One of the most important themes that keeps coming up in Heartstopper is the concept of abolishing the coming-out timetable. As humans, we’re extremely disposed to comparing ourselves to other people, and throughout our childhoods we develop a set of expectations based on those comparisons. The same goes for coming out: There’s often a high degree of pressure to rush to the finish line, but it’s usually wisest to take it at your own pace. Think about what you want, first and foremost, and what feels right to you.
Still, that’s a lot easier said than done. We’re all victims of internal self-criticism, and when you notice yourself standing out in a crowd, it’s hard to always embrace that as a positive. Just look at how Isaac reacts to other people passionately making out during Tara’s birthday party. He seems to have little interest in any of it — but he tries anyway, once he’s sitting out in the hallway with James because kissing someone you like is supposed to feel life-changing. Their conversation, during which Isaac timidly asks if James has a crush on him, is so tender and sweet. But after they kiss, it’s clear that Isaac isn’t feeling what he thinks he should be feeling.
Heartstopper’s wide-ranging interest in queer stories is one of its biggest strengths, and this early exploration of Isaac’s asexuality is a great example. But I was even more touched by the surprising romance between Mr. Nathan Ajayi and Mr. Youssef Farouk, who feel some sparks out by the vending machine one evening. After catching Charlie and Nick roaming the halls of the hotel after dark, Youssef remarks, “When you don’t figure out you’re gay until your late 20s, you tend to miss out on those beautiful gay teenage experiences. Probably a bit late for me to have any youthful moments of discovery.â€
But Nathan is right when he replies that there isn’t an age limit on those. We all arrive at the big milestones of our lives at different points, and that’s how it should be. Sure, there will always be bullies who target late bloomers, whether it comes to riding a bike or having sex. But everyone exists on their own timeline. Most people — the people worth hanging around, anyway — won’t judge you for taking the time you need. Life is, in many ways, about discovering and becoming the most you version of yourself, and that sometimes takes many years of hard work and introspection.
Most of “Truth / Dare†takes place on the last day of the Paris trip, and everyone is looking inward. The sense of impending change — a brutal return to reality upon arriving home, perhaps — is heightened by the fact that today also happens to be Tara’s birthday. That creates the perfect circumstances for a climactic party sequence to cap off a really rewarding three-episode story arc.
On the morning after their confrontation at the Louvre, Darcy apologizes to Tara for being in her bad-girlfriend era, announcing her plans to make it up to her. But Tara doesn’t need gifts and some extravagant gesture; she just wants to hear Darcy be truthful about how she feels. Unfortunately, it takes Darcy getting drunk and sloppy to finally open up, and there’s still a lot unsaid. It’s a relief to hear her finally admit she loves Tara, of course, and Tara kissing her puke mouth is very cute-icky. But it’s clear that Darcy still has stuff to work through, and this story isn’t entirely over. (I’d similarly be surprised if Charlie’s disordered eating just disappears forever after the last episode.)
The party also arrives at a critical moment in Charlie and Nick’s relationship, which is inextricably linked to Nick’s progress in coming out. When his dad cut their café reunion short, he robbed his son of a real opportunity to share something about himself. Nick may not know when the right time is to tell the world, but he’s getting itchier, more anxious to tell everyone who he really is. “He doesn’t know me,†Nick says, and maybe in some way nobody can really know him until they know this key piece of him.
This realization also corresponds to Nick realizing just how much of a toll this process has taken on his boyfriend. Nick understands that in order to do this without regrets, the timeline needs to revolve around his comfort level, but he also cares so deeply about Charlie and can’t stand hurting him. It recalls his season-one arc when his feelings for Charlie helped push him along whenever he second-guessed himself. Love makes you take risks.
What brings us to perhaps the most significant moment of the season is that classic party game: Truth or Dare (a.k.a. “who do you like?†or “I dare you to kiss this personâ€). There are funny moments (Tao crawling over to kiss Charlie) and deeply uncomfortable moments (Charlie almost getting dared to kiss James, then Ben), but the one that really clinches the outcome is someone asking Charlie who gave him the hickey. How can he disrespect the code of Truth or Dare at that point?
Nick takes the decision out of his hands, speaking up and telling everyone that the two of them are dating. James asks if he wants them to keep it secret — and you do get the sense that everyone here would at least try, though it would inevitably leak out before long. But Nick says he doesn’t mind. It’s huge: Nick is coming out to a larger group of his classmates for the first time, and he no longer has any reservations about letting the general populace know.
Back in their room after the party, Charlie and Nick share the same bed for the night, taking advantage of Isaac and Tao’s temporary residence in the girls’ room. When Charlie kisses Nick’s neck to return the favor from the other night, Nick stops him, preemptively mentioning that he’s not ready to do anything more than kissing. Charlie wasn’t planning on going further anyway, but the two agree that they’d like to get there “eventually.â€
Both boys spend much of this conversation vaguely mortified, especially Charlie, who groans his signature question into the pillow: “Why are we like this?†But really, there’s nothing too embarrassing about discussing boundaries, however obliquely. It’s Charlie and Nick’s willingness to talk that has gotten them this far — after all, Tara envies them for it. Based on the ending of the episode, with Instagram comments beginning to trickle in to ask about Charlie and Nick’s relationship, the avalanche of public opinion is about to begin. But as long as they have each other to regroup after each big step, anything seems possible.
“Truth / Dare†represents Heartstopper at its best, delivering comedy, romance, and much-needed hope during a fraught time for queer teens in this country. (Not that any time hasn’t been fraught.) Some viewers might see corniness in the aspirational quality of Charlie and Nick, but I’m just as moved by characters like Mr. Ajayi and Mr. Farouk, who prove that there’s no such thing as too late. We’re all in the business of getting to know ourselves, and that doesn’t stop when you graduate from high school. That’s still just the beginning.
Love Notes
• Elle and Tao spend the majority of this episode just completely obsessed with each other, and it’s adorable to see. It’s like they just discovered kissing for the first time.
• Another supremely satisfying moment: Harry attempts to apologize to Charlie at the door to Tara’s party, claiming he’ll stop making homophobic comments about him for good, but Charlie still refuses to let him into the party and slams the door in his face. It is nice to see Harry make some amends in a way true to him, though, with his slightly smug attitude.
• Another sign of Isaac’s asexuality: He has no answer to give someone asks for his celebrity crush.
• Mr. Ajayi and Mr. Farouk spend the night together, and I’m happy for those crazy kids. Also, shout out to Farouk for looking the other way on Darcy’s “food poisoning.â€