Top 10 Episodes of HEARTSTOPPER

Coming-of-age series simply don’t get better than Heartstopper. Based on the graphic novels by Alice Oseman, it follows the relationship between Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) and Nick Nelson (Kit Connor), as well as the lives of their friend group. With the new movie Heartstopper: Forever currently in post-production, it’s time to look back on the very best episodes before it all ends.

10. S1E1: “Meet”

source: Netflix

Let’s start with the very first episode. Charlie, a sophomore at Truham Grammar School for Boys, gets seated next to Nick, a junior. Not to mention he’s the star rugby player. An intense friendship forms. Nick also starts to question whether his feelings are merely platonic, and Charlie chooses to join the rugby team to get closer to him. This is despite the warnings of his best friend Tao Xu (William Gao), who immediately worries about Charlie being bullied like when he was originally outed.

Here, Alice Oseman expertly sets several arcs in motion at once. In addition to what I’ve mentioned, there’s Charlie’s ongoing contention with his abusive ex-boyfriend Ben (Sebastian Croft) as well as Tao’s friends-to-couple relationship with Elle Argent (Yasmin Finney), a trans student who’s transferred to Higgs Grammar School for Girls. I also can’t omit Elle’s budding friendship with classmates Tara Jones (Corinna Brown) and Darcy Olsson (Kizzy Edgell). Lots to juggle, but Oseman balances everything just right, so you get a firm grasp of the characters’ personalities and dynamics.

9. S1E3: “Kiss”

source: Netflix

Here, Charlie and Nick’s dynamic definitively crosses over into romance. Upon finding themselves alone at a classmate’s birthday party, the two tentatively divulge their feelings and share a kiss. It’s an especially big moment for Nick, who’s barely starting to accept his interest in guys. What makes this episode work so well is how every story thread therein successfully coalesces. Nick’s growing bond with Charlie coincides with Tara finally going public with her own relationship. This inspires Nick along his path towards coming out and hammers home an effective message about staying true to yourself.

8. S2E7: “Sorry”

source: Netflix

Now this one’s an emotional roller-coaster. Even with Charlie and Nick being out to their friends, major events still occur. Nick comes out to his mostly-absentee father (Thibault de Montalembert) over a family dinner and discloses his relationship with Charlie. Tao and Elle officially become a couple. The gang comes together to decorate the school in time for prom. Elle gets accepted into the Lambert School of Art, but becomes hesitant to notify Tao. Charlie finally says his piece to Ben, and his possible eating disorder is brought further into the limelight. Most dramatically, Darcy gets kicked out of her mother’s house for “looking like a lesbian.”

Quite the wallop, right? Luckily, the sincerity of the performances keeps things out of melodrama territory. The editing of the episode also balances each plot line perfectly.

7. S1E8: “Boyfriend”

source: Netflix

Season one’s finale is a euphoric masterpiece. Nick finally abandons all previous shame toward his bisexuality and spends an eventful day at the beach with Charlie. The two decide to become boyfriends, and Nick also comes out to his mother (Olivia Colman) — the show’s best scene, as far as I’m concerned — and is warmly accepted. Elle and Tao share a nostalgic, lovely moment alone in the art room at Truham during Sports Day. What’s not to enjoy?

6. S2E5: “Heat”

source: Netflix

In this sensational midpoint from season two, Charlie and Nick dodge rumors about whoever gave Charlie a hickey the night before. Elle and Tao, after a disastrous first date, reconnect and finally have their first kiss(es). Darcy and Tara start to experience a rough patch after the latter got… not the reaction she’d hoped for when confessing her love.

Why is this on the list? Because Charlie and Nick finally end up going public with their relationship, and it’s one of the highlights of the season. William Gao and Yasmin Finney‘s on-screen chemistry is absolutely adorable. Darcy and Tara’s problems feel real and relatable. You get just the right amount of sweet and sour for one episode.

5. S3E6: “Body”

source: Netflix

After a stint at a mental institution, Charlie has a sleepover with Nick and their friends to celebrate his 16th birthday. His self-esteem and mental health seem stronger than ever. However, not everything is peachy-keen again. Elle has a radio interview about her art that takes a shocking turn. Charlie still has some resistance to becoming more intimate with Nick, feeling insecure about his body (an issue which stems from his larger issue with control). It’s a perfect mix of warm and cold that knows how to get you in the feels, and it introduces just enough conflict to keep you intrigued.

