Caption: Netflix. Heartstopper season 3 poster. Poster with the main characters, Nick and Charlie. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/heartstopper/s03, 2024)
Content Warning: This television show and review discusses topics of mental health, self-harm, homophobia, bullying, coarse language and mature themes.
On October 3rd, 2024, Netflix released the third season of ‘Heartstopper’. ‘Heartstopper’ is a television show adapted from Alice Oseman’s comic series of the same name. It’s about the blossoming love story between Charlie Spring, an openly gay year 10 boy, and year 11 rugby lad Nick Nelson. Despite the focus being Nick and Charlie, the show beautifully handles representation of most members of the LGBTQ+ community. The first and second seasons of the show are wholesome, sweet and hopeful. However, as the show progresses, it starts to delve into more serious topics about mental health.
Recap of Seasons 1 and 2
In Seasons 1 and 2, ‘Heartstopper’ introduced a diverse circle of friends and budding relationships that spanned the entire LGBTQ+ rainbow. At the centre of the story is Nick and Charlie’s budding romance, which blossoms from a friendship after meeting in Form (the UK’s equivalent of homeroom), into a beautiful romance over time. Around them is their wonderful circle of friends: Elle, Tao, Tara, Darcy and Issac, who have their own stories to tell alongside Nick and Charlie. In Season 1, we saw romances beginning to sprout. By Season 2, those relationships grew further in Season 3 as the show delved into more mature and sensitive topics. The show’s portrayal of gay, lesbian, transgender, and aroace (aromantic and asexual) relationships helps LGBTQ+ viewers feel seen. Many wish it had existed during their own high school years, when art rarely mirrored their lives this way.
Season 3 Summary
Season 3 picked up a few weeks after the events of Season 2, and it appeared that love was very much in the air for most of the main characters. As much as season 3 still had sweet and bubbly moments, such as declarations of love and general cuteness between the couples, it balanced it with more serious and mature topics. These topics include mental health and self-harm. Not only does it explore relationships more maturely, but it also allows viewers to see the growth of characters separate from their relationship. Whilst Nick has his struggles, it also focuses on Charlie’s love for Nick. This season shows viewers that improving oneself is very important and that love cannot cure mental illnesses as much as we want it to. As well as putting a focus on mental health and the characters’ stories separate from their relationships, it touched on aroace representation and the struggles of transgender individuals. Season 3 felt more grounded and not all ‘rainbows and unicorns’, particularly regarding love as an individual in the LGBTQ+ community.
This season did a great job focusing more on the characters’ mental health and mirroring the comics almost perfectly. Oseman, (creator of the Heartstopper comics), brought these characters to life, told their stories well, and allowed many individuals to be seen.
Conclusion
As Heartstopper continues to evolve as a show and with the characters, it brings something truly special to the screen. It is a beautiful LGBTQ+ love story that balances joy and realism, reminding audiences that love, friendship, mental health and self-discovery are aspects of life we everyone experience. By faithfully adapting the show to her comics, Oseman created a show that relates deeply with audiences of all ages in the LGBTQ+ community, especially for twenty-something individuals who wish that it was a thing back in their high school years. It offers hope, representation and validation to people who may have never seen their experiences expressed on screen so genuinely, with a lot of thought and care behind the scenes. With each season, Heartstopper not only touched the hearts of many queer individuals but set a standard for inclusive storytelling.
If you relate to the experiences of mental health issues and self-harm as portrayed in Heartstopper, please consider reaching out to Western Sydney University’s wellbeing services, listed below. Don’t hesitate to connect with these resources for support.
Western Success:
Email: westernsuccess@westernsydney.edu.au
Phone: (02) 9174 6930
SMS or WhatsApp: +61 482 095 505
Counselling services: 1300 668 370 (Press 5) between 9am-4:30pm
Wellbeing services: 1300 668 370
