An animated show? Full of butterflies and rainbows… Ah, FIRST LOVE!!! How does this show reflect back “the beauty and the strife of the teenage years,” reminding you that love can be as deep as any injury or trauma. Welcome to “Heartstopper,” which pays a heartfelt tribute to our younger selves, whether that’s who we used to be, or who we wanted to be, or who we still are. And, it is a TV series about teenagers.
The Journey Rolls On
As it heads into its third season on Netflix, “Heartstopper” was created by Alice Oseman, who was actually a teenager when she started this quest. This series translates her popular webcomic and series of books into live-action and has been known the world over.
Blossoming Love
Nick Nelson (Kit Connor) and Charlie Spring (Joe Locke), the British high school teens, have been the focus of “Heartstopper” up through the end of Season 2 at Truham Grammar School. They find comfort surrounded by a lively group of friends, which includes driven Tara, alongside her bubbly girlfriend Darcy, the movie buff Tao, and artist-in-the-making Elle. This season, the series takes the spotlight off the main character’s teen relationship woes and now asks them to tackle their first major life choices: love confessions, college admissions, and still manage to talk about it all in terms of their generation’s slang.
Talent To The Fore
Connor and Locke own the show. Nick’s character gets more layers with vulnerability from Kit Connor, who’s been mostly a confident jock throughout, while Joe Locke beautifully embodies Charlie’s ever-present struggle with mental health. No doubt that they’ve elevated and will continue to do so in the future, both returning stronger. In Locke’s case, he’s now joined the MCU in “Agatha All Along” and for Connor, the Broadway stage in “Romeo & Juliet.”
New Cast, Same Themes
“Heartstopper” Season 3 introduces new blood Hayley Atwell as Nick’s Aunt Diane, Eddie Marsan as Charlie’s therapist, and a guest appearance from “Bridgerton” lead Jonathan Bailey. Oseman’s commitment to her characters’ essence from the graphic novel ensures that fanciful animations brighten or darken even the most emotional scenes- whether it’s a light snowfall or leaves swirling on the ground.
Love In Many Varieties
“Heartstopper” is about love! The adolescent comedy-drama explores relationships of all kinds- romantic, friendship, and family. In search of something more as these characters’ bonds grow, they tussle with the consequences of their emotional entanglement. For instance, this season’s arc, Aunt Diane offers wise advice to young Nick, covering in one go what the series is really about: also love but how Love is sometimes about rallying when things are hard. It’s also about realizing that sometimes people need more help than any one person can offer- And that’s what love is, Sweetheart!
Rather than making you nostalgic for your youth- this perspective fills you with thankfulness over having been young. This goes to show that Heartstopper, a great story about growing with love, makes its home in us regardless of what era you live. A great series for any age viewer, watch and learn.