At The Better Normal, we are Heartstopper fans. Charlie and Nick captured our hearts from the first season, and this third season couldn’t have been better. Eating disorders, mental health, self-harm, depression, therapy, relationships, and more. The new season of Alice Oseman’s series, which premiered two weeks ago on Netflix, touches on all these topics.
A Queer Series
Heartstopper is, above all, a queer series. Why? Because, from the very first season, it gives visibility to the LGBT+ community in a leading role. Many productions fall short by giving people from the community a secondary place on screen. They’re always the protagonist’s friend, the protagonist’s cousin, the neighbor, the classmate.
Charlie and Nick, Nick and Charlie—these are the two main characters of Heartstopper. Played by Joe Locke and Kit Connor, this teenage duo will make their love leap off the screen, leaving you just as smitten as they are. Their relationship, a romance between two boys, beautifully captures the magic of first love.
Oseman’s series is tender, sensitive, and genuine. It embodies all the things that come with young love: color, butterflies, sparks, and lots of friends. Charlie and Nick’s friend group includes:
- Tao and Elle: They’re also in a queer relationship, as Elle is a trans woman. This season explores the challenges they face, from navigating their sexuality to dealing with societal transphobia.
- Tara and Darcy: This couple shows Darcy coming out as non-binary in the second season.
- Imogen and Sahar: Their relationship blurs the lines between friendship and romance at times.
- Isaac: He identifies as both asexual and aromantic.
Mental Health: A Central Theme in Heartstopper
While mental health has been a topic since Heartstopper‘s first season, it takes center stage in this latest one. Charlie struggles with an eating disorder and OCD, which not only impacts his own mental health but also affects the people around him. And, as his situation worsens, Charlie begins to self-harm.
In Heartstopper, not everything is rosy. We can see the challenges that teenagers go through and how tough things can get for them at times. Through Charlie’s eyes, we experience how the world can often feel senseless. And how hard it can be for us to seek help.
The series sheds light on how a mental health issue can affect:
- The relationship with our family: Charlie finds it very difficult to talk to his parents. He feels that the only one who understands him is your sister Tori, and he can’t find a place to talk about his mental health. Fights, arguments, and shouting are becoming more frequent at the Spring family home. Eventually, Charlie writes down what’s happening to him on a piece of paper and manages to share it with his family.
- The relationship with our partners: Nick and Charlie’s relationship also suffers. Even after Charlie shares his struggles, his battle is so intense that he and Nick find themselves at odds, fighting and distancing themselves at times. Both understand that it’s a long process that involves a lot of work, therapy, and patience.
- The relationship with our friends: From the moment Charlie begins to struggle, he isolates himself from his friends. Some notice, others don’t. He stops meeting up, answering messages, and interacting with them. His social circle is completely affected by his mental health issues. However, the situation begins to improve when he finally talks to them and realizes that they are an essential part of his life.
Why Heartstopper is a Teenage Series
Yes, Heartstopper is a queer series, and yes, it addresses mental health issues. But, more than anything, it is a teenage series. Based on Alice Oseman’s graphic novels, Heartstopper is thoughtful and sensitive. It avoids both trivializing and oversexualizing queer relationships, instead portraying a story of two teenagers who could be any of us.
Teens are often infantilized, dismissed, and not listened to. It seems like they go through a phase in life that makes adults uncomfortable. And in that discomfort, many young people fail to find a safe space.
That’s why series that highlight the struggles of teenagers are so crucial. It’s important not to trivialize the voices of teenagers because they are significant. They have a lot to say, and what they have to say matters. As adults, we must take responsibility for providing them with the space to express their emotions.
Since the series is based on Alice Oseman’s graphic novels, it incorporates many comic-style elements that draw us into a love story. Young love often resembles this, with heart drawings, love letters, and paper airplanes. The talented Oseman successfully found a way to merge cinematography with comic art, and she did so very effectively.
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Why Every Parent Should Watch Heartstopper
Sometimes it’s hard to put into words what we feel. Without the right resources to communicate effectively, the message can get lost. That’s where art comes in. Often, art helps us express our emotions. Whether through music, painting, writing, or film, it can make it easier to share what’s going on inside us.
That’s why, as parents, we need to arm ourselves with resources to be there for our children. Whether through courses, research, movies, or series, we must stay open to learning. The world moves fast and in unimaginable ways, which is why we cannot afford to fall behind.
Yes, parenting often isn’t easy. No matter how many books we’ve read or how many series we’ve watched, adolescence can seem incomprehensible. However, it’s crucial to understand that the most important thing is to provide a space for listening.
Purposeful Cinema: Beyond Heartstopper
To conclude, we share other productions that discuss parenthood, mental health, and shed light on social relationships. To continue the conversation and commit to making a real change, we encourage you to keep searching for more tools to make this a more humane and empathetic world for everyone.
Here are three productions we love and highly recommend:
- This is Us (Disney+): It’s the story of the Pearson family. A real, captivating story deeply connected to mental health.
- Ginny & Georgia (Netflix): The relationship between a mother and her daughter. It sheds light on self-harm, anxiety, and depression.
- Lady Bird (Netflix): A must-watch coming-of-age film. It tells the story of a teenager, her way of seeing life, and how she relates to others.