Warning: This post contains spoilers for Sex Education season 3.

Jackson Marchetti and Cal Bowman grew closer over the course of Sex Education season 3 to the point that they began developing romantic feelings for each other — but, Jackson and Cal’s relationship doesn’t work out for a couple of reasons by the end of the season.  

Jackson has come a long way from being Maeve Wiley’s love interest in Sex Education season 1. In season 2, the series explored the pressures that came with being a star athlete and season 3 delved even further into Jackson’s evolution after introducing Cal, a non-binary student who transferred to Moordale after their family moved from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Jackson was drawn to Cal from the start and the pair grew closer over the course of season 3 as, among other things, they shared a dislike of Headteacher Hope Haddon’s strict and conservative school policies that impugned on individual expression. Cal was seemingly attracted to Jackson as well, but the friends halted their development into a full-fledged couple by the end of Sex Education’s third season.

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While Cal was interested in being with Jackson (and vice versa), the latter couldn’t get out of his own head when it came to being with them. Jackson knew in advance that Cal didn’t identify as a girl, but he struggled somewhat with the idea of being intimate with them when the time came. This was especially true when Jackson first kissed Cal; they reminded Jackson that he would be in a queer relationship if they moved forward romantically and that it wouldn’t be like Jackson’s previous relationships in Sex Education. Logically, Jackson knew that a relationship with Cal would be different, but he had to look within himself to decide whether or not he was ready to be in a queer relationship and to figure out why he was acting so weird towards them when they tried to be intimate. 

Jackson liked Cal — he liked their personality, their gumption, and he was obviously physically attracted to them. However, Jackson himself wasn’t queer, a conclusion he came to after some thought and discussion with his mother about identifying himself. Although Jackson was willing to learn if it meant he and Cal could be together, they weren’t yet ready to educate Jackson because they were still learning and growing on their own journey. To that end, Cal and Jackson’s relationship parallels Eric and Adam’s, with Eric not wanting to be held back by Adam. This leaves Cal and Jackson being friends, though it’s possible their status could change in a potential season 4 of Sex Education. Jackson was mature enough to understand where Cal was coming from and at the end of the day, which makes the ending to their potential as a romantic couple a satisfying one. 

It shouldn’t be on one person in the relationship to hold the other’s hand to guide them through figuring things out because it stalls the other’s growth. This is what might have happened if Cal had said yes to being with Jackson, but they weren’t ready to be that person in the relationship. How the pair will fare in another season of Sex Education remains to be seen, but the season 3 finale wrapped up the storyline of the friends being a couple in a way that made sense. 

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Mae Abdulbaki
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Mae Abdulbaki is a movie reviews editor with Screen Rant. She previously wrote about a variety of movies and TV shows for Inverse, CinemaBlend, Pajiba, and The Young Folks, where she wrote reviews, features, news pieces. Her other work can be found at The Mary Sue, Film School Rejects, UPROXX, Heroic Hollywood, Looper, The List, and Bam Smack Pow, among others. Mae has also appeared on television segments, podcasts, and panels to discuss all things entertainment.

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