Netflix's Sex Education Goes Out With a Bang in Its Final Season

Looking for your next binge-watch, or just need to fill an hour? Welcome to Your Weekly Watch List, our curated collection of the best shows on television. Here's what to watch from Sunday, September 17 through Saturday, September 23.

After four seasons of horny teenage romance, Netflix's Sex Education reaches its climax this week. Elsewhere on TV, The Continental explores the origin story of John Wick's criminal underworld, American Horror Story: Delicate serves up the mother of all frights, and romantic comedy Still Up lightens the mood on Apple TV+.

American Horror Story Season 12 Premiere

Wednesday, 10:00 PM ET on FX

For the first time, American Horror Story looks externally for inspiration as co-creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk adapt Danielle Valentine's novel Delicate Condition for FX. AHS: Delicate, the anthology's 12th season, stars franchise favorite Emma Roberts as Anna Victoria Alcott, an actor who wants nothing more than to start a family with her husband (Matt Czuchry). Anna finally becomes pregnant after multiple rounds of IVF, but when she suffers a devastating miscarriage, she becomes paranoid that something — or someone, perhaps Cara Delevingne's creepy ultrasound technician — is conspiring against her and preventing her from being a mother.

Valentine's influence isn't the only first for AHS: Delicate. After 11 seasons in the writers' room, Murphy has handed over showrunning duties to Halley Feiffer (Impeachment: American Crime Story), who wrote every episode of the Rosemary's Baby-esque installment. The season also marks Kim Kardashian's first major scripted role; the reality TV star will play actor Siobhan Walsh, Anna's mentor figure who pushes her to capitalize on her career success. Kardashian's previous work doesn't inspire a ton of confidence, but AHS' many plot twists are typically ridiculous enough to paper over even the most wooden of performances. Plus, she won't be gracing the screen for long: Part 1 consists of just five episodes, with Part 2 set to premiere at a later date.

Sex Education Season 4

Thursday, Netflix (Full Season)
*Our must-watch pick of the week*

Change is in the air in the fourth and final season of Sex Education, which shifts its setting from Moordale Secondary (RIP) to Cavendish Sixth Form College. Gone is the conservative, sex-negative environment of Moordale: At Cavendish, students speak openly about their sexual desires and embrace their identities without fear of judgment or reprisal. The diverse, emphatically queer student population is cause for celebration for Eric (Ncuti Gatwa), who's welcomed into the cool clique and does some soul-searching about his religious upbringing, but his friends don't fare quite as well. Otis (Asa Butterfield) develops a rivalry with another sex therapist — the appropriately nicknamed O (Thaddea Graham) — while former queen bee Ruby (Mimi Keene) struggles to find her place in this new world order.

The goings-on at Cavendish deliver the bawdy comedy this show has become known for, but Season 4 also expands its scope as it explores Maeve's (Emma Mackey) experience at Wallace University in the United States, where she studies under popular author Thomas Molloy (Dan Levy), and her strained family dynamic, as well as Jean's (Gillian Anderson) journey as a single mother and career woman. (Hannah Gadsby is a delight as Jean's new boss.) The result is a consistently funny run of episodes that sets each of these characters up for big moments of self-discovery as they prepare for whatever comes next.

The Continental: From the World of John Wick

Friday, Peacock

Peacock has described The Continental as a "three-part event," and in terms of spectacle, the John Wick prequel delivers. Each feature-length episode dives deeper into the origin story of Winston Scott (Colin Woodell) and the hotel-for-assassins that would eventually become a neutral site for hitmen. Decades before the events of the films, in 1970s New York City, Winston begins making a name for himself in the criminal underworld. He sets his sights on the Continental Hotel, but in order to seize the throne, Winston must take down the current proprietor Cormac (Mel Gibson) and a host of dangerous outlaws determined to prevent his rise to power.

While Keanu Reeves' John Wick won't be making an appearance in the prequel, The Continental is intimately linked to its source material. In addition to Woodell, who steps into Ian McShane's film role, the Peacock series features younger versions of existing characters, including Ayomide Adegun as Charon (a character first portrayed by the late Lance Reddick) and Peter Greene as Uncle Charlie (David Patrick Kelly in the first two films). The three-part event also includes plenty of the expertly choreographed, intensely graphic fight scenes that have come to define John Wick, so fans need not worry that co-executive producers Greg Coolidge, Kirk Ward, and Shawn Simmons have toned things down for the small screen. Given all this violence, maybe it's for the best that Peacock is only dropping one (extra-long) episode every Friday.

Still Up

Friday, Apple TV+

Insomnia is no laughing matter, but Antonia Thomas and Craig Roberts find a slice of humor in the sleeplessness. Friends Lisa (Thomas) and Danny (Roberts) come alive when the rest of the world goes dark. They spend hours on FaceTime discussing their days, evaluating their romantic lives (or Danny's lack thereof), and sharing their wildest dreams. The one topic of conversation they deliberately avoid? Their growing feelings for one another. As their nighttime activities begin to affect other parts of their lives, including Lisa's relationship with partner Veggie (Blake Harrison), they're forced to decide whether to bring their bond into the daylight, or leave it behind for good.

In a drama-heavy week, Apple's lighthearted comedy acts as a palate cleanser. With charming performances from Thomas and Roberts, who successfully convey Lisa and Danny's connection while hardly appearing together on camera, Still Up is an ideal rom-com to curl up with as the weather turns. The first three episodes stream Friday, followed by one weekly through October 27.

If You Have...

An Hour

Winning Time Season 2 Finale: Sunday, 9:00 PM ET on HBO
Neighbours: Monday, Amazon Freevee *New episodes Monday–Thursday
Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court: Friday, 8:00 PM ET on Showtime

An Evening

The Defiant Ones: Tuesday, Hulu
Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal Season 2: Wednesday, Netflix
Young Love: Thursday, Max
Love Is Blind Season 5 (Episodes 1–4): Friday, Netflix

A Full Day

The Gold: Sunday, Paramount+
The Super Models: Wednesday, Apple TV+

Up Next

The Irrational: Monday, September 25 on NBC
Survivor Season 45: Wednesday, September 27 on CBS
Reservation Dogs Series Finale: Wednesday, September 27 on Hulu
Starstruck Season 3: Thursday, September 28 on Max
Gen V: Friday, September 29 on Prime Video

Claire Spellberg Lustig is the Senior Editor at Primetimer and a scholar of The View. Follow her on Twitter at @c_spellberg.