnerable with each other — and they really like it.  

“The scene is about the gaze and the eye contact. It’s not just sex. It’s a connection. It’s trust. It’s a relationship,” Thackeray says. To achieve this feeling, Thackeray, Butterfield, Mackey, and director Alyssa McClelland did a lot of communicating. They spoke about their individual visions for the sex scene, positions, nudity levels, and each beat — and intention — of the experience.  

“There are a few hurdles that they go through this season. So what’s different at this point?” Thackeray says. “What’s the quality of touch and kiss at the start? What’s the quality of clothes coming off? Who’s leading when?” 

Thackeray particularly lights up when he considers the moment Otis takes charge and moves Maeve to the bed. On some shows, that kind of dominant behavior would be loaded with toxic masculinity. But not on Sex Education. “You’re like, ‘Oh!’ And you could tell Maeve’s like, ‘Hey, there he is. There’s the confidence,’ ” Thackeray says. “I’ve got goosebumps.” Because, not only is that instant proof of Otis’ own growth, but it also illustrates the confidence Maeve gives him in all aspects of his life. “We see a real journey for Maeve and Otis,” he says. 

But Sex Education’s sex scene journey is much bigger than just Maeve and Otis. So, as Season 4 brings the series to a close, we’re looking back on all the work that got us to this final climax. 

This job requires you to discuss the very technical parts of sex. How do you talk about something so universal, but generally very private, on set? 

We’re always talking about: What’s happened before we got here? How far in the simulated sex are we? Or, how far in are we in the masturbation, or whatever it may be? We speak in levels of tension, where we are on a scale of one to eight, with eight being climax. I would say, “We’re on a four or five right now.” And the actors are like, “Yeah, we’re on a five right now.” At some points, I have to call out a number. And I’ll be like, “Right, we’re on a five right now. We’re going to reach a seven.” 

Everyone is clearly very comfortable on set. How did you establish that kind of relationship? 

It literally comes down from the beginning of that communication with the actors and the director to say, “Right, we’re just going to put it out on the table. This is what this scene is about. This is what is going to happen for these characters’ journey.” 

A big pointer is: How long does this scene last for? When are you going to call “cut,” so the actors are not going on forever? And then it’ll be very clear. I’d be like, “Look, we’re working with levels of tension, so I might call out where I am. Do you feel comfortable with that?” And they’ll say yes or no. So it’s never like a surprise or a shock, that suddenly Dave just comes out of nowhere and is calling out a number. 

Where do you come in during production, as the intimacy coordinator? 

I read the scripts way before we go on set, before we start shooting, in pre-production. So I flag all types of intimacy and nudity, even things that the director or the writers haven’t thought about. Say they had a simulated sex scene beforehand, and then the next scene is then them waking up and getting out of bed. So I’d be like, “Well, what are we seeing there? Have they still got clothes on or not?” Shower scenes, bath scenes, giving birth or breastfeeding, examinations. Or just even scenes where there’s moments of someone [who] might be feeling like they’re having an orgasm, but they’re not necessarily having any intimacy with anybody. Hopefully I can relieve any anxiety from the actors by taking the mystery away from those moments.

Is there a moment you’re most proud of in your three seasons with Sex Education?

The big sex montage we did for the Season 3 premiere was epic. It was seven months of talking with [director] Ben Taylor, asking, “How are we going to do this?” That was just fun to do. It was epic. 

And then a scene that I’m really proud of to have worked on was with Isaac [Goodwin, played by George Robinson] and Maeve. Runyararo Mapfumo, the director, did such a great job in helming it, and the edit for it was amazing. Even now people are like, “Thanks for doing that scene,” or especially for the actors to do that. It was all sensory, it was all touch, it was all consent-based. It was beautiful. 

How did you approach that scene, where Maeve and Isaac hook up?

I talked with George. I asked, “How would this work? Let’s talk about even just the sitting on the lap and stuff like that.” Or I said, “What about even just taking the side of the wheelchair down? Let’s do this properly, and how you want to do it as well.” And that was also key for the writers and the director as well. And then on the day, it was just another day on Sex Education. It’s not about sex. It’s about connection and intimacy. 

This interview has been edited and condensed. 

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