To claim that Heartstopper was life-changing television when it debuted in 2022 is a hilarious understatement a year later.
Heartstopper, adapted from Alice Osman’s graphic novel series about two adolescent males at school who fall in love while surrounded by other gay friends and supporters, stopped many of us in our tracks.
Never in my wildest dreams did I anticipate that an adolescent drama based on a young adult novel series would have such an impact on the LGBTQ+ community, including myself.
Thousands of LGBTQ+ individuals discovered time and again how starved we’d been of any optimistic LGBTQ+ representation growing up, much alone an entire television series dedicated to it.
Season two of Heartstopper delves deeper into the inevitable complexity of being a gay kid, whereas season one was a rather ideal dream of what a school overflowing with LGBTQ+ representation could look like.
Nick (Kit Connor) and Charlie (Joe Locke) are officially lovers, and while Nick has come out to his mother (Olivia Colman) and a few close friends, he soon realises that this is only the first of many times he will come out – to friends, his homophobic brother, and his father.
Charlie has his own problems to deal with when Nick discovers he’s been missing meals and carrying more pain than anybody imagined.
Elle (Yasmin Finney) and Tao (William Gao) finally decide to put their friendship on the line and start dating, with unexpected results, and the show’s longest-running and most underappreciated couple Darcy (Kizzy Edgell) and Tara (Corinna Brown) face their first major stumbling block when one of them appears to be more invested in their relationship than the other.
All of this takes on a new magnificent background in Paris as the most LGBTQ+ inclusive school possible takes a school trip to the French city.
Naturally, the youngsters are allowed to explore their relationships without the watchful eyes of their parents, but under the supervision of two instructors – Mr Ajayi and Mr Farouk, who are also on their own trip in the city of love.
Part of Heartstopper’s allure is his certainty that everything will be OK in the end.
There is no big rug pull or genuine threat to any individual or relationship, yet witnessing each character’s path to handle their particular issue so brilliantly is still so engaging without any inflated drama.
Coming out is a recurring motif in season two, with Nick coming out again, Darcy revealing a secret side, Charlie opening up about his weight condition, and Isaac (Tobie Donovan) realising he is asexual.
Coming out is simply one stage in the journey of any LGBTQ+ individual. The fact is that everyone of us comes out repeatedly – and it’s not simple, even though it should become easier.
Ben (Sebastien Croft) is the sole remaining character in Heartstopper who is plagued by pain and hatred.
Season two feels bolder and braver than season one, which was a rather conventional love tale. The characters are more complicated and tormented, yet they are all explored with the same sensitivity and charm that keeps Heartstopper full of hope and promise.
As a result, the cast has matured into actual talent to look forward to. Kit Connor and Joe Locke’s chemistry was undeniably a factor in Heartstopper’s success, but in season two, everyone handles their sensitive storylines with such tenderness and care that it’s evident there’s a shared knowledge among the young performers that is seldom, if ever, seen in adolescent drama.
I got the Heartstopper books for my 11-year-old niece for Christmas last year, and she devoured them. Season one was fantastic, but I was unfamiliar with the novels and had no idea how the tale progressed.
Heartstopper becomes even more essential after literally altering so many lives in the LGBTQ+ community. I’m grateful that generations like my niece have these role models to look up to for imparting such amazing examples of compassion and love, so that the rest of us can remember how far we’ve gone as a community and continue to evolve from closeted adolescents to whomever we’ve become.
Season two is proof that in the future, when the world is more inclusive and empathic than it is today, we will look back and praise Heartstopper for being one of the crucial factors in moulding the trailblazers of the future.
Heartstopper is the epitome of beautiful and fascinating television.
Heartstopper season 2 is available to stream on Netflix from August 3.
Source My Celebrity Life.
