🍂 Heartstopper, S1 Recap: This Story Was Created to Make People Happy
Ahh… Heartstopper is so cute. I haven’t been watching it earlier because I’m a busy adult. Definitely not because I’m too old for it. But the fact that the TV series is adapted from a webcomic just makes it even more charming. I love the fun drawings that pop up on the screen every time something important is happening: the butterflies, the flying leaves, the buzzing electricity. This story was created to make people happy.
The series aired its third and latest season last October. Instead of a fourth season, it will conclude with a movie, which will start filming in June, I heard. I’m blogging the series by season — it’s my study notes — because, as usual, I'd have forgotten most of this by the time the movie rolls out.
So, let’s recap what happens in season 1.
The kids
And there’s also Tori, Charlie’s stoic, very protective, always-hydrating older sister.
At the start of his Year 10, Charlie is seated next to Year 11’s popular rugby player Nick Nelson in “Form”. Yes, I don’t get this system and placement either. Because if you ask me, school years should start on 2 January every year, and the students should sit with their peers of the same year/grade/form.
Charlie is openly gay. He was accidentally outed the previous year, which made him the target of bullying and took a toll on his mental health. What’s not public is his relationship with Year 11 Ben Hope. They meet up and kiss in secret, but unfortunately Ben is also an asshole. When he sees Charlie outside of their meetings, he pretends not to know Charlie and is rude to him.
The start of Nick and Charlie
Obviously, Charlie develops a crush on Nick. I mean, which 15-year-old doesn’t find a 16-year-old blonde boy splashed with blue ink adorable? And Charlie’s friends know about this. When Nick sees how fast Charlie is during Charlie’s track practice, Nick asks him to join the rugby team.
Charlie sees Ben kiss a girl one day, so he tells Ben that he doesn’t want to see Ben anymore. One day after practice, Ben asks to see Charlie and kisses him despite Charlie saying no. Nick, who sees this, yanks Ben away.
Charlie and Nick start getting closer and messaging each other on… Instagram? This is one of the things in the series that I don’t understand — oh, there are quite a few. Do kids nowadays really use Instagram as the main app to text? And OMG don't even get me started with showing text previews on locked screen.
They also start to hang out together at each other’s houses, sometimes with Nick's dog Nellie, and Nick is beginning to wonder if he likes Charlie beyond just a friend and if he’s gay.
Elsewhere
Elle, who has just moved to Higgs, starts making friends with Tara and Darcy, who are dating each other.
When Charlie bails on the movie night with his friends to go to Harry’s birthday party with Nick — and Isaac is not coming either because he’s sick — Tao is bummed that their friendships seem to be changing. Elle consoles him, saying that changes can be good.
The start of Nick and Charlie, with butterflies, flying leaves and buzzing electricity
At Harry’s party, Nick is urged by his friends to talk to Tara, whom he kissed a few years ago — to Charlie’s disappointment. Tara, however, tells Nick about her and Darcy. Another friend of Nick’s, Imogen, tells Nick that she likes him, but Nick doesn’t reciprocate.
Nick and Charlie end up in a quiet room alone, and they start exploring the important questions. One of them is, would Nick kiss Charlie? And the answer is yes. While no one seems to be sad about it, it’s still confusing and surprising to the both of them. When his friends come looking for him, Nick flees the room. When he returns, Charlie has left the party, crying.
The next morning, Charlie wakes up to no messages from Nick. But Nick’s already at Charlie’s front door, under the rain.
In the midst of Charlie’s apologizing to Nick, Nick kisses him. Nick says he wanted the kiss the night before; he was just confused. Nick asks for their relationship to be kept secret for now.
Secret
Charlie’s injured during the game, and Nick visits him at the sick bay. Isaac walks in on them, both looking suspiciously nervous.
After the game, Imogen asks Nick out in front of everybody. Feeling pressured, Nick says yes.
Charlie invites Nick to his 15th birthday celebration with his friends at the bowling alley, which happens to be on the same day as Nick’s date with Imogen. Nick is about to cancel his date with Imogen when she tells him that her dog has just died.
At the bowling alley, Nick makes an effort to get to know Charlie’s friends, but Tao is not so receptive towards him. Later, Nick overhears Tao telling Charlie about his planned date with Imogen. He tells Charlie he didn’t mean to say yes to Imogen. He cancels his date with Imogen and tells her the next day that he’s not into her.
Going half secret
Elle admits it to Tara and Darcy that she might have a crush on Tao.
Then Nick tells Tara and Darcy about him and Charlie.
The four of them agree to go on a double date before the school’s concert. They ask Elle and Tao along to set them up — to Elle’s annoyance.
But she gets over it quickly when Charlie and Nick tell her about them. Although Tao may have caught Charlie and Nick having a moment during the group date, he’s the only friend left not knowing.
Bullies
Nick invites Charlie to go watch a movie with his friends, expecting Harry and Ben won’t be there, but turns out they are there too.
Harry says some homophobic comments towards Charlie after the movie, making Charlie upset and leave.
In the parking lot, Ben finds Charlie alone and insults him. He also says he saw Charlie and Nick holding hands in the theatre earlier.
Nick returns to his friends and punches Harry. They get into a fight, leaving both with bruises on their faces.
The next morning, Harry throws more insults at Charlie and Tao, and Tao tells him off: “You clearly didn’t get hugged much as a child, but if you’re craving human contact that badly, you could just say so,” which is a pretty good line, I'd say. Harry harasses Tao again at lunch and they get into a fight, before Nick gets involved.
Elle tells Tao about Charlie and Nick. Tao confronts Charlie about it, hurt that he’s being left out.
Meanwhile, Charlie’s thinking about ending his relationship with Nick as he feels like he’s making Nick’s life difficult.
Boyfriends
Tao’s ignoring Charlie. But he and Isaac tell Charlie that they can’t take part in javelin together at the sports day this year since Charlie’s in the rugby team. Charlie tells his coach he’s quitting rugby.
Nick sits with Tao at lunch and says Charlie’s avoiding him too.
“Don’t let anyone make you disappear,” Mr Ajayi tells Charlie when Charlie goes to his safe place — the art room — again during lunch.
On sports day, Tao is assigned to track, which he hates. Charlie volunteers to swap, and the two make up.
In the middle of the rugby match, Nick suddenly leaves the field, grabs Charlie’s hand, and they sneak off to a hallway — which is so strange. Why is that not making the entire school suspicious? Nick tells Charlie that he doesn’t want to break up, and they kiss.
On Sunday, they take a train to the beach and have a date. Nick tells Charlie he wants to come out, and they call each other boyfriends.
Later that evening, Nick comes out as bisexual to his mother.
This show is sweet, but it’s not making sense, because how is everyone a queer?
Image: Netflix
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