The Heartstopper Teens Are Growing Up

For decades, the LGBTQ+ community has fought for their rights and representation. This representation in media has been growing over the years. In the past, an LGBTQ+ character was always a side character, but today more queer people are getting their main character moment. Heartstopper is just one of many shows making this possible.

New Themes And Messages

Since the heartbreaking cancelation of Netflix’s First Kill, fans wondered if Heartstopper may face the same fate. Many LGBTQ+-focused TV series are lucky to receive their first season and even luckier to get a second. Now, Heartstopper has gotten its third.

The Netflix adaptation provides an impressive representation that many growing teenagers need to see. While the main focus is on a man-loving-man couple, this beloved graphic novel turned series has characters of many different sexualities and gender identities.

The series follows the main characters Nick and Charlie as they navigate their sexualities and budding romance. The influential storyline touches on difficult topics such as gender dysphoria, homophobia, family issues, eating disorders, and others.

“Sixteen is when nothing makes sense anymore,” Charlie’s voice echoes over scenes of the teens’ new lives. The trailer shows each character and their counterpart, or lack thereof, while Charlie continues, “Our friendship group is just all over the place.” It hints at the darker tones of the season and the emotional turmoil viewers can look forward to experiencing.

This season also heats things up as the couples become more intimate and express their love in new ways. The trailer reveals that Nick and Charlie are gearing up to say, “I love you,” a huge milestone for a young relationship. The cast is enrolled in sex ed and faces the new challenges of intimacy.

The official Netflix synopsis for season three hints at the drama that watchers can look forward to. Although the friend group grows closer, they are learning more about one another. Their futures do not always align and there will be challenges to face together. The synopsis ends by saying that “everyone must learn to lean on those they love when life doesn’t go to plan.”

The Intimacy of Season Three

The third season of Heartstopper takes a heavy turn and dives deeper into teen romance. In one MTV interview, costars Joe Locke and Kit Connor described the season as a “raunchier, darker, intimate” take on the previously soft seasons. When asked for an overview of the season the stars simply replied, “sex.”

“Sex plays a big part of it,” Locke stated with Connor agreeing. It is no secret that sex plays a large part in teen romance and growing up. However, this topic has only lightly been touched on in previous seasons.

Rhea Norwood, who plays Imogen, said that the “naughtiness” throughout the season is “mainly drunken snogging.” Any teenager or adult knows that the teenage years are about exploring your potential and pushing the limits of life. College, alcohol, and sex are all new to the characters, but they are all an unavoidable part of life. Whether a teen decides to avoid alcohol or try it is their decision, but it is commonly a decision encountered at this age. Heartstopper is not afraid to prove that point.

Providing Representation for Viewers

“We pick up pretty much right where we left off in season two,” said Tobie Donovan, actor for Isaac. Donovan discussed how he researched a lot of resources to do his character’s story justice. “There’s a lot of pressure to get it right because there’s not been anything like it before,” he stated. His character, Isaac, goes on a journey to discover what asexuality means to him.

“It’s really cool to represent that and to get to be that voice for a group of people that might not see themselves on TV otherwise,” Donovan said. He hopes that he has done a beautiful job of providing a character that viewers can relate to. “I hope that people see themselves in it,” he said. Isaac has become a well-loved character of the series since season one despite not being a character within the novels.

Cast members are excited for the darker twist on the Heartstopper that fans have grown to know and love. The characters have grown up and, with them, so have the actors, the viewers, and the show itself.

Changes Within The Cast

Although the creators have regrettably announced that Olivia Colman, who plays the role of Sarah Nelson, could not join this season, the author of the series, Alice Oseman, hopes that she will be able to return for a fourth season.

Similarly, Sebastian Croft, who plays Ben Hope, will not return to the project either. He stated that he wants to begin his career as an adult and that it would be difficult to do so if he continues acting in the role of a child. Although Ben will not appear to get his redemption arc as fans had hoped, perhaps his story will obtain closure another way.

On the other hand of casting changes, the new trailer confirms a guest appearance from Bridgerton star, Jonathan Bailey. As seen in the trailer, the main characters meet him at an event together and blush over his attractiveness.

The Future of The Series

The fifth volume of the Heartstopper novels was released in December 2023. Creator Alice Oseman has since stated that the sixth novel is in the works. This novel will be the final addition to the series. It will mark the end of the Heartstopper series. However, Nick and Charlie’s story is also included in the author’s novels such as Nick & Charlie and Solitaire.

As of now, no fourth season for Heartstopper has been confirmed. However, Oseman has stated that if a fourth season is made, it will cover the events of the upcoming sixth novel.

The third season hits Netflix on October 3, 2024. This eight-episode endeavor will keep you hooked as the new trials of growing up test the teens. With new and beloved couples to watch, you won’t want to miss this newest season.