Why you shouldn’t miss Heartstopper Season 2

The Heartstopper phenomenon is back on Netflix! We plunge back into a soft and inclusive universe, which does not prevent the queer teen series from tackling sensitive topics with great accuracy.

Faithful adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name by its talented author, Alice Oseman, Heartbeat had melted our little hearts in 2022.

We have discovered a gallery of LGBTQI + characters, one more captivating than the other. Among them, shy Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) had a crush on Nick Nelson (Kit Connor), a popular player on the high school rugby team. And while the former has come out of a toxic relationship, the latter has experienced a bisexual awakening. With its benevolent tone, pastel aesthetics and creative staging (little hearts, autumn leaves or flashes that come to animate the screen to underline the emotions of the characters), the first season of Heartbeat won over critics, early fans of Alice Oseman’s work, and new audiences.

posted on August 3rd last, season two continues the romance between Nick and Charlie, now a couple, and takes the time to dig deeper into its supporting characters, such as Tao (William Gao) and Elle Argent (Yasmin Finney), two best friends who develop romantic feelings; but also the lesbian couple formed by Darcy (Kizzy Edgell) and Tara (Corinna Brown), the first with difficulty expressing her emotions; or Isaac Anderson (Tobie Donovan), bookworm and fan favorite.

Bi coming out, transidentity and asexuality

This second season delves with the same delicacy and fluidity as the first on LGBTQI+ issues rarely addressed on screens, such as male bisexuality. Nick wants to come out to everyone around him and have his romance with Charlie in broad daylight. The series reminds us that LGBTQI+ people don’t come out but several times and that it can be very stressful and last a long time. It deals with the biphobia Nick faces. He is told to “choose a side”, to assume that he is gay… The teenager spends his time correcting his relatives words, which prompts the response “I’m bisexual, actually.” (“I’m actually bisexual”), which becomes his personal mantra. This emerging narrative thread echoes that of Kit Connor in real life. The actor performed his under pressure in late 2022, as has been charged queerbaiting by some toxic fans.

This delightful second season also explores the bloom of Elle. A trans and racialized teenager, she has a love life (her romance with Tao), social life (she develops new friendships, including one with Naomi, a trans teenager), and artistic aspirations. This positive trans representation is hailed by the people concerned. There’s also the calm Isaac, who questions his lack of desire after meeting a boy he likes, and begins to inquire about asexuality.

THE safe space friendship

This season 2 of Heartbeat consolidates friendships between Charlie, Nick, Elle, Tao, Darcy, Tara and Isaac. The gang shares unforgettable moments during a school trip in a postcard Paris: visit to the Sacré Coeur, kisses in the Louvre, selfies on the Eiffel Tower or in the Montmartre Museum… These teenagers are so cute and amazed by their first escape from home that these episodes work.

The friendly group also share more difficult moments. Having noticed that Charlie is eating very little, Nick discusses his concerns with Tao. The latter encourages her to have a heart-to-heart talk with her boyfriend. Charlie eventually explains to Nick that she has an eating disorder and low self-esteem. If many teen series mentioned school bullying, rare are those who explore the psychological consequences on the victim. The fictitious story of Charlie being harassed for being gay resonates in France with the very real story of the 13-year-old young Lucas, who ended his life after experiencing homophobic harassment at his college.

For her part, Tara (who deserves a little more development) tries to understand Darcy’s distant demeanor. She can count on Nick’s support, before realizing that her girlfriend lives with a lesbian mother. It is she who best sums up the concept of safe space what a close-knit group of friends is, especially for LGBTQI+ people. The teenager painted a portrait of her appearing with her friends in a café and titled it “Safe Space”. Air of nothing, these seven characters are in the process of forming their chosen family and we have only one desire, to protect them at all costs. The series itself is a safe space giantwhere everyone can express what they feel, without fear of being judged.

Heartbeat it is not a series for great cynics. Soft, envelopingcarried by a sunny soundtrack composed by Adiescar Chase and a rather chaste pop playlist based on Taylor Swift and Baby Queen (the cute intimate scenes remain the opposite of a Euphoria), reflects the emotional state of his young characters. This second season is a bubble of strange joy in a world that needs it!