by Alice-Ginevra Micheli, Contributing Writer
A show that has captured many hearts with its ability to slot into a space that has been long kept empty is Heartstopper. Depicting respectful, loving, and relatively unproblematic gay love and identities, this is a show that offers many people something that wasn’t present in their lives previously.
Based on the hit webcomic by author Alice Oseman, the show now enters its third (out of hopefully four) season. However, as the actors — now shot to fame by the series’ success — have matured, so has the story.
The first season had our main couple meet and fall for each other, with one half coming to terms with his newfound sexuality, as many young people have had to do in their lives. The second looks into the anxieties around coming out, and furthering the relationships established earlier so that they become a little deeper, a little more mature. So now we find ourselves in the third season, which takes themes, storylines, and questions that have been present since day one — those of mental health, and physical sexuality — and brings them to the forefront,.
Season Three finds Nick (Kit Connor), Charlie (Joe Locke), and their group of friends happy, in love, and moving through their final years of high school. With relationships deepening, and Charlie’s mental health struggles becoming ever more apparent, the question remains whether the bonds they’ve forged are strong enough to keep them all together.
With each season, growth has happened in an understanding, gentle manner. Unlike many shows set around teenagers in the past, Heartstopper mostly focuses on giving accuracy when it comes to the lives and loves of adolescence. So while some may see what’s happening on screen and think it’s almost too perfect in some ways — the relationships are too whole, the young people are too sensible — this is an important story to tell right now. Especially when you consider the complete lack thereof previously present in modern media.
When you think back to Season One, it’s very cute, very simple, and very nostalgic. It helps evoke a sense of being young and having a crush. That moment when you first developed feelings for someone, and had to deal with those emotions — thinking that you’re the only one to ever feel this way, ever. Us older “fogeys” now know this to be part of the whims of youth, and are hopefully slightly more assured in our identities and sexualities. However, that doesn’t mean that viewing these events in such an authentic way isn’t still an extremely affecting experience. However, now, Heartstopper takes the story into a deep, and yet just as important direction: one looking into what it means to be in a relationship, the good and the bad. The happy times and the times that are affected by stressors, the world around you, and of course mental illness.
It’s the focus on this mental illness for a great portion of the series that truly cements Heartstopper as possibly one of the greatest forms of television created. We already know its unique role in the pop culture oeuvre, but it’s also important to mention how it refuses to turn away from its character’s flaws. Charlie was bullied horrifically, which has resulted in an irrevocable shift in how he views himself and his position in the world. These factors, as well as others explored in the show, resulted in him suffering heavily from mental illness. Not to mention exploring eating disorders in a form that hasn’t been as publicized across mainstream media until now.
Typically when film and television use this as a focal point, it becomes the entirety of the story. It overwhelms the audience, just as it overwhelms the characters. However, due to the strength of the cast, the writing, and Oseman’s storytelling ability, this is just one of the supporting pillars which make Heartstopper great.
Another, of course, is the fantastic performances from its cast. While its supporting group is just as great to watch and follow in their own series of events, we cannot deny the powerhouse delivered by Connor and Locke this season — particularly Locke. Fans of the comics already knew this was going to be heavy on both the character and actor due to what the story had in store; however, it also gave him a wide berth upon which he could have easily fumbled. It could have been too far over the top, too unbelievable, or too distracting from what brought people to Heartstopper in the first place. However, the care given to the characters and their relationships, particularly from the actors, make it believable, an essential part of the character’s journey, and every moment with them on screen has your heart yearning for more. The audience is forced to get in touch with their feelings and explore a depth they may have wanted to ignore previously.
While of course there is a lot of exploration in the sad and difficult part of life, there is also still plenty of joy present within this season’s episodes. As the characters have matured, the instinctual pull toward being physical and further exploring their physical relationships is done in a considerate and butterfly-inducing manner. You’re guaranteed to cry and kick your feet in happiness all at the same time — harkening back to the constant confusion of adolescents all the same.
Overall, Heartstopper Season Three is another triumph from the team behind it. Explorative, beautiful, and grown-up, this show continues to be what the world needs right now, whether you’re exploring your sexuality, gender, or just wanting to remember what this time of your life was like. With only one more volume of the comic left, and the great success this season has already celebrated, it should be an easy decision for Netflix to renew the show for its final season, bringing the love story of Nick and Charlie, as well as those around them, to a close.
In the meantime, however, this is a season of television that is sure to become a favourite for years to come.
Rating: Loved it
Heartstopper is currently streaming on Netflix
You can read more from Alice-Ginevra Micheli, and follow her on Instagram and Letterboxd