Fans of the Netflix comedy-drama have thoughts on season three’s treatment of new couple Ruby and Otis. **Contains spoilers**
The long-awaited third season of Sex Education finally dropped on Friday, with many fans immediately rushing to Netflix and binging all eight episodes at once – and while the new series explored a number of exciting storylines, there’s one in particular that riled viewers up.
Just to warn you, we’ll be dealing in spoilers for Sex Education season three from hereon out.
In season three’s first episode, we learn that Otis (Asa Butterfield) has begun a secret casual fling with Ruby Matthews (Mimi Keene), the head of Moordale’s popular clique the Untouchables.
While the relationship comes as a bit of a surprise at first, the two gradually begin to like one another and officially become girlfriend and boyfriend – before Otis fails to return Ruby’s declaration of love and the short-lived couple break-up.
After falling in love with Ruby and Otis as a pairing, many fans took to social media to express their “frustration” with the show’s disposal of their relationship and called for their return in series four.
ruby went against all her morals for otis. showed him her vulnerability and love because she wanted to keep him … yet all she got was a “that’s nice” my girl deserved better ???????????????????????? #sexeducation pic.twitter.com/t6to2hBx5x
— rīley ♡ connorcobalt hoe (@daisyxryke) September 17, 2021
“Ruby went against all her morals for Otis. Showed him her vulnerability and love because she wanted to keep him…yet all she got was a ‘that’s nice’,” one viewers wrote. “My girl deserved better.”
@sexeducation pls bring back ruby and otis in some way or form, i love them with all my heart and im devastated
— Ahmad (@Kicchimi) September 19, 2021
Another fan of the Netflix show said they were “devastated” by Otis and Ruby breaking up, while one viewer voiced their disappointment with the season’s use of the couple, blasting them as “just an arc for Maeve and Otis’s story”.
it’s frustrating it’s so obvious ruby and otis are just an arc for maeve and otis’s story, am I rooting for this endgame now? looks like it. pic.twitter.com/P8Nsp1t0w3
— katie (@iovefilm_) September 17, 2021
Otis and Maeve (Emma Mackey) have been a will-they-won’t-they couple fans have rooted for since the first series and while the pair finally got together towards the end of series three (just for Maeve to move to America for a Gifted and Talented scheme), some fans have realised they prefer Otis and Ruby together, with one writing on Twitter: “Ruby and Otis had more development in three episodes than Maeve and Otis in three seasons.”
Ruby and Otis had more development in 3 episodes than Maeve and Otis in 3 seasons both as a couple and as individuals and their chemistry is 1000 times better #SexEducation #Rotis pic.twitter.com/ghSRSl3dj0
— Sp46 #SaveMotherlandFortSalem (@46Spike46) September 18, 2021
Others praised Ruby, whose story was explored more in the most recent series, as an individual character, with one fan saying that “she carried the show” and that writers just “used her as a pawn to create drama between Maeve and Otis”.
Ruby was truly amazing, she carried the show and the writers used her as a pawn to create drama between Maeve and Otis and then they just dumped her, in fact we’ve only seen her for 1 minute in the last 3 episodes! This is shitty writing and Ruby deserves better #SexEducation pic.twitter.com/EXeYJNb9I3
— Sp46 #SaveMotherlandFortSalem (@46Spike46) September 18, 2021
A lot of viewers came to the conclusion that both Ruby and Adam (Connor Swindells), who was broken up with by Eric (Ncuti Gatwa) after Eric cheated on him, “deserved better” after having their hearts shattered by Otis and Eric respectively.
Ruby and Adam deserve better…
— DID YOU MEAN IT?????♀️???????? (@hamzaximran) September 18, 2021
#SexEducation pic.twitter.com/ahDXuBvNfp
However, some #Rotis shippers haven’t given up hope on the relationship and are calling for their reunion in season four, with one fan writing: “Sorry to say but Otis and Maeve ship is outdated now, we want Otis and Ruby back together in season four please.”
Sorry to say but Otis and Maeve ship is outdated now ,we want Otis and Ruby back together in season 4 please. #SexEducation pic.twitter.com/d6VyFIYnVT
— Krish☢️ (@KrishxOP) September 19, 2021
Mimi Keene recently spoke to RadioTimes.com for the Big RT Interview alongside Chinenye Ezeudu, who plays Viv, about the fans’ reaction to Otis and Ruby, revealing that she’s “glad that people think that it’s a good idea”.
“I really respect the people who support Ruby even though she’s not the easiest to support,” she said . “You know, I think they’re the people who see through it. They see what she’s actually like, so I appreciate those people very much.”
Sex Education is available to stream on Netflix. Check out our guide to the best series on Netflix or the best movies on Netflix.