HeartStopper, based on the graphic novel and web comic by Alice Oseman, tells the story of openly gay bookish Charlie (Joe Locke), closeted rugby-playing jock Nick (Kit Connor), and their circle of friends as they traverse the ups and downs of high school life.
For queer people who had the opportunity to date in adolescence, the show does a brilliant job of reminding us of the complexities of navigating young LBGTQIA+ relationships.
Below are 10 ways in which HeartStopper accurately portrays what it's like to be young, queer, and in love. (Spoilers abound below) Young people have a tendency to take life at face value: Up is up, down is down, and straight people are 100% straight just because they say so.
When Charlie first meets Nick, the latter is presented as your typical heterosexual star athlete. "He's straight, Charlie. You only need to glance at him to know he's a massive heterosexual," remarks Charlie's friend Tao (William Gao) of Nick.