There is arguably no other young adult queer romance with as much heart, spunk and success as Alice Oseman’s Netflix original, Heartstopper . Even when the clouds of gloom cloak your world in blues, here’s a series that manages to warm your heart with its neon butterfly doodles, pastel postcard aesthetics, Adiescar Chase’s tunes, sensitively written interpersonal dynamics, and the all-embracing love from its terrific lead characters. Since its premiere in 2022, Heartstopper has been the go-to queer drama for keeping things light and breezy.
However, like a meta-commentary on how transient that breeziness can be, Oseman returns with a third season that hits you with the inevitable reality of it all: the gang is growing up. And what truly astounds is how measured the writer keeps this transition, without corrupting the syntax of its storytelling. Each season moves towards a celebratory event (Sports Day or Prom or the GCSE results or Christmas) while the main characters pivot through a deeply personal journey themselves.
A still from ‘Heartstopper’| Photo Credit:Samuel Dore/Netflix After feeling the highs and lows of their Parisian Summer of Love in the second season , we begin with our chirpy gang hitting the beach in an adorable opening episode that instantly reminds you of everything you liked about this show. We find Charlie (Joe Locke) desperate to tell Nick (Kit Connor) that he loves him, while the latter is still figuring out how to bring up his fears of Charli.