"Heartstopper" is wise beyond its years. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the times when the Netflix teen drama “Heartstopper” depicted grown-up subjects.
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00:00Should we sit down and get to know each other? Have a little chat?
00:04Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the times when the Netflix
00:08teen drama Heartstopper depicted grown-up subjects. This list contains massive spoilers,
00:13so be warned.
00:15Sorry, I thought we banned the s-word.
00:20Number 10. Relationships don't cure mental health issues.
00:24I really love him, and I'm scared.
00:28Oh, come here.
00:30Before Season 3, Nick Nelson and Charlie Spring had a lot of social and emotional
00:34hurdles to overcome. But one thing they were sure of is that if they had each other,
00:38that was enough. When other people aren't getting in the way, their love story is almost a fairy
00:43tale. But with Charlie's ongoing mental health struggles reaching a fever pitch, Nick feels
00:47helpless. If he can't make his boyfriend feel better, what good is he?
00:51You're a 16-year-old kid.
00:54That is a lot to put on the shoulders of a 16-year-old.
00:59His Aunt Diane sets him straight. She injects a much-needed reminder that a relationship
01:03can feel like the entire world, but it can't fix everything.
01:07Love can't cure a mental illness.
01:11So I just can't do anything?
01:12No, I didn't say that.
01:14Well, how then?
01:15Well, there's lots of things that you can do. You can be there for him, just to talk.
01:22Or listen.
01:23Number 9. Isaac's Asexuality
01:26I don't know how I'm supposed to feel when I have a crush on someone.
01:34You know, I read all these books where people fall in love, and I still have absolutely no idea.
01:39Isaac's friends are all coupled up by the end of Season 2. The reason for his growing
01:43annoyance with them seems obvious to his friends. They assume he's just tired of being a third,
01:48fifth, or even a seventh wheel, and wants a partner of his own. That's where the story
01:52would go on other shows, but the real truth is somehow much simpler than that.
01:56I don't know. I don't really have any celebrity crushes.
02:00When another schoolmate starts showing a romantic interest in Isaac,
02:03he's completely uninterested. But an artist's piece about being aromantic and asexual gives
02:08him the same feelings that Nick and Charlie got when they realized they had a mutual crush.
02:13In a show that's so much about romantic love,
02:15it's refreshing and necessary to show an equally heartening alternative.
02:19Freedom. The euphoria of freeing yourself from those pressures and expectations.
02:26Number 8. Nick's family
02:28And you know, every time I do see you, I always think, this is it.
02:32This is the time when you might actually take an interest in my life, but you never do.
02:40So if you don't care, then I don't care either.
02:44In one of the first season's best scenes, Nick Nelson's mother gave a masterclass in
02:49the art of accepting an LGBTQIA plus child. The rest of his family could take a lesson.
02:54His brother David acts like an adolescent jerk when Nick comes out to him,
02:58and can't even wait to spill the beans to their dad.
03:00Yeah, I'm not sure Nick's too interested in looking for girlfriends, really.
03:04Don't you dare.
03:06David, be respectful. Please, the table. We have guests.
03:09Why do you always do this?
03:10Nick's problems are made even more complicated by Nick's already complicated feelings about
03:14his absent father. Family strife is a struggle everyone can relate to,
03:18and it's hard to navigate even when you're not navigating your identity at the same time.
03:23You okay?
03:27I actually think I am. I didn't mean for it to happen that way, but I felt good to say it.
03:35Number 7. Tori's Support
03:37You have so much love to give. You don't have to give it all to me.
03:43Well, I wanted to.
03:46I'd do it all again.
03:48Season 3 brought a lot of challenges to Charlie Spring and his family.
03:51His fiercely protective and eccentric older sister Tori has always been a support for him.
03:56She's even threatened bodily harm for him.
03:58But after, it becomes clear that she needs to take more time for herself.
04:02And how do you feel?
04:04I don't ever feel anything.
04:05That's not true. You feel so much. I'm just trapped inside.
04:13Her seeming depression and anxiety are also a problem,
04:16but she seems to bury herself in helping Charlie through his troubles.
04:20But with Season 3, Tori finally has a chance to blossom into her own character,
04:24and Charlie is fully there to support her as she always has him.
04:28It becomes a great reminder that the strong sibling needs attention and care too.
04:33I'm going to Nick's.
04:35Please don't.
04:36I just can't deal with all of that.
04:43Can't you at least spend Christmas with me?
04:46Number 6. Elle's Gender Dysphoria
04:48Some might say you fancy me.
04:51What if I do?
04:52I wonder what we'll do.
04:54Elle and Tal were friends who couldn't deny their chemistry any longer.
04:57But as strong as their chemistry is,
04:59Elle's trans identity means there are a few wrinkles in their happily ever after.
05:04As a young trans person, Elle has a lot of pressure on her.
05:07A lot of that pressure comes from external sources.
05:10However, when the two broach the topic of intimacy,
05:12Elle has to be very real with Tal about what that might mean.
05:16I never imagined finding a boyfriend and feeling so safe with him
05:19that I'd even think about, like, taking my clothes off in front of him.
05:25Her anxieties about her body and the very real effect of gender dysphoria
05:29has to be on the table if they're even thinking about
05:32taking the next step in their relationship.
05:34It's hard to talk about.
05:36I love you.
05:38I love everything about you.
05:40And whatever you want to do or not do, it's okay.
05:45I still want to be with you.
