Heartstopper Season 3

Amina Ahmed

Oct. 3 was an anticipated date for many this year, and not because of Mean Girls Day, but because of the third season of Netflix’s “Heartstopper.”

We start out at the beach with our beloved Paris trip group and see the beginning repercussions of Charlie’s eating disorder. Simultaneously, Nick and the others are gearing up for university, an anticipatory yet stressful era. Many of our background characters gain complexity this season: Isaac and Imogen discuss their sexuality, Tori explores her feelings of loneliness, and the list goes on. This season, adapted from the comic of the same name by Alice Oseman, certainly didn’t disappoint the die-hard fandom—at least according to Instagram and Twitter. Fan edits with the most fitting songs and stills from the eight episode series already plague the internet; this is to say that this season of “Heartstopper” touched its audience in a spectacular way. 

Narratively, the season tackles difficult themes and messages: eating disorders and body image, mental health management in intimate relationships, different variations of what love and life look like, and infinitely many more. The beauty and uniqueness of Oseman’s work derives from the pure innocence, naivety, and love of the characters within heartstopper—they are simply young teenagers who value their friendships and love one another. And it is specifically this aspect that shines through in this season, despite its darkness and weight. We see young and loving people tackle complex issues of adulthood in a manner that speaks to the respect and kindness they hold for one another—an aspect I believe is a rare sight in reality.