4. S2E8: “Perfect”

source: Netflix

What a great season finale. While Darcy wanders somewhat aimlessly after getting kicked out of her mother’s house, the rest of the gang gathers for prom. Elle and Tao cut it up on the dance floor, and Elle admits that she plans to attend Lambert. After Tara finally gets wind of Darcy’s whereabouts, everyone comes together at Nick’s house for their own little celebration. Additionally, Charlie reluctantly opens up to Nick about being bullied after he came out, and the self-harm he engaged in as a result.

What makes this season finale so moving is that it doesn’t sugarcoat the hard stuff. Darcy is compelled to reveal her deepest insecurities and vulnerabilities to Tara — a beautifully touching moment that brings the two girlfriends even closer. This also leads to a series-best sequence, a montage wherein they enjoy a prom to remember with the rest of the gang, set to the tune of Taylor Swift‘s “Seven.” When Charlie divulges his darkest secrets to Nick, it works precisely because there’s no needle drop or musical score to guide our emotions. The scene just relies on its performances, straightforward cinematography, and editing to let the weight of what’s happening sink in. Of course, being a season finale, it just has to end on a cliffhanger: Charlie drafting an “I love you” text to Nick on his way home, hesitating, and then we cut to black. This is how you do a season finale: Bring everything to a head, then make the audience want more.

3. S3E4: “Journey”

source: Netflix

Talk about a tearjerker. Split into two parts, we begin by receiving Nick’s perspective of events, coping while Charlie’s in the hospital. With some soulful narration, spectacular staging, and immaculately incorporated music choices — there’s “Black Friday” by Tom Odell, as well as “BLUE” by Billie Eilish — it’s an honest and compelling look into how feels to be helpless in the face of your significant other’s struggles.

On the flip side, Charlie’s perspective as the one in the thick of treatment is even more weepy yet inspiring. From my own experience, I admire its refusal to cop out on engaging with that deeper psycho-emotional strife. At the same time, that unflinching darkness eventually gives way to an optimism that feels grounded in reality.

This episode also contains the series’ most memorable sequence: a home movie recorded and cut by Tao and the group to support Charlie. It’s an intimate, unforgettable portrait of how a community can come together in the face of utmost adversity.

2. S3E7: “Together”

source: Netflix

The penultimate episode of season three was also one of the series’ most emotional and dramatic. In this eventful chapter, Darcy officially comes out as nonbinary (while also not having told Tara about their poor grades), Nick faces the looming prospect of college, and Charlie’s encouraged to apply for the position of Head Boy at school. Tao comforts Elle after her interview via another home movie. Charlie and Nick also struggle to find a moment of privacy together. The future is near, and it compels everyone to decide who they are and where they want to go in life.

What this episode captures so well is that feeling of being on the cusp of adulthood and just finally starting to piece together your own identity. Director Andy Newbery also really lets you sit with the weight of what lies ahead for the gang. In the end, Charlie and Nick have a memorable heart-to-heart that leads to their first intimate moment, set brilliantly to the tune of Del Water Gap’s “Ode to a Conversation Stuck in Your Throat.”

1. S3E8: “Apart”

source: Netflix

Alice Oseman really saved the best episode for last. Within the conclusion of season three, we see Nick and the girls tour various universities, with Nick seemingly landing on a school in Leeds as his top choice. Considering that it’s hours away from Truham, Nick must choose between moving or staying near Charlie. Meanwhile, Charlie submits his Head Boy application, and drums for his friend Sahar’s (Leila Khan) band at a fete.

This is the best episode because it efficiently raises the stakes for our two leads. Charlie knows exactly who he is and he wants. Nick, though? Not so much. It shows our hero, Charlie, finally coming into his own. It also forces all of the characters — and the audience — to contemplate these fleeting things called adolescence and friendship. Will everyone remain close as their lives head in different directions? Or will their time together merely be a series of fond memories?

Conclusion

As a show, Heartstopper captures so many things so beautifully. The good and the bad of being a queer youth, the vitality of finding your tribe. Most of all, it represents a huge step forward in onscreen representation for young LGBTQ+ folks. Instead of being a dreary affair, it realistically depicts the positive side of being queer. It’s going to be a positively bittersweet occasion when the movie brings our favorite characters’ stories to an end.