There is arguably no other young adult queer romance with as much heart, spunk and success as Alice Oseman’s Netflix original, Heartstopper. Even when the clouds of gloom cloak your world in blues, here’s a series that manages to warm your heart with its neon butterfly doodles, pastel postcard aesthetics, Adiescar Chase’s tunes, sensitively written interpersonal dynamics, and the all-embracing love from its terrific lead characters.
Since its premiere in 2022, Heartstopper has been the go-to queer drama for keeping things light and breezy. However, like a meta-commentary on how transient that breeziness can be, Oseman returns with a third season that hits you with the inevitable reality of it all: the gang is growing up. And what truly astounds is how measured the writer keeps this transition, without corrupting the syntax of its storytelling. Each season moves towards a celebratory event (Sports Day or Prom or the GCSE results or Christmas) while the main characters pivot through a deeply personal journey themselves.
A still from ‘Heartstopper’ | Photo Credit: Samuel Dore/Netflix
After feeling the highs and lows of their Parisian Summer of Love in the second season, we begin with our chirpy gang hitting the beach in an adorable opening episode that instantly reminds you of everything you liked about this show. We find Charlie (Joe Locke) desperate to tell Nick (Kit Connor) that he loves him, while the latter is still figuring out how to bring up his fears of Charlie’s eating disorder. The new couple in town, Tao (William Gao) and Elle (Yasmin Finney), are having what Tao calls their ‘summer of romance,’ but Elle is quite concerned about Tao’s abandonment issues. Tara (Corinna Brown) hopes Darcy (Kizzy Edgell) understands her need for personal space, while the latter begins to embrace and explore their non-binary identity. Our lovely friend Isaac (Tobie Donovan) is still figuring out the ropes of what it means to be asexual and aromantic in a friend group that is so hungover with romance, partnership, and intimacy. Charlie’s sister, Tori (Jenny Walser), gets her fair share of screen this time around as well.
In true Heartstopper fashion, none of these concerns linger on for long, and the eight-episode third season brings an all-new layer that unifies them all — the chaos of young adulthood and everything it brings with it. As Charlie braves a journey against OCD and anorexia nervosa, Nick and co. try to be the pillar of support he needs most at the moment. Several relationships take a new leap forward, bringing about their own challenges. The arc Elle finds herself in is truly heart-shattering.
Heartstopper Season 3
Firstly, the third season learns from the criticisms of its predecessor and embraces a more subtle language. Written with the meticulousness and sensitivity she is known for, Oseman’s script this season also boasts some clever ideas that make a mark. Charlie’s interaction with Isaac about ‘The Song of Achilles’ adds a delicate veneer for those familiar with Madeline Miller’s book and why Charlie warns Isaac about its ending. You also can’t help but chuckle at how a nod to Marvel finds a symbolic callback; Nick dresses up as Captain America for a Halloween party, and the episode might have a thing or two to say about the superhero serum that has kept our Nick the pillar for everyone to lean on — love.
One must take a breather upon realising why the show, unlike what we are accustomed to, might have chosen not to reveal these self-enforced ‘rules’ that Charlie’s OCD has charted for himself. Perhaps, even we, the viewers, must make peace with how much Charlie lets us in and give him that space. In another moment, you are told of Isaac’s tussle with feeling left out, and until he returns to the screen, you are asked to wonder how he is coping with this changed reality, making his eventual outburst at Tao all the more justified.
A still from ‘Heartstopper’ | Photo Credit: Samuel Dore/Netflix
A few minor issues from the second season cast a shadow in the follow-up, like the superfluous romance track between Mr Ajayi and Mr Farouk. You are also quite sceptical of Sahar’s equation with Imogen initially (our token cis-het friend is gone), however, they might find some takers from bi-curious and questioning audiences if the upcoming season manages to do some justice to the topic. Such snags, however, seem all the more redeemable in a series that has such consistently good character writing. Watching the consistency in how Nick walks and talks around Tao tells you a thing or two about how conscious the makers are about even the peripheral character arcs. With such nuanced writing, how do you deal with the fact that you have to wait longer to be around these fictional characters?
The third season of Heartstopper is the heaviest to date, with Oseman taking on some deeply affecting topics to explore. From Nick’s aunt Diane’s (Hayley Atwell in a guest appearance) advice on how to be there for a friend battling mental illness to what Isaac has to say about aromanticism, there’s a lot that speaks to both teens and adults of the world we live in. As it has always been, Heartstopper continues to be a soul-stirring exploration of the idealistic art of exercising empathy toward all.
Heartstopper Season 3 is currently streaming on Netflix
Published - October 08, 2024 04:04 pm IST
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