Heartstopper Season One Review
By Writers' Club member Emily, who chose to write a review of the new Netflix show, Heartstopper, and explains why she thinks everyone should hit play!
Let me set the scene: it’s a sunny afternoon, I’m sitting on the sofa with my friends, there’s a bowl of nachos on the table and many blankets on hand. I am watching Netflix’s Heartstopper as nature intended. After all, the cosy, feel-good nature of the show practically demands it. For those yet to experience the joys of Heartstopper, it’s an eight episode series centring on over-thinker extraordinaire, Charlie Spring, and the crush he develops on supposedly-straight rugby lad, Nick Nelson. Over the course of the show romance blossoms between the two, and we follow their journey to self-acceptance, culminating in the cutest beach-date ever to grace TV. So cute, in fact, you can’t stay mad that you don’t have a relationship like that. The show just spreads joy.
I’ll admit I was a little apprehensive when I heard Netflix had bought the rights for a Heartstopper series. I came across Nick and Charlie a few years ago, through the graphic novel version of Heartstopper published online by Alice Oseman, and immediately fell in love. The gorgeous illustrations coupled with such compelling characters kept me hooked. And, despite later volumes of the comic grappling with heavier themes of mental health and eating disorders, the comics never lost their uplifting tone. I worried this wouldn’t translate to screen, but with Alice writing the scripts and taking a heavy role in production, my fears were unfounded. The key aim for the Heartstopper comic, for Alice, was to provide wholesome and healthy representation for queer teenagers. I was so pleased to see this spirit maintained throughout the series, and little touches like the animated leaves from the comic overlayed in key scenes kept the show true to its roots.
The stars of the show, Nick (played by Kit Connor) and Charlie (played by Joe Locke), had me laughing and crying along with them. Joe’s portrayal of Charlie highlighted his character’s vulnerability without ever compromising his sense of humour. Kit captured Nick magnificently, providing the perfect incarnation of a golden retriever. They had an easy rapport on screen, and developed their character’s relationship so that it was impossible not to be invested. Nick’s struggle with his sexuality was portrayed so beautifully, with everything from music to lighting enhancing his journey, that I really felt his conflict. I particularly enjoyed the use of blue and red lighting to hint at his bisexuality, and the rainbow lighting used at the party when Tara and Darcy kissed, inspiring Nick to reflect on his own relationship with Charlie.
Along with the dreamy chemistry of Joe and Kit, the supporting cast were brilliant, offering one of the first genuine depictions of normal British school life I’ve seen. The characters in school are played by school age actors. Instead of solving gritty murders the friends meet up for milkshakes. Most importantly, the characters have actual homework. Truly revolutionary stuff! It’s so rare to see depictions of healthy friendships on TV, and Heartstopper provided a reassuring reminder that at age 17, you don’t need to have done everything under the sun. It’s perfectly acceptable to get goofy with your mates playing Mario Kart, no drink, drugs or drama necessary. My favourite member of the supporting cast was Darcy (played by Kizzy Edgell) for her boundless energy and “anti-homophobia cheese”. Alongside delivering some of the best laugh-out-loud displays of chaos, Kizzy also showed a softer side to their character in Episode Six, when on-screen girlfriend Tara (played by Corrina Brown) struggles with her newfound notoriety after coming out as a lesbian in school. Seeing such a tender display on screen was really moving, and it was nice to see side-characters in the original comics developed and given their own storylines in the TV adaptation. Shout out also goes to Tao (played by Will Gao), Charlie’s “token straight” best friend, whose deadpan delivery and dance skills went unmatched.
Not only was Heartstopper a beautiful show in itself, but it represents a big step in terms of on-screen representation. Featuring a cast of trans, queer and racially diverse characters -and by honouring but not reducing characters to these labels - the show highlights how important it is for teenagers to see themselves in TV characters. Watching characters celebrating their sexuality rather than feeling ashamed by it helps reassure people that whoever they are, they are enough. Kit and Joe said in an interview that they were glad Heartstopper encouraged people to celebrate their differences.The swell of support online after the show’s release proves that there is an audience for more uplifting shows like this, hopefully encouraging more programmes like Heartstopper to be released in the future.
With all this and a banger of a soundtrack to boot, what more are you waiting for? Get watching! And for those of you who have - like me - already watched the show so many times you can quote it from memory, may I point you to the magnificent behind-the-scenes content on YouTube. Between interviews, quizzes and bloopers, you really get the sense the on-screen chemistry comes from the cast being one big, disproportionately funny, family. Once you’ve made it through that, and are left with a Heartstopper shaped hole in your life, never fear! Not just a second season, but a third, has already been approved by Netflix. There is so much more wholesome content to come…
