Season two of the Netflix original show “Easy” was released on December 1st, meaning I set aside four hours of my life on Friday to binge, and it DELIVERED. Each season is an eight-episode collection of vignettes with independent stories and characters. While many story lines continue in season two, others are left in season one with no continuation. Other episodes in season two are brand new with no connection to season one. In the mere 30 minutes of each episode, you become wholly captivated by the characters’ lives. While there are plenty of notable actors and actresses (Orlando Bloom, Dave Franco, Aubrey Plaza), they transport the audience into their most normal and vulnerable state and make the statement that they, too, face relationship problems. Beyond entertainment value, however, “Easy” starts some important conversations about how we navigate romantic and sexual relationships in today’s society.

1. Gender roles

In the first episode, a married couple hears that couples who adhere to gender roles have more and better sex. This specific couple doesn’t practice typical gender roles but also realizes they’re having pretty bad sex. They try to spice it up in various ways, but the wife ultimately goes back to faking orgasms, making the husband feel as though he did an awesome job, and assuming “wife” duties such as cooking breakfast for the kids on a weekend morning. Although we've come so far in terms of what are "male" and "female" roles in the home, this episode shows that women still often succumb to these roles as a way of maintaining the relationship. Maybe the reasoning for the opening statistic is that women too often fake their happiness, both sexually and otherwise, to make men happy.

2. Non-monogamous relationships

Apparently, this couple’s relationship takes a turn for the worse because their follow-up episode in season two is about their journey through an open marriage. Many people believe that an open marriage isn't really a marriage, but the reality is that it's becoming more and more common. It’s clear that the couple maintains a strong love and respect as well as an open line of communication. The only thing that changes is that they explore other, purely sexual, experiences, but it’s unclear if this was successful in their relationship. Most importantly, it raises the question of if non-monogamous relationships are legitimate! Many couples find themselves happier when they can express themselves sexually with people who aren’t their partner. One thing is for sure: the couple definitely seemed happier at the end of this episode than the first one.

3. Sex work

“Side Hustle” from season two sheds light on an industry that is so often frowned upon: sex work. This can mean a multitude of things, but this episode is about a woman who gets paid to keep men company and have sex with them. She is extremely successful, has a super fancy apartment in Chicago, and writes online about her views on feminism. I loved this episode because it is a more positive representation of a woman who is successful in the sex industry as opposed to shaming her. Her story is shown comparatively to a male uber driver who is also “hustling” to make a living by making connections with people. The sole fact that these two people’s lives are shown in comparison creates an important perspective shift: we're all out here trying to make it, we just go about it in different ways - and ALL are valid.

4. THREESOMES

“Utopia” from season one shows a (very happy and healthy) couple who makes a joint Tinder account to find someone for a threesome. Crazy, right? ...or not so crazy?! I don’t know about you, but I saw a few of those during my Tinder swiping days and was mildly freaked, but, this episode shows that threesomes can actually have huge benefits for couples. Yes, it does show the best case scenario, and that definitely wouldn’t always be the case in real life. This is yet another modern reality that is beginning to become more normalized. This episode is super empowering for both men and women and allows the audience to unashamedly embrace their sexuality, and I’m all for it.