The two central characters Nick and Charlie spending time together on Christmas | Netflix.

*Warning: This article contains spoilers and covers sensitive topics. Reader discretion is advised.

Heatstopper season three was released on Netflix on Thursday, October 3, 2024. It is based on Alice Oseman’s graphic novel Heartstopper, which has been turned into both a book series and TV series. The show follows two characters, Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) and Nick Nelson (Kit Conner)  as they meet and fall in love.

Season three takes a more mature tone compared to the previous seasons. This season delves deeper into serious topics some including eating disorders, body dysmorphia, along with exploring a lot around the LGBTQIA+ community—though this was also seen in the past seasons. 

Not only did they discuss these topics, but they did so in a beautiful way. After watching I was impressed with the choices made to talk about these less upbeat and more sensitive topics. As I’ve found, other shows or movies can often get it wrong.

The show dives straight into the plot, immediately showing Charlie wanting to take the next step in his relationship. Along with hinting at Charlie’s eating disorder and his struggle with food. 

The cheesy teen romance shines through and makes me smile uncontrollably. The pastels used through the first few episodes show the more lighthearted and hopefully sensory. As the issues grow, the colors change to cooler tone, along with darling lighting to show this shift.

The way that this season goes about discussing Charlie’s eating disorder left me more content than I expected. When dealing with this serious topic, I find that the way people go about it can often be harmful. In this season, we are able to see Nick’s perspective and the struggles he went through while Charlie went away to a hospital to receive inpatient care. They show the difficulties of not being able to know if Charlie is okay and feeling lost. 

After seeing Nick’s perspective, they show Charlie’s – the show illustrates him recovering and getting the help that he needs. I appreciated that they showed the other side of recovery as it shined light on the brighter side of things. While also being able to show the struggles and hardships that also came with the difficulties of his mental health.

This season also shows great representation with transgender people navigating relationships. Elle Argent is a trans woman, and is in a relationship, and she shows her vulnerability and struggles with dysphoria. This representation is very important in the media for all viewers. 

Overall, I rate this season a 9/10 because of the raw and real representation throughout.