Heartstopper Season 3 is a thoughtful evolution of the show as its characters face new challenges. in his heart, Heartstopper is a joyful expression of young queer love and friendship, anchored by the romance between Charlie (Joe Locke) and Nick (Keith Connor). The first two seasons were dominated by a candy-colored palette, smartly incorporated Heartstoppers comic roots with bursts of animation at key moments.
However, the end of Heartstopper Season 2 came to a crossroads – its characters were growing up, and the show was toying with some heavier material than it had explored before. The finale hinted at a darker, more mature tone ahead, which it fully embraces in season 3. While the joy the show is known for is certainly on display in parts of the new season, it’s a disappointingly heavier run of episodes like Heartstopper has tried in the past.
Heartstopper Season 3 tackles some tough topics
Charlie’s Story is hard to watch but well handled
This is especially the case in the first half of the season, which is largely devoted to Charlie’s deteriorating mental health and eating disorder. Although there are many tough-to-watch moments as a result, the show handles the development with a level of care that is impressive even by Heartstoppers standards. Although Charlie’s perspective is given the screen time it deserves, I came away from season 3 even more impressed by the way the show explores the toll it takes on Nick, Tori (Jenny Walser), and the other people who care about Charlie.
The season explores a lot of twisted stuff about the burden of being a caregiver, the potential danger in letting a relationship—even a wonderful one—consume you, and the way a new love changes dynamics with friends and family. Those are pretty ambitious concepts for any show to tackle, and Season 3 Not only do not be ashamed of them but more like them justice. It comes to a head in episode 4, a season standout that covers several months of Charlie’s health struggles and Nick’s response to them.
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As part of its more mature tone, the season explores sex in a way it hasn’t before, which feels like a natural turning point considering most of the characters are now in relationships and getting older. I was curious to see the show’s take on this and not surprised that its approach was quite gentle and sweet, exploring it realistically but not in a way that takes the show in a too-graphic direction.
Heartstopper Season 3 uses its ensemble
Charlie’s friends come together and the performances are impressive
While Charlie is understandably a focal point of the new episodes, the Netflix show spent a lot of time establishing his group of friends in the first two seasons, and it really pays off this time around. The characters are so rich and their dynamic is so well-established to the point that the show can pick any two friends, put them together and have it feel completely natural. For example, Nick has some wonderful scenes with people who it would be easy to label as “Charlie’s friends”, but it’s clear that they are just as intent on supporting Nick as they are Charlie.
With the heavier material, it is a real pleasure to watch HeartstopperThe younger actors become even more confident in their performances. In season 3, where Charlie bottles up a lot as Nick worries about him, Keith Connor’s tendency to play Nick quite openly juxtaposed with Joe Locke’s more restrained approach is particularly effective.
Hayley Atwell is perfectly cast as Nick’s aunt, bringing a warm but no-nonsense energy suited to what he needs at the time.
While the absence of Olivia Colman is sometimes conspicuous – scheduling conflicts prevented her from returning as Nick’s mom – Hayley Atwell is perfectly cast as Nick’s aunt, bringing a warm but no-nonsense energy suitable for what he needs at the time. Ted Lasso Fans will enjoy seeing Annette Badland (aka Mae) pop up as Darcy’s gran, and Jonathan Bailey’s appearance is brief but memorable, leading to one of the season’s funniest moments.
Heartstopper Season 3’s darker turn is earned but may leave some viewers wanting more
The joyous moments that defined the first two seasons aren’t as prominent this time around
If season 3’s slightly darker and more mature tone is negative, it’s that the fun, romantic moments aren’t quite as plentiful as in the first two seasons. There are still happy scenes to be found, but I wish they had a little more time to breathe. While the show used to revel in swoony, romantic moments, letting us soak them in and feel the joy of the characters, there isn’t quite as much time to celebrate before we’re hit with another sad moment in season 3.
I also wanted a little more for one of the show’s new pairings: Tori and Michael. While Tori is given a lot more to do this season to great effect, much of it involves Charlie, which means there isn’t quite as much time for her and Michael. These two are a delight and help provide a lot of the season’s lighter moments, and a little more time with them would have benefited both the characters and the season’s tone.
Heartstopper Season 3 ends in a hopeful place, albeit without much resolution for several storylines. This feels appropriate for this particular season. As the episodes make clear, the characters grow up and face new challenges; Their lives are much worse than they used to be. The end of the season had me hoping for a season 4 renewal sooner rather than later, and after seeing the new episodes, I expect many will feel the same.
All eight episodes of Heartstopper Season 3 will be available to stream on Netflix on October 3.
- The season’s darker material is earned as the characters age
- Charlie’s mental health struggles are handled incredibly well
- The performances are excellent
- Season 3 lacks some of the joy of the earlier seasons
- The show could have spent more time on Tori and Michael