The second season of Netflix’s drama series ‘Heartstopper,’ based on the webcomic series by Alice Oseman brings storytelling of joyful, teen romance, typically only seen in media surrounding heterosexual characters, to the screen.
Viewers continue watching the story between British teens, Nick and Charlie, unfold as they navigate queer dating, friendships and more. Season one of the show touched on these themes, specifically coming out.
While the overall appeal of ‘Hearstopper’ is showcasing that happiness in relationships can happen for people in the LGBTQ+ community, there are other aspects that bring in hard realities; like battling homophobia, unsupportive family members and stereotypes.
Something ‘Heartstopper’ does well as a show is give the viewers a taste of romantic bliss for queer people. Nick and Charlie are able to express how much they like each other, hold hands, ask for consent to kiss one another and reach milestones mostly seen in teen movies about straight people.
The webcomic series as well as the show focus on themes outside of the romance as well. Different aspects of the romantic spectrum are covered with side characters in the show. We see two lesbian characters in a long-term relationship, a trans character embarking on her journey at the all-girl school, and hints at the emergence of an asexual character.
The best part about how this show represents identities is that it is not the characters’ only personality trait. Often media featuring queer characters are not given depth beyond their sexuality, gender or identity. Heartstopper quells this by offering storylines that are not exclusively about coming out and experiencing homophobia.
The audience can watch Oseman’s characters and not have to relate to them to enjoy their presence. But, it helps that there are plenty of relatable moments for the queer community of viewers.
Another perk of experiencing this show is watching each scene perfectly paired with a beautiful song. The ‘Heartstopper’ show soundtrack hits the mark by capturing that warm feeling the show’s content brings.
Critics of the show online mention words like ‘cringe’ when describing the content. All-in-all, with the two main characters navigating their first relationship at sixteen, there are bound to be awkward moments. It’s nothing to turn your nose up at.
The only question that arises when watching ‘Heartstopper’ is “Why are they in such a hurry?” These characters are always sprinting everywhere. But, that doesn’t take away from the joy these eight 30-minute episodes provide.
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