Warning: This post contains spoilers for seasons 1-3 of Sex Education.

In September, Brady Langmann wrote an article titled, “It’s Time to Accept That Otis Milburn is the Villain of Sex Education”. All in good fun, I’m here to refute that stance. Here’s why.

As the first established main character of Sex Education, Otis has had his moments of imperfection. At times, he’s failed at being a supportive friend—like when he abandoned Eric on his birthday to investigate with Maeve. However, when even his closest friends can forgive him, I find it egregious to describe Otis as “despicable.”

To suggest that normal 16-year-olds don’t occasionally have lapses in their judgment is inattentive at best. No teenager should be expected to have it all figured out, and I don’t see why this shouldn’t extend to film.

Being imperfect at friendships and relationships doesn’t make you a villain. It doesn’t even really make you a “bad” person. It’s just a trait of being human—one that’s not particularly surprising to see in a teenager with exceptionally confusing life circumstances.

Langmann raised the question of Otis’s treatment of his mother. He noted, “Sure, most teenage boys sass their moms. But Otis talks to his single, working-all-the-time mother like she’s squatting in his home, the one he bought from the job he doesn’t have.” Have any of you ever had an invasive, sex therapist mother? Otis seems to have a complicated relationship with Jean Milburn, and he does undeniably have some moments of attitude. He clearly holds some resentment for all of the embarrassment that has come from his mother being a renowned sex therapist. During the first season, he’s also disproving of his mom’s noncommittal sleeping habits, especially in combination with his confusion about his father’s distant life. He often misunderstands Jean’s intentions or is unappreciative of her invasive nature—remember that time she camped outside Aimee’s party? But Langmann adds that they “always end up peachy keen with each other by the end of every season.” That is called having the maturity and respect to solve your differences.

He follows by using the example of Otis dating Ruby, who opens up to him and tells him she loves him. All Otis responds is “that’s nice.” And yes, he breaks her heart. No, it’s not fair to Ruby. Love is often unforgiving, painful, and messy when you’re figuring yourself out in six-form. However, in that moment, Otis chooses not to lie and says he loves her too. Imagine how she would have felt if Otis told her he did love her, and then Ruby saw him with Maeve? The feeling of being lied to and disrespected would have torn her up more. What ought he to do? Was he supposed to lie? As Otis once said, “You can’t choose who you’re attracted to. You can’t engineer a relationship.” With that in mind, Otis made the right decision to not lie to Ruby.

It’s worth noting that Ruby was not a grade-A partner, which Langmann fails to mention. She constantly humiliated him and attempted to change him into a different person. But I think if you do focus on the depth of characters, that’s not something to permanently hold against Ruby. If you look at her character at more than face value, like how we should also do with Otis, she deals with a lot at home. She has trouble opening up to people, which we learn is her explanation for her “mean girl” persona.

From the very beginning of the series, we have always known that Otis is in love with Maeve. That doesn’t mean he knows that. I fully believe that he thinks he’s moved on. When he leaves her a voicemail and gets no response, he finally tries to leave his feelings behind, and that leads him to hooking up with Ruby. Otis’s difficulty understanding and interpreting his own feelings does not make him “despicable.”

Langmann concludes with a hideous oversight, writing, “I spend most of my days marveling at this fictional kid who is prone to meowing, whimpering, and tattle-tale-ing at any given moment.” Perhaps, Brady, you should get a new hobby…and maybe a new job too.

Otis Milburn is not a bad person, nor is there much substance towards deeming him the villain of Sex Education. I believe there is no true villain in Sex Education. Just representations of real people with even more real problems.