05:47Number 5. Body Image and Physical Intimacy
05:51I'm just scared that he's not ready to do anything more.
05:54And I'm scared that I'm not going to know what I'm doing.
05:56And I'm scared that he's going to take one look at me and…
05:59Charlie's self-esteem issues are largely tied to his feelings about his body.
06:03As his relationship with Nick heats up,
06:05he realizes that they're both ready to take things further.
06:08That is, at least, until Charlie's anxieties take over.
06:11Can I take this off?
06:14I… I wish you'd stop.
06:17No, no, no.
06:18His body is a sore spot for him for various reasons.
06:21Part of his journey over the third season
06:23is allowing himself to feel comfortable enough with himself
06:26to be physically intimate with Nick.
06:27These competing feelings put him through the ringer for several episodes.
06:31Fortunately, Heartstopper is the kind of show
06:33where his boyfriend supports him through it.
06:35I like you so much. I love you.
06:41I want you.
06:43Number 4. Charlie's Harassment
06:46I know you like everything to be fine and happy and perfect all the time,
06:51but you don't have to be perfect with me.
06:54Heartstopper is subtle and deliberate about when and how much to show
06:57of Charlie Spring being picked on by his classmates.
07:00The show doesn't dwell on this part of his young life,
07:03but when it does give us a look at it, it pulls no punches.
07:06In fact, it isn't until the end of season two
07:08that we really get to hear the full extent of his mistreatment.
07:11People would just call me disgusting to my face.
07:21And it went on for so long that I think I started to believe
07:24what they were saying.
07:25As Nick and Charlie grow closer,
07:26they finally ask to hear about those painful experiences.
07:30Even though so many of his issues with self-hatred
07:32stem from the bullying,
07:33getting to hear it from his point of view is powerful,
07:36and it only brings the boyfriends closer together.
07:38I've done so many things that were scary in the past few months
07:43because you were there holding my hand.
07:46And I want to be that for you, too.
07:49Number three, Ben's mistreatment of Charlie.
07:55See you later, Nia.
07:57Still don't tell anyone about this.
07:59While it may have a reputation for presenting a rosy
08:01and even overly positive portrayal of teenage life,
08:05Heartstopper begins with some pretty heavy themes.
08:08In its very first episode, Charlie Spring is in a covert quasi-relationship
08:12with a popular boyfriend,
08:13who mistreats him.
08:14So much so that when Charlie tries to break it off with him,
08:17Ben is unwilling to respect his bodily autonomy.
08:20Don't touch me.
08:21Girl, what's your problem? I'm trying to be nice.
08:23I said I don't want to meet up with you anymore.
08:25Yeah, and I don't believe you.
08:27What?
08:27You're clearly just scared of getting caught.
08:29It's only through Nick's intervention that Charlie is saved
08:32from a potentially traumatic situation.
08:34There's a toxic and deeply disturbing psychology
08:36in Ben's conversations with Charlie
08:38that is unfortunately mirrored in Charlie's behavior.
08:41that is unfortunately mirrored in many real-life abusive relationships.
08:45Sorry. You have nothing to be sorry about.
08:50Sorry.
08:54You say sorry a lot.
08:57Don't say it.
09:01Staying in the clinic for a couple of months was not my plan.
09:05But I should count myself lucky that my parents could even afford it.
09:09And that I went to one that actually managed to help me.
09:11Midway through Season 3,
09:13Charlie is admitted to a clinic after he faces a devastating relapse
09:16with respect to his mental health.
09:18Things devolve for him,
09:19his relationship with Nick and his friends become strained,
09:22and his condition grows worse.
09:24I've been so horrible to you and everyone else.
09:29I hate feeling like this.
09:31Going away to an inpatient clinic is only the beginning of his healing journey.
09:35We get to see how his time away not only affects him,
09:37but also his entire network of support.
09:40Ultimately though,
09:41it marks a turning point for Charlie in his relationships with people,
09:44and how he can trust his friends and loved ones to look out for him.
09:48Maybe I won't ever get back to normal,
09:50whatever that is.
09:51But I think that's okay though.
09:54It's not going to be a straightforward journey.
09:58It's probably just the beginning.
10:10All of them.
10:11If you're on your phone,
10:12make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
10:19I need to talk to you about something.
10:23Yeah.
10:25Yeah, I do too.
10:26Heartstopper fans were equally excited and devastated to see the anticipated third season.
10:31Readers of the graphic novels already knew what awaited Charlie Spring.
10:34But for the rest of us,
10:35his struggles with food take center stage.
10:38I've been doing some research,
10:39and I know you don't want me to try and fix you or anything.
10:44But I just care about you so much,
10:46and I can see how much worse it's been getting recently.
10:48I've just been trying.
10:49I don't think I do.
10:50The show depicts them as gently but honestly as possible,
10:54giving us the full of what Charlie's recovery looks like,
10:57and the effect it has on him and those who love him.
10:59One of the most heartbreaking scenes is when Nick,
11:02after realizing how many signs he missed,
11:04works up the courage to tell Charlie how worried he is.
11:07He knows this could potentially blindside his boyfriend,
11:10but he cares too much to let it go unnoticed.
11:12Are you angry at me?
11:16No.
11:18No.
11:22Is that what you wanted to talk about as well?
11:25Yeah.
11:26Did these moments make your heart skip a few beats?
11:28Let us know in the comments.
11:30Don't cry.
11:32If you cry, I'll cry.
11:33I'm not sure I can help it.
11:37Do you agree with our picks?
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