'Heartstopper' Season 2 is the gorgeous and imperfect gay adolescent drama we've been waiting for.

 

 

Some shows are worth opening your heart to, and “Heartstopper” is one of them.

Last year, Netflix's youthful LGBTQ+ drama debuted as a spring of happiness and romance, making it an instant huge hit with a devoted fan following. It's the type of series that's simple to fall in love with, with sweetness spilling out of every moment without becoming too much. It reflects a world in which LGBTQ children's tales are equally important as those of their straight and cisgender peers. And if you didn't feel the love between its vivacious young protagonists, there are plenty of stars and sparkles on screen to help you.

Season 2 of "Heartstopper" (airing Thursday, 12 out of four) captures that sense of queer delight, but with a little more insight and deliberation. There are calmer periods of thought among the joyful emoting of British youths Charlie (Joe Locke) and Nick (Kit Connor) and their pals, in contrast to Season 1, as the kids work through issues in their own lives and the larger world. Life isn't always easy for adolescents, especially gay youth, and the new season recognises that. The secret to its popularity, though, is that it stays imaginative and aspirational. 

It doesn't hurt that the series is so well-crafted, adapted by Alice Oseman from her own graphic books. The young performers are outstanding, the scripts are lively, and a trip to Paris provides the new season momentum and a stunning new setting. The first season was about discovering love, as Charlie and Nick met and fell in love when Nick discovered he was bisexual. Season 2 is about love that lasts, and not only for our key pair. Tara (Corinna Brown), Darcy (Kizzy Edgell), Elle (Yasmin Finney), and Tao (Will Gao) are among their pals who are discovering that a relationship is more than simply a spark of attraction between two individuals.

Nick and Charlie must discover out how to be a couple and relate to the rest of the world after breaking out of their love bubble and back into real life. Much of the new season centres on Nick's tortuous and harrowing route to coming out. At one point, he becomes unwell because he is too afraid to tell his "rugby mates" that he is bisexual, and Charlie has to take him to his mother (Olivia Colman, a great presence in any play). When certain individuals in his life find out, it's not always a happy occasion. The delicacy with which Oseman recounts Nick's tale, and how Nick's path is both supported and difficult for Charlie, is extraordinary. Coming-out narratives on TV have a history of tactless and cheesy storytelling, but “Heartstopper” doesn’t fall into any trope traps.

Meanwhile, their buddies have their own romantic quirks. Tara and Darcy, who appear to be the ideal pair, are emotionally estranged. Tao and Elle are unable to find a way to bridge the gap between friendship and something more. The show's most amusing moments frequently come from the Tao and Elle narrative, in which two awkward youngsters attempt rom-com displays of devotion and mature sentiments. It's the type of young love tale that makes you both happy and sad that you're no longer 16. 

We live in a difficult and dangerous time for the LGBTQ community, since law restricts the rights of this population in the United States and the United Kingdom, where "Heartstopper" is situated. When the sitcom about two teen boys who fall madly in love began in 2022, it seemed like a salve in the midst of some trouble. It seems like the most important representation in 2023.

Life may be difficult for Nick and Charlie. However, "Heartstopper" reminds us that LGBTQ+ life may be joyful as well.