Although Imogen Heaney’s first stories in Heartbreaker Centered around her romantic involvement with boys, a Season 3 interaction with Sahar left Imogen’s sexuality less clear. Based on the beloved webcomic series by Alice Oseman, Heartbreaker is a beloved British Netflix coming-of-age series centered on the romance between schoolmates Charlie and Nick. Supporting them in Heartbreaker cast is a collection of LGBTQ+ teenage characters.
Imogen stands out for being one of the only “straight” characters among the main teenagers. Much of the first season revolves around her crush on Nick, although she is understanding when he breaks the news that he is not attracted to her. The beginning of Heartbreaker season two sees Imogen dating Ben, which everyone knows is a bad idea after his toxic behavior towards Charlie. Imogen eventually breaks up with him, leaving their story up in the air – until an interaction with Sahar changes everything, especially her romantic trajectory. Heartbreakerself-described “ally.”
Imogen and Sahar share a kiss in Heartstopper season 3
They eventually agree to remain friends
In Heartbreaker season 3, episode 4, “Journey”, the teenagers are having a Halloween party, where Imogen and Sahar are seen kissing passionately. This is a huge surprise considering Imogen has never given any indication that she is attracted to girls. But when others at the party point out the kiss, Imogen acts like it’s nothing. Sahar is understandably upset and storms out.
Later, in the toilet where she vomits the huge amount of wine she consumed at the party, Imogen defends her actions to Nick. “Everyone kisses everyone when they’re drunk… I can try it. It was like when I got a boyfriend and she got mad at me for no reason“, she says. Drunk or not, Imogen is being completely indifferent to Sahar’s feelings. Sahar is bisexual, so a kiss with another girl for her is more than just intoxicating fun at a party. What’s more important is that Imogen once again fails to understand that the fact that Sahar is angry with her boyfriend suggests deeper feelings for her.
But behind Imogen’s offensive behavior are sympathetic reasons. She clearly feels the need to present herself at the party in such a direct way, as symbolized by dressing like Barbie, the quintessential symbol of the heterosexual woman. She may have made light of the kiss, but as seen later in the season, These are feelings that Imogen has been struggling with for some time, and at the time, liquid courage was the only way to act on them..
Unsurprisingly, things get awkward between Imogen and Sahar after the kiss. But two episodes later, Imogen takes the brave step and talks to Sahar about their fight. Imogen maturely takes responsibility for her actions and Sahar forgives her. As the girls recognize, it was through their relationship that they both learned a lot about who they are. – for Sahar, it’s that she’s bisexual, and for Imogen, it’s that sexually, she’s not sure who she is right now. They also recognize that they are attracted to each other, but agree that it is best for them to be friends.
Imogen’s sexuality wasn’t fully defined in Heartstopper
She confesses to Nick that she has never liked a boy
It would have been easy for Imogen to apologize to Sahar while ignoring her internal questions about her sexuality. But even though she feels a little lost, Imogen knows that bottling up her feelings isn’t the answer. Node Heartbreaker At the end of Season 3, she and Nick are sharing a room on a trip, and Imogen asks Nick if that’s weird. His response that “boys and girls can just be friends” encourages her to confess her old crush on him.
Imogen confesses that the passion was less about truly liking Nick and more about the pressure to like boys and find a boyfriend. Although she did not derive any romantic or sexual satisfaction from pursuing Nick or having a relationship with Ben, Imogen says it was the boys’ attention that made her “feel important.” This leads her to break down and cry to Nick that she doesn’t know who she is.
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Imogen’s relationship timeline Heartbreaker |
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|---|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Person |
Romantic Relationship |
Result |
|
1 |
Nick Nelson |
One-sided crush |
Nick tells Imogen he doesn’t share her feelings. They remain friends. |
|
2 |
Ben Esperança |
Boyfriend-girlfriend |
Imogen breaks up with Ben. |
|
3 |
Sahar Zahid |
Kiss at a party |
They remain friends. |
This is such an important scene because, while it’s wonderful that society has become more open and accepting of people’s diverse sexualities, not everyone fully knows their identity. Imogen felt what she considered real comfort in living in a heteronormative societywhere introducing herself directly meant she was “doing life right.”
Even though it came at the cost of denying herself who she really is, it was easier and less scary than admitting that she hadn’t completely figured it out yet. And even if she doesn’t, that’s okay. Labels, like sexual orientation, are intended to help, not harm. As long as Imogen is Imogen, that’s all that matters. Nick recognizes this when he puts his arm around Imogen and tells her, “You are my friend.”
What’s Next for Imogen in Heartstopper Season 4
She will likely continue to explore her sexual identity
How the Heartbreaker The season 3 finale showed, the teens are thinking about college and their overall future in post-secondary education. It’s a big step toward freedom and adulthood, and As Imogen contemplates the path she will take after graduation, it will likely lead to further contemplation about her sexuality. Her confession scene to Nick was a big, brave step, and the next Heartbreaker season 4 will likely show Imogen continuing to explore who she is, with friends like Nick and Sahar firmly by her side.