Review: Heartstopper – Season 1

Heartstopper is a recent Netflix series that stands out from other shows with an LGBTQIA+ theme, which, in my view, is a super positive point as it differentiates Heartstopper from the other series available on Netflix.

The series was heavily inspired by the comics of Alice Oseman, who also serves as a screenwriter and executive producer in this sensitive project, directed by Euros Lyn. With exactly 8 episodes, we follow young people on their journey of self-discovery and in conflicts that many of us have already forgotten.

The plot revolves around the character Charlie, a calm, empathetic teenager dedicated to his studies, who struggles to heal the wounds from the massive bullying he received the previous year at school after his peers discovered his sexuality and he came out as gay.

Everything changes drastically in the new school year, and Charlie’s life gains new colors when he starts sitting next to Nick, a slightly older student who is relatively popular and a standout on the rugby team, but who has many doubts about his sexuality. Over time, a true friendship blossoms into something sincere and passionate.

At first glance, Heartstopper seems to focus solely on this unlikely romance with a clichéd formula—it’s what I thought in the first few minutes—but no, the series manages to explore much more than that, delicately and intelligently.

As the story progresses, Charlie navigates the obstacles of adolescence with the support of a group of friends, depicting what a support network should ideally look like. Charlie also faces moments of self-doubt throughout the drama, but he is not alone.

Charlie’s group of friends includes Tao, his heterosexual best friend, who is overprotective and jealous; Elle, a trans student who previously studied with the boys and now attends a nearby girls’ school; and Isaac, a quiet character who unfortunately doesn’t receive much attention in the storyline.

Heartstopper’s episodes are filled with diversity, featuring Tara and Darcy, a couple who are also going through an important moment as they publicly come out as lesbians and face the challenges that this entails in their school life, learning to deal with bullying and uncomfortable situations.

With a lot of lightness, they show that despite the difficulties, there is beauty in being who you truly are without fear of being happy. The series also highlights the importance of illustrating various stages of the self-acceptance journey during adolescence, not only the discovery of sexuality but also how to properly deal with the consequences.

Heartstopper overall presents real and tangible challenges of a young gay teenager’s adolescence in a sweet tone without losing the essence of a story that instills hope in many hearts—that life can be complicated when you are different but also pleasurable and rewarding in the end.

I was relatively happy to watch such a noble project as Heartstopper. It is interesting to follow the 8 episodes, which, although short, manage to explore very pertinent discussions. Despite their young age, the characters handle conflicts very maturely, especially during dialogues that are far from forced—something that happens in other series.

Moreover, throughout the episodes, you can notice graphic elements that reference the comic’s art style, such as hearts and leaves, which several times indicate the passage from one moment to another.

Here, it’s also notable how much of a difference it makes to have the presence of the original author in a production, ensuring her vision as someone who intimately knows her characters and their journeys.

While watching Heartstopper, I honestly didn’t understand the reason for these transitions and animations, but after researching more about the original work in book format, I was able to better understand why the direction chose to maintain this original characteristic.

All the additions that the screenplay brings to the screen are consistent with the original story—after researching and delving deeper into the work after watching the entire series, exploring a subject, or simply giving more space to adjacent plots that weren’t explored in the original comic.

More than just sexuality, Heartstopper’s story sheds light on issues that everyone can identify with, such as valuing feelings, self-esteem, and breaking free from stigmas. Heartstopper is a cozy, simple, and real series that shouts yes to love, embraces differences, and shows how good it feels to open up to oneself.