Credit: The Register Forum
On the 22nd April 2022, the world was introduced to Heartstopper. To say the world was unprepared for it would be the understatement of the decade. If the world was the Titanic, Heartstopper was the iceberg. Bringing to life Alice Oseman’s incredible graphic novel series, the show embodied all the heartbreak and joy that exudes from every page of Oseman’s books.
14 awards and 23 nominations later, the second season had high expectations. And it smashed all of them. Season 2 takes everything that made the previous season amazing, and raised it to the next level. Chemistry, soundtrack, writing, directing. All of it working in perfect harmony to make the show one for the history books. And at the centre of it all, the relationship between Nick Nelson and Charlie Spring, played excellently by Kit Connor and Joe Locke respectively.
There are few actors who were born to play certain roles- Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark and Henry Cavill as Clark Kent, come to mind. Kit Connor and Joe Locke have now joined those ranks, as I cannot imagine anyone else being Nick and Charlie. In season 2, the audience watches as Nick and Charlie find their footing in their new relationship whilst Nick struggles with coming out and Charlie deals with the trauma that unfortunately comes with being out. The show doesn’t hold back from depicting the homophobia LGBTQ+ teens face at school and the internal struggles it causes. It’s what makes this show so relatable to both young and old LGBTQ+ people.
But whilst Nick and Charlie are the heart of the show, there’s a new romance blossoming between Tao and Elle, played by Will Gao and Yasmin Finney. And an old romance encounters an unexpected hurdle…
One underrated highlight of the show that must be commended is the soundtrack. Not just the score by Adiescar Chase, but all the songs used throughout the show. I saw a YouTube comment that said, “Whoever chose the music for Heartstopper deserves an award.” And I have to agree. This season has music from Taylor Swift, Wolf Alice and Baby Queen (who made a cheeky cameo in the last episode!) But the best song of the series has to go to ‘ur so pretty’ by Wasia Project, a duo consisting of Heartstopper’s very own Will Gao and his sister Olivia. The song provides a fitting backdrop to the cliffhanger ending of the series and ensures that the audience will be full on bawling by the time the credits roll (if you haven’t been crying since the first episode that is!).
So many reviews of Heartstopper, what can I say that hasn’t been said already? Only that, if every awards ceremony had a ‘Best ensemble in a TV show’ award, then Heartstopper would win them all. Read the books, watch the show and just like Isaac says, “Believe in romance.” What else is better to believe in?
By Kareena Thummanah