Sex Education season 4 now finally has a release window, thanks to a recent announcement from Netflix. First released on the streamer in 2019, Sex Education follows Otis (Asa Butterfield), a student at Moordale Secondary School, who teams up with Maeve (Emma Mackey) to create an underground sex therapy clinic for their fellow students. Season 3 of the hit show was released in September 2021, and, until now, news about season 4's release date has been hard to come by.

Now, in Netflix's virtual Upfront event (via Collider), the streamer reveals that Sex Education season 4 will release this fall. Unfortunately, the company doesn't reveal an exact date or specific month that audiences can expect the show to return.

Everything We Know About Sex Education Season 4

Although Sex Education season 4 is still a number of months away from hitting screens, details have already emerged about the upcoming batch of episodes. Judging from what's been shared so far, season 4 will represent a major creative shake-up for the series, with new writers now on board. One element of the show set to feature some big changes is its cast.

Several cast members have been confirmed to not return for Sex Education season 4, including Simone Ashley (Olivia), Patricia Allison (Ola), Tanya Reynolds (Lily), Rakhee Thakrar (Ms Sands). Stars Mackey and Ncuti Gatwa (Eric) have similarly confirmed that, if the show is renewed for season 5, they won't be returning. Season 4 is also adding a number of new actors, however, including Dan Levy, Jodie Turner-Smith, Thaddea Graham, Marie Reuther, Alexandra James, Anthony Lexa, Felix Mufti, and Iman Yahshua.

In addition to the Sex Education season 4 cast getting some updates, the show is also slated to feature a change in setting. With the shuttering of Moordale at the end of season 3, most of the characters will move to Cavendish Sixth Form College, which has been teased as being more progressive and technologically advanced. Maeve, however, is heading off to the U.S. to attend a well-regarded university. Many questions remain about Sex Education season 4, but, at the very least, audiences now have a better idea of when to expect the show to return.

Source: Netflix

Netflix's Sex Education is one step closer to returning to our screens. During the streamer's upfront presentation, they announced the beloved dramedy series will premiere its fourth season Fall of this year. A more specific month and day window is to be announced.

Season 4 ushers in several shake-ups for Sex Education -- both within the series and off-screen. As Season 3 ended, Moordale students learned that they will have to find schooling elsewhere. As such, Otis (Asa Butterfield), Eric (Ncuti Gatwa), and their classmates flock to Cavendish Sixth Form College, which is the polar opposite of Moordale. Meanwhile, Maeve (Emma Mackey) accepted an exciting opportunity in the States. At home, Otis and Jean (Gillian Anderson) adjust to life with a new baby in the family.

Beyond the screen, Season 4 has had major casting shifts, welcoming in a handful of new faces to the series and saying goodbye to familiar ones. Along with the previously mentioned names, returning cast includes Connor Swindells, Alistair Petrie, Kedar Williams-Stirling, George Robinson, Chinenye Ezeudu, Dua Saleh, Mimi Keene, and Samantha Spiro. Upcoming additions include Jodie Turner-Smith playing a character connected to Eric, Dan Levy as Maeve's American tutor Thomas Molloy, Thaddea Graham, Marie Reuther, Alexandra James, Anthony Lexa, Felix Mufti, and Imani Yahshua.

Before Season 4 went into production, a handful of cast members bid farewell to the show. Bridgerton star Simone Ashley, Tanya Reynolds, Patricia Allison, and Rakhee Thakrar all departed the series. Additionally, Gatwa revealed that Season 4 is the end of the line for Eric, while Mackey shared that she's also ready to let the series go.

What Else Is Heading to Netflix This Fall?

Sex Education Season 4 will be in good company, as Netflix unveiled its entire Fall slate. Other returning titles include Big Mouth Season 7, The Crown Season 6, Virgin River Season 5, Selling Sunset Season 7, and more. The streamer will also debut anticipated titles such as Mike Flanagan's The Fall of the House of Usher, All the Light We Cannot See, and a slew of original films.

Sex Education returns this Fall only on Netflix. Revisit the Season 3 bloopers below:

New promotional images have been released for Sex Education season 4 which seem to put Otis and Ruby front and center. After its debut in 2019, the raunchy Netflix drama became a huge hit thanks to its lovable characters and relevance among younger audiences. With three seasons under the belt and a fourth confirmed to be in development back in September 2021, Sex Education is still going strong, but season 4 will see the students of Moordale Secondary School sailing into uncertain waters.

