When Heartstopper S1 came out in the spring of 2022, I didn’t rush to it even if I was interested in the show. I was busy traveling and studying, and most of my free time was spent it reading more than anything. When I eventually got to the series I was afraid that it would not be for me as I’m well past the stage of discovering my LGBTQ wings. The series ended up warming my heart, it’s more wholesome than the shows that were available when I was coming up. I had Queer as Folk and to some extent Shameless, but both of these and even Love, Victor are more adult leaning. I don’t regret those but a Heartstopper might have been nice growing up since it’s more romance-focused.

Last season: At an all-boys grammar school, Charlie, a high-strung, openly gay overthinker, and Nick, a cheerful, soft-hearted rugby player, one day are made to sit together in class. Their friendship quickly becomes something more for openly gay Charlie, but he initially does not believe he has a chance with Nick, but love works in surprising ways, with Nick more interested in Charlie than either of them realized.

Premise: Charlie and Nick are now dating, Nick has discovered his bisexuality but that doesn’t mean that societal expectations and self-acceptance are easy things to deal with. With exams on the horizon, a school trip to Paris, and a prom to plan, the gang has a lot to juggle as they journey through the next stages of life, love, and friendship.

Review: Where the first season primarily focuses on the building of the relationship between Charlie and Nick, in particular as Nick comes to terms with his feelings for Charlie and thus his sexuality. This season deals more with the ups and downs of young romance. This is true for Nick and Charlie, Tara and Darcy, besties Tao and Elle, and even Isaac.

The series grows without losing its identity, it goes deeper into the themes of self-discovery, love, self-worth, friendship, and acceptance as Nick navigates coming out as Bi with Charlie desperate to spare him his own dreadful experience of being outed. It’s not all smooth sailing for Nick but the series does make a point to reaffirm that Nick’s sexuality is his own to share, gently reminding the general public to chill with their unhealthy curiosity when it comes to other people’s personal business.
The rest of the gang have their own interesting issues to navigate, quiet Isaac discovers more about himself as Elle and Tao – who’s kind of going through it this season – try to explore the romantic feelings they’ve developed for each other, while seemingly stable lesbian couple Tara and Darcy face some communication problems. The show continues to explore raw teenage experiences while remaining wholesome and romantic.

However, it still manages to broach darker subjects with a gentle hand. The first season dealt with, among other things, assault as one of its darker themes, they still touch on it this season but also expand on the issues traumatic events can bring on. Eating disorders are one such issue that is approached and it’s done with compassion and care. I don’t doubt that it’ll be explored further next season given that Netflix renew the show for two seasons last year.

For a coming-of-age series, I like that they’ve pushed the representation to have positive queer adult examples in the show. It’s such a small detail but it matters. Speaking of details there is so much to love about this show, Nellie’s growling, Tori’s presence in the show, and I also loved the fact that Tao’s mum speaks her language to him at home, and having traditional Asian food around was a nice touch.

Heartstopper season 2 streams on Netflix

https://videopress.com/v/dxst5VCO?resizeToParent=1&cover=1&autoPlay=0&controls=0&loop=0&muted=0&persistVolume=1&playsinline=0&preloadContent=metadata&sbc&sbpc&sblc&useAverageColor=1

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