Oh to be a teen and to be in love – such angst! While there are plenty of moments that made my face hurt with how much I was smiling in this second season of Heartstopper, there was plenty of drama to go along.
Nick and Charlie are together, together. But it’s still a secret outside of their very close family and friends. It’s even more of secret for Nick still as he’s only come out to his mom. I do also think Nick is struggling a little bit to fully wrap his head around his feelings, because while he loves Charlie, it’s clear he’s uncomfortable with the idea of being gay. He says again and again throughout the series to anyone who asks that he’s bi, which, he very well may be, but I suspect that might not end up being the case in the long run.
Charlie, too, though thrilled to be with Nick, is still dealing with PTSD from when he was outed, relentlessly bullied, and then taken advantage of by Ben. Rest assured fans, Charlie gets the last word in with Ben and it is so satisfying. What I did find really interesting, and probably far more relatable for others than I realize, is how Charlie copes with his PTSD. He’s got an eating disorder, and while Nick tries his best to help Charlie with it, I think his next big hurdle will be seeking professional help for it.
Luckily this season, our robust cast of supporting characters get their fair share of screen time! Tao and Elle clearly like each other but are both kind of too chicken to really do anything concrete about it for the longest time! Elle, bless her, flirts pretty obviously but Tao just freaks out and bails. Understandably, he doesn’t want any attempt at romance to ruin their friendship. This relationship is tested further when it’s clear that Tao doesn’t want Elle to go away to art school next year. Lots of frustrations there, but fear not, there are still great outcomes all over this show, and this relationship is one of them!
Tara and Darcy are as strong as ever at first, though as the season goes on it’s clear that Darcy isn’t giving all of herself to Tara. Tara manages to impress me, as she is mainly just concerned for Darcy. That’s pretty mature for a teenager! That storyline still has plenty of juice to it for another season, as does Isaac’s story. The dedicated bookworm thinks he’s found love, just like in the stories he loves to read, but finds that he’s not really attracted to one of his classmates. This leads him to start looking into asexuality. I called that! And I am really interested to see how that storyline progresses in another season.
Lots and lots of good, bad, ugly, and beautiful things happen over the course of these quick eight episodes, but I love the sheer diversity they are able to capture in this series without feeling like anyone is being slighted. I will say my favorite bits come during a trip the class takes to Paris (take me back!), and a blossoming relationship between two teachers. A grin was plastered to my face during all of their scenes. Watch and enjoy!