LGBTQ+ representation in the media is slowly getting better, with storylines centring around non-heterosexual relationships and the stigmas that come with it becoming progressively more prevalent in mainstream TV shows and films, as well as the LGBT ‘genre’ of film and TV becoming more widely accepted. Netflix’s newest addition to this growing genre, Heartstopper, has taken the internet by storm, and considering its links with my hometown I simply couldn’t pass it up. So, does Heartstopper truly capture the feeling of being a teenager in love?
Nick Nelson (Kit Connor) is a popular year eleven who many adore due to his good looks and rugby prowess, and Charlie (Joe Locke) is a shy year ten who recently came out as gay. When the two meet sparks fly and so begins a fast and powerful romantic relationship between the two. But with Nick coming to terms with his newfound sexuality and Charlie scared that he’ll be once again denied a public relationship, the two must overcome their own insecurities and fears if they ever want to make this relationship work.
Nick Nelson (Kit Connor) is a popular year eleven who many adore due to his good looks and rugby prowess, and Charlie (Joe Locke) is a shy year ten who recently came out as gay. When the two meet sparks fly and so begins a fast and powerful romantic relationship between the two. But with Nick coming to terms with his newfound sexuality and Charlie scared that he’ll be once again denied a public relationship, the two must overcome their own insecurities and fears if they ever want to make this relationship work.
Heartstopper only lasts for eight half-an-hour episodes, but in that time you’ll go through all the whirlwind emotions of young love alongside our leading men. The performances are what sells Heartstopper as the entire cast are exceptionally good. From the relative unknowns such as William Gao (who plays Charlie’s best friend Tao), and TikTok personality Yasmin Finney (who plays another member of their friendship group, Elle) all the way up to Oscar winners like Olivia Coleman (who plays Nick’s mum). These great performers combined with the excellent pacing make Heartstopper a great binge watch.
That being said there were definitely things I would have liked to have seen more of from Heartstopper, or at least done differently. Tao is an incredibly annoying character and will probably win the most toxic friend of the year award. He spends the entire series complaining about the fact that Charlie’s dating Nick without really having any reason to. He dislikes the guy on principle, even when Nick goes out of his way to show that he’s not a bad person. Tao then makes his problems everyone else’s, and when things don’t go his way because of his own actions he expects everybody else to apologise for it. Whilst I thought William Gao did a great job in the role, I hated the character.
I would have also loved to have seen more about Elle. In the first episode we’re informed that she has recently transitioned from male to female, but then we get no other information about her. She’s quite a blank slate of a character, and whilst again I feel that Yasmin Finney did a great job with the script she was given, I felt like her character needed some of the spotlight because she became progressively more important as the show went on. I hope that Heartstopper gets a second series to focus on her, because I feel that her character has so much more to give.
Heartstopper is a great show, and it does manage to perfectly capture that feeling of awkward teenage romance. It deals with the subjects of homophobia, coming out, and discovering one’s sexuality in a way that feels extremely mature without ever being unsuitable for younger teens who are entering that period of their lives. Whilst Nick and Charlie’s story is certainly over, Heartsopper’s large cast of characters have much more to give and I hope to see the show return for more in the future. I also hope to see more shows like it, it’s the kind of thing I would have loved to have had around when I was growing up.
That being said there were definitely things I would have liked to have seen more of from Heartstopper, or at least done differently. Tao is an incredibly annoying character and will probably win the most toxic friend of the year award. He spends the entire series complaining about the fact that Charlie’s dating Nick without really having any reason to. He dislikes the guy on principle, even when Nick goes out of his way to show that he’s not a bad person. Tao then makes his problems everyone else’s, and when things don’t go his way because of his own actions he expects everybody else to apologise for it. Whilst I thought William Gao did a great job in the role, I hated the character.
I would have also loved to have seen more about Elle. In the first episode we’re informed that she has recently transitioned from male to female, but then we get no other information about her. She’s quite a blank slate of a character, and whilst again I feel that Yasmin Finney did a great job with the script she was given, I felt like her character needed some of the spotlight because she became progressively more important as the show went on. I hope that Heartstopper gets a second series to focus on her, because I feel that her character has so much more to give.
Heartstopper is a great show, and it does manage to perfectly capture that feeling of awkward teenage romance. It deals with the subjects of homophobia, coming out, and discovering one’s sexuality in a way that feels extremely mature without ever being unsuitable for younger teens who are entering that period of their lives. Whilst Nick and Charlie’s story is certainly over, Heartsopper’s large cast of characters have much more to give and I hope to see the show return for more in the future. I also hope to see more shows like it, it’s the kind of thing I would have loved to have had around when I was growing up.