The second season of Heartstopper picks up soon after the first, with Charlie and Nick now firmly a couple, although their relationship is still unknown to most of Truham Grammar School for Boys. Waiting for the right opportunity to come out to his schoolmates, Nick summoned the courage to begin a slow rollout with Imogen during a sleepover at Charlie’s home; meanwhile, Tao continued to resist his feelings for Elle.
1. Kids Can be Cruel
It’s established from the start kissing at school is a bad idea, hence why Nick and Charlie spend most of their time making out at their homes. I was definitely on the edge of my seat when they started kissing in the changing room after Charlie — who rejoins the rugby team to spend more time with his boyfriend here — gives him a two-month anniversary present. Being accused of fancying someone was mortifying enough as a straight kid, so I can just imagine what it’d be like for a queer one to be spotted, and then be pointed out to all the other kids to be laughed at; this show really does a great job of demonstrating how universal LGBTQ+ teens’ experience really is.
2. Rug Pull, (Mental) Injury Ensues
Once Nick and Imogen have a moment to themselves, she admits she’s deduced he and Charlie are in a relationship, an amusing anticlimax to the episode after all his anxiety about coming out to her. However, it ends on a sour (if similarly funny) note when she confesses in turn she’s developed a crush on Charlie’s ex Ben, who continues to be the absolute worst in this chapter. It’s always awkward when a close friend develops feelings for someone you despise, but especially for Nick since he was the previous object of her affection, which could be misconstrued into him having second thoughts. But is Imogen truly too good for Ben? Let’s play the next episode to find ou-
3. Fear of a Girlfriend Who is Your Best Friend
While Elle is encouraged by Tara and Darcy to pursue Tao, Tao himself is really apprehensive about what it would mean for their long-time friendship, since it’s not something you can simply restore if a romantic relationship goes south. It’s clear he’s still not used to having Nick in his friend group, behaving passive-aggressively towards him for noticing Elle left him in the garden after their near kiss. Nick was a little forward for someone who barely knows him, but Tao’s clearly struggling, something likely stemming from how he’s so used to being a confident, unbothered nerd, without the hormonal hang-ups people his age have.
4. Let’s Not Talk About Sex Apparently
After Charlie reveals to his parents that Nick is his boyfriend, his father Julio promptly bans him from sleepovers, declaring there will be no “hanky-panky” until he’s married. It was surprising to hear the topic raised on a Children’s and Family Emmy-winning show (it’s a 12 in the UK and a TV-14 in the States), which was admittedly silly given how much making out there was in this episode, but it’s certainly interesting how, as much as he accepts his son’s sexuality, the first thing Julio’s mind leaps to when he hears he has a boyfriend was “hanky-panky.” (Yes, I’ll stop saying it now Tori.) As uncomfortable as it can be contemplate, it’s something he should’ve had the maturity to discuss properly with Charlie; instead he might cause him to make a mistake out of defiance. Speaking of…
5. Nick Must be Protected, No Matter the Cost
Presumably inspired by how Imogen’s knowledge would’ve made it easier for Nick to come out to her, Charlie tells his sister Tori he’s going to disclose their relationship to more people, in the hopes of preventing him from being outed the way he was. It’s an incredibly well-meaning idea, all queer people deserve to feel like they don’t have to come out, but will it backfire? We’ll see. What’s peculiar is this is what happened to Nick’s actor, Kit Connor, in real life after the first season, as he felt forced to come out after certain, insufferably online types accused him of “queerbaiting” for whatever reason. It’s a remarkable if unfortunate coincidence that the world of Heartstopper, on and offscreen, is displaying that whatever labels LGBT people use, or that they’re queer at all, is none of other people’s business.
Continued belowBonus Thoughts:
– An Oreo bar being a British kid’s favorite chocolate definitely made me feel old; Oreo was just something Martian Manhunter liked when I was a teen.
– Does Tori have friends? Don’t answer that: I’ll go read Alice Oseman’s novellas that “Heartstopper” is actually a spin-off of instead.
– Isaac probably had more dialogue here than the whole first season, but he still conveys so much with so little.
– This is the second season premiere to end with a Wolf Alice song in a row, and I can’t complain, I was absolutely ready to replay Blue Weekend afterwards, it was just a pleasant surprise. That said, will the creators be using one of their rowdier tracks anytime soon?
We’ll continue to look at the season in our Boomb Tube column every Monday afternoon. Until then, trans rights!
