Heartstopper creator explains why queer characters won’t have a ‘typical romance’ in season 2
Joe Locke as Charlie Spring (L) and Kit Connor as Nick Nelson (R) in Heartstopper. (Netflix)
Heartstopper creator Alice Oseman has hinted that “complex, emotional” romances lie ahead for the show’s main couples.
Based on Oseman’s best-selling graphic novels, Heartstopper won viewers’ hearts in its first season with the sweet romance between openly gay student Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) and popular rugby-playing Nick Nelson (Kit Connor). But they weren’t the only queer teens to find love.
The show also introduced lesbian couple Tara (Corinna Browne) and Darcy (Kizzy Edgell) as well as trans student Elle (Yasmin Finney) and her shy friend Tao (William Gao), who fans are hoping will officially unite in the new season.
Navigating first love won’t be easy for the young couples, however, as Oseman revealed in an interview with Radio Times. Ahead of the release of season two, the author explained why it was important for the characters to encounter challenges in their relationships.
“I don’t want Heartstopper to be the same every season,” she said. “I want each season to feel like an evolution, to tackle new ideas and themes, and for us to see the characters changing and growing, while also preserving the hopeful heart of Heartstopper.”
Oseman has previously hinted that the second season will be “darker” and “more mature” as Charlie and Nick encounter opposition to their relationship. The new episodes will see the young couple face a series of challenges as Nick deals with a homophobic brother, an absent father and uncomfortable behaviour from school friends, while Charlie struggles with his body image and mental health.
Elsewhere, Tara and Darcy will face their own obstacles, while Tao and Elle avoid the truth about their feelings for each other.
The events of the second season will follow an expanded version of the plot from volumes three and four of the original books, and Oseman went on to detail the various barriers the characters will have to overcome as they explore their identities.
“In season two, the characters are all maturing in their romances, their identities and their outlooks on life and the future,” she continued. “They all feel a little older and wiser, and with that comes a whole host of new experiences and emotions.
“While season one followed a typical romance story structure, season two takes a deeper look into teen relationships and sees the characters begin to explore more complex emotional truths about themselves and each other.
“I hope viewers will be pleasantly surprised by some of the paths that these relationships take as the characters get to know each other and themselves on a much deeper level.”
Although things will be taking a more serious turn in season two, Connor recently told The Guardian that the show will also continue to give a platform to queer joy.
“Queer media is pretty dark and depressing and involves a lot of trauma, whereas we wanted to push the other message: that being queer can be beautiful,” he said. “There will be adversity, sure. There are highs and lows. But the highs can be really high, so it’s worth fighting for.”
Alongside the troubles facing the established characters, season two will introduce a range of new faces, including Nick’s brother David, teacher Mr Farouk and fellow students James McEwan and Sahar Zahid.
Heartstopper season two drops on Netflix on 3 August.
