Season two of “Heartstopper” ends at a vibrant, summery prom and a cliffhanger where Charlie (Joe Locke, “Agatha All Along”) is contemplating telling his boyfriend Nick (Kit Connor, “The Wild Robot”) that he loves him. After a whirlwind of a season with Nick’s coming out, Tao (William Gao, “Sunrise”) and Elle’s (Yasmin Finney, “Anything’s Possible”) budding relationship, the Paris field trip and prom, one can only be excited for what’s in store for our various lovebirds in season three.
As a beloved comfort show for many fans, “Heartstopper” is more than just a British rom-com about teenage love and high school friendships. In season one, where the main focus is on the developing romance between Nick and Charlie, the show addresses discovering Queer identity, learning to grow up and navigating complicated family dynamics. Season two is where the light, fluffy romance of the show starts touching on more serious topics like Charlie’s eating disorder and worsening mental health. However, in season three of “Heartstopper”, we truly see the magical coming-of-age elements of the series move into the spotlight.
“Heartstopper” season three explores the next chapter for its beloved characters: Nick and Charlie leave the honeymoon phase of their relationship as Elle and Tao make the most of their summer before going long-distance. Meanwhile, Tara (Corinna Brown, “Essex Girls) supports Darcy (Kizzy Edgell, “Dead Red Kite”) as the latter explores nonbinary pronouns, and Sahar (Leila Khan, “Death in Paradise”) and Imogen (Rhea Norwood, “Consent”) help each other discover new aspects of their sexual identities. Unlike previous seasons where the focus was on Nick and Charlie, this season adapts an ensemble cast style where we see glimpses of everyone’s relationships and conversations, including the teachers Mr. Farouk (Nima Taleghani, “Femme”) and Mr. Ajayi (Fisayo Akinade, “Banana”).
Although the original webcomic centers on Nick and Charlie’s relationship, it is refreshing to see how various other relationships in the series define intimacy, love and attachment in their own unique ways. Nick and Charlie are open with their emotions. Tao feels the need for validation and love from Elle due to experiences from his childhood. Darcy appreciates Tara’s generosity and hospitality in being able to take them in after their homophobic mother kicked them out.
In the season’s first half, episodes detail Charlie’s deteriorating mental health through poignant journal entries and montages, eventually taking viewers through his experiences receiving professional psychiatric help. One particularly well-portrayed part was that, though they acknowledge not everyone gets better after receiving institutionalized care, Charlie was fortunate enough to not just afford quality care but also have a good support system by his side. This is most notable during the Christmas scene with Charlie’s extended family, where we hear firsthand the stigmatized comments people use to address institutionalized mental health care.
In the second half of the season, the focus shifts to physical intimacy and post-graduation options. The series, again, approaches this topic with care, making note to cover conversations around body insecurity, sexual wellness and the range of raw emotions that arise during this stage of physical intimacy. By showing both the serious and the silly discussions about sex between Charlie and Nick, Elle and Tao and Tara and Darcy, “Heartstopper” explores open communication in different relationship dynamics.
A major theme of the last four episodes of the season was the concept of growing up and exploring prospective career and university options, all while considering how a relationship may play a role in one’s future plans. In the episode where Nick is touring colleges with Tara, Imogen and Elle, it is evident that he is conflicted between choosing a school close to home as opposed to choosing one that’s further away with a great rugby team, while the others are already deciding where they want to study and what majors they wish to pursue. While the others are fine with prioritizing their career aspirations and living the traditional college life over being close to their partners, Nick feels he is betraying Charlie if he attends university far away.
What started off as a tender and teasing romance about falling in love and wondering if the other person likes you back has since transformed into a true coming-of-age story that celebrates individuality and self-discovery. Rather than the “couple against the world” message, “Heartstopper” demonstrates how self-development still continues during a relationship. Nick learns how to support a loved one, but not be responsible for providing professional treatment. Tao learns that he doesn’t need to be around Elle all the time to be happy. Darcy cuts their hair and tries new pronouns with Tara by their side.
In an interview with Digital Spy, Kit Connor and Joe Locke shared that this shift in tone and characters came naturally to them because it seemed as if the show was maturing and developing alongside the actors themselves. As someone who has been watching this show since high school, I feel that audiences are also growing up with this show and following along this journey from teenagehood to early adulthood. Indeed, this coming-of-age theme seems to draw viewers in through its relatability and portrayals of what we might be experiencing in our own lives.
“Heartstopper” isn’t the only rom-com with a coming-of-age story rooted in self-discovery. Other recently released rom-coms like “XO Kitty” and “Never Have I Ever” also play with themes like friendship, family and discovering one’s sexuality. Transitional teenage years should be for self-discovery and development, so this trend of coming-of-age while navigating relationships rather than piling odds against a couple to overcome together is a welcome change in my books.
Daily Arts Writer Michelle Wu can be reached at michewu@umich.edu.
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