‘Heartstopper’ May Be Corny, But It’s a Queer Rom-Com Triumph

A joyful coming-of-age TV series featuring a handful of love stories, dramatic gossip, and mundane school dilemmas shouldn’t seem all that radical. Derry Girls did it. Sex Education did it. Never Have I Ever did it. Something about Netflix’s Heartstopper, though, feels revolutionary—even though it’s as quirky, as conventional, and as lovable as the other high-school series in the coming-of-age genre.

Heartstopper is a series about queer teens living their lives that is, above all else, cheerful. The first season, which premiered just over a year ago on Netflix, focused primarily on the love story that blooms between Charlie (Joe Locke) and Nick (Kit Connor). The sophomore season, which debuts on Netflix Thursday, expands its scope to include more storylines about the couple’s friend group, while staying true to Season 1’s youthful spirit of first crushes, heartbreak, and the complicated transition into adulthood. Albeit corny as hell, Heartstopper is the show our younger generation needs.

While there have been plenty of teen series and movies that feature a prominent “coming out” storyline, Heartstopper goes more in-depth on the subject—while including a handful of out LGBTQ+ characters as well. Nick and Charlie have worked out all the kinks that come with a new relationship, but the former isn’t sure he’s ready or comfortable to come out as bisexual to his entire high school. Nick’s journey is a bold and original take on a queer coming-out arc that some may argue has become cliché.

Nick’s mother (Olivia Colman in yet another lovely role) has embraced his sexuality, but his masculine brother teases him for being feminine. Acceptance is not a worry—it’s being seen differently in the hallways at school, losing friends, and being treated with less respect on the rugby team that causes Nick anxiety. Charlie, who has been out for over a year, can’t provide too much advice on the subject, although the two share healthy dialogue about the dilemma.

Charlie and Nick’s turbulent (though always healthy and loving!) relationship is the center of Heartstopper Season 2; however, the slow-burn romance between longtime friends Tao (William Gao) and Elle (Yasmin Finney) is a constant scene-stealer. As Elle grows tired of the will-they-won’t-they—which, to her, is starting to feel less “friends to lovers” and more “he’s just not that into you”—Tao can’t figure out how to express his feelings. He likes her so much, he says, that it feels like he’s being “electrocuted” every time he’s near her. Put that in the history books of YA rom-com quotes!

From time to time, the romance between Nick and Charlie can become overly saccharine. We get it—these high schoolers have a tender, open relationship with one another. (And how lovely that teens viewers will get to see that connection blossom into a beautiful, communicative sunflower in Season 2.) But the tension between Elle and Tao—whose arc feels comparatively more blushingly youthful—serves as a nice break from Nick and Charlie, whose storyline would grow tiring without a bit of respite.

Even more pleasant is the fact that Elle is a trans character who can exist as a trans person with a love storyline completely unrelated to her being trans. In Heartstopper, there are LGBTQ+ people who have plots related to their queer identities, but also LGBTQ+ people who simply exist as queer folks. The teen series has found a brilliant balance of both recognizing the struggles and joy that are unique to queer people, while also allowing LGBTQ+ folks to be, you know, teens. They have drama, dreams, hobbies, and crushes—not every storyline needs to be about their queerness.

A high point of the season comes when the group takes a school trip to Paris. Euro vacations are inherently fun and exciting, but to see these kids banter over who will be rooming with whom, racing up the Eiffel Tower, and sneaking out after dark is a jubilant treat. Plus, the sun-soaked streets of Paris are a perfect fit for Heartstopper, which has always had a fun flair of artistry. The Paris trip serves as a nice break from the school setting, which, after over a dozen episodes across two seasons, has begun to feel like a holding cell for our characters.

Along with the abundance of LGBTQ+ storylines, what sets Heartstopper apart from other teen shows is its distinctive style. In an attempt to recreate the feeling of reading Alice Oseman’s original webtoon of the same name, small graphic designs appear on the screen whenever the characters have intense feelings. Each shot is made to feel like a comic book strip—which, unfortunately, leads to about 18 “two hands inch closer together, almost holding one another, but barely touching” shots per episode. C’est la vie! The formula, albeit a bit hokey, works at creating a distinct Heartstopper tone.

Heartstopper Season 2 is perhaps not as, dare we say it, heart stopping as the original episodes. But a cutesy teen show doesn’t need to work overtime to blow fans out of the water. Softly rebellious, a bit too sticky-sweet, and packed full of rom-com narratives, Heartstopper’s sophomore season is doing fan service to the hordes of devotees who stan Charlie and Nick. Above all else, it’s wonderful that these admirers—especially the young audience—have a show in which they can feel represented.

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