The last time viewers saw the infamous "Sex School," the students reclaimed their power, ousting season 3's tyrannical head teacher, Hope Haddon (Jemima Kirke), and Otis (Asa Butterfield) and Maeve (Emma Mackey) finally revealed their feelings for each other before Maeve said her goodbyes and took off to study at a prestigious university in the United States. With Moordale sold to developers and the students scattered, the future of Sex Education was left unknown after season 3. Now, new images for Sex Education season 4 reveal returning characters Otis, Maeve, and Ruby (Mimi Keene), as well as the introduction of Dan Levy as Maeve's tutor and cult author, Thomas Molloy.

While Maeve and Thomas are featured along with the U.S. flag to display her change of scenery for season 4, Otis and Ruby seem very close, perched together on the back of a sofa. This image has led to speculation that Otis and Ruby might rekindle their relationship in Sex Education season 4 despite their difficult break-up during season 3, episode 4. Their unlikely relationship has been championed by many since the shock reveal of their "one-night-stand" back in season 2, but does this new image really imply future happiness for the teens?

Can Otis & Ruby Get Back Together In Sex Education Season 4?

The relationship that formed between Otis and Ruby in Sex Education seasons 2 and 3 was a turning point for both characters, enabling them to mature significantly, with Otis becoming more adult and confident, and Ruby softening her high-maintenance personality. However, even though the new promo images show the pair together, it seems unlikely that their relationship will be restarted, especially since the synopsis for season 4 explains that "Maeve is living her dream... [and] Otis is pining after her," suggesting that his unresolved feelings for Maeve will force him to keep a distance from Ruby. It seems Otis could also be too preoccupied to think about a relationship, since he's set to start up the clinic again, with best friend Eric (future Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa), in a new school, and will be making an adjustment to not being an only child any longer.

On the other hand, Otis and Ruby are still close as of the end of Sex Education season 3, and a casual fling could be just what Otis needs to take his mind off of Maeve. Whether Ruby will be comfortable with this sort of arrangement remains to be seen, especially since her feelings of love for Otis weren't reciprocated. Whatever the case may be, it's evident from previous seasons that Otis will find himself in some difficult situations. While no release date has been confirmed for Sex Education season 4, it's been hinted that filming is already underway, so viewers hopefully won't have to wait long for some new, raunchy adventures.

Netflix's Sex Education is gearing up to enter its fourth season. In the past month or so, the upcoming season has seen the departure of four cast members, including Rakhee Thakrar, Simone Ashley, Tanya Reynolds, and Patricia Allison. Now, fans can rest easy, as Variety has confirmed a fan favorite character will return. Ncuti Gatwa, who plays Otis' lovable best friend Eric Effiong, will continue his run on the series for Season 4.

Eric was first introduced to viewers in Season 1 and quickly became a favorite as he put his vibrant, energetic, and unapologetic personality on display. Viewers also saw the tight-knit bond between him and Otis (Asa Butterfield). Though Eric was a hilarious and supportive friend, he faced several of his own struggles, largely in the form of relentless bullying from another student named Adam (Connor Swindells). Eventually, Eric and Adam begin a secret relationship until Adam is sent to another school. Eric then begins dating a new student named Rahim in Season 2. However, Eric and Adam would soon find their way together again and date through Season 3. Romantic entanglements aside, Eric's character also offers a lens into his life as a gay Nigerian teenager whose family is deeply religious. The show offered several scenes with Eric that showcased his refusal to hide himself but how, at times, it was necessary.

Confirmation of Gatwa's return comes as quite the relief for fans wondering which cast member would be next to leave. Gatwa's future on Sex Education was a bit of an unknown when the actor was cast as the Fourteenth Doctor in the hit series Doctor Who. Per Variety, some maneuvering with scheduling allowed for Gatwa to star in both shows. He will also next appear in the upcoming Barbie movie, which includes his fellow Sex Education co-star Emma Mackey.

Sex Education centers on Otis Milburn, an awkward teenager whose mother (Gillian Anderson) is a sex therapist. In Season 1, Otis inadvertently offers sex advice to one of his peers. This kickstarts the idea to run an underground sex therapy clinic with his classmate Maeve (Mackey). By Season 3, someone else has co-opted the clinic. Meanwhile, Moordale Secondary Schools hires a new head teacher, Hope, who plans to fix the school's image through some policy changes. As the season wraps up, Hope is fired and Moordale is sold to developers, leaving its students to find another school.

Along with Gatwa's announcement, the show's creator, writer, and executive producer Laurie Nunn is officially confirmed to return for Season 4. Additional cast still expected to return include Butterfield, Anderson, Mackey, Swindells, Aimee Lou Wood, Kedar Williams-Stirling, and Alistair Petrie.

Sex Education Season 4 will begin production sometime later this year. Seasons 1-3 are streaming now on Netflix. Relive some of Eric's best Season 1 moments below: