Heartstopper: Episode 16

16. Perfect

Nick posts a picture of him and Charlie captioned as “Boyfriends” which means coming out to everybody on Instagram the morning of the prom. As they help Tara with preparations at the venue, they end up dealing with weird stares and random questions that continue all through the night. Tao asks Elle to be his girlfriend and she agrees, before she tells him during prom dance that she wants to pursue art school. Isaac snatches one of the books about Asexuality from the library’s Pride rack. Mr. Ajayi and Mr. Farouk agree that what happened to them that night in Paris was stupid and ends up opting for a dinner date next time. A concerned Tara heads over to Darcy’s house only to find her homophobic mother there. As they all leave the prom to just hang out at Nick’s house, Darcy shows up and admits that she is only out at school but not at home. As everyone starts to call it a night, Nick has a heart-to-heart talk with Charlie and they promise to be honest with each other about everything, including all the bad stuff.

Heartstopper: Episode 15

15. Sorry

The gang tries out outfits to wear to the prom. Darcy gets a suit, which doesn’t sit well with her homophobic mother. She ends up leaving her house. Elle gets accepted to art school. While ecstatic, what this would imply on Tao and their relationship gives her second thoughts. Isaac opens up to James and admits that he doesn’t seem to feel attracted to him in either a romantic or sexual way. He discovers later on at Elle’s art exhibit that he might be Asexual. Ben pursues Charlie and gets to apologize to him for everything he has done. Charlie accepts the apology but not without giving him a piece of his mind. The visit of Nick’s dad ends up being a dinner party between Nick and Charlie’s families. David causes tension by hinting on the relationship between the two, resulting in Nick admitting everything to his father. Drama ensues, but nothing that doesn’t get resolved by the end of the evening. Stephane apologizes before heading back to France. Tori warns David not to do anything that’ll hurt her brother.

Heartstopper: Episode 14

14. Truth / Dare

Nick meets up with his father Stephane (Thibault de Montalembert) but can’t get to come out to him and introduce Charlie as his boyfriend. The reunion does not last five minutes as he receives a phone call and has to run. However, he tells his son that he will be in England the following week. Darcy throws Tara a surprise birthday party in their hotel room where the flowing liquor leads to a game of Truth or Dare. As Charlie is put on the spot on a dare to kiss either James or Ben, he opts for truth instead resulting in the million dollar question as to who gave him his hickey. Nick answers on his behalf and practically comes out to everyone in the room, admitting that they are dating. Harry comes over to apologize for being homophobic so he can join the party but Charlie shuts the door on his face. James admits to Isaac that he is his new crush and the two kiss, but the latter gets confused and runs away. Mr. Ajayi and Mr. Farouk share a bed for the night as Darcy throws up on the other bed. The group leaves France the next day.

Heartstopper: Episode 13

13. Heat

After making out the night before, Nick leaves a hickey on Charlie’s neck, which makes him the object of gossip and speculation as everyone tries to guess who was responsible, many of them implicating James, the only other openly gay guy in the group. The students are grouped into two for a translation exercise before climbing the Eiffel Tower, Nick ending up with Ben. Ben angrily confronts Nick and admits to him that he still has feelings for Charlie and that he stole him from him. Elle and Tao reignite their failed romance at the Louvre with a kiss, which they both enjoy this time around. Darcy continues being aloof with Tara’s serious questions and seems to be hiding something from her. Charlie faints midway through their museum trip and Nick asks him about a possible eating disorder he has observed. He receives a call from his dad, his speaking French impressing Charlie. He decides to take him along for their meeting at some random Parisian café so the two can meet.

Heartstopper: Episode 12

12. Challenge

With a busload of students, Mr. Ajayi and Mr. Farouk play the unenviable roles as chaperones for the school’s Paris trip. Nick surprises most of the gang as he speaks French, revealing that his father is French and lives in Paris. He and Charlie decide to be lowkey throughout the trip so as not to provoke any questions. Elle and Tao reconnect given their time alone touring a museum and decide to just be friends again. Isaac asks Charlie how it was like when he first felt things for Nick. Imogen tries to have a jolly good time with Ben but all he ever does is try to use her as a beard to somehow get back at Nick. The tension culminates at the group dinner when Imogen notices how Ben seems to be more interested in Charlie which leads her to berate him in public and eventually break up with him. Ben walks out of the restaurant after calling her a bitch out loud. Nick and Charlie comfort her in the toilet and admit to her, non-verbally, that Ben and Charlie did have a thing in the past.

Heartstopper: Episode 11

11. Promise

Coach Singh (Chetna Pandya) catches Nick and Charlie kissing after practice. She calls Nick to her office and reveals that she herself found her wife at rugby practice. He is glad to have found another ally. The school holds an orientation for their planned Paris trip in which the students have to group themselves into four. Tao gets a haircut and manages to ask Elle out on a date after he finally admits liking her, but their date ends on a bad note because he is just trying so hard not to be himself. James (Bradley Riches), Isaac’s friend from the library, invites him to the post-GCSE party where everyone goes to celebrate. Nick promises to come out to some of his rugby teammates at the event but chickens out when he feels overwhelmed and ill. Charlie takes him home and prepares some tea for him, telling him that he does not need to come out if he does not feel like it, even though he would want everyone to know that they are a couple. Darcy starts avoiding Tara, a bit weirded out by the latter saying “I Love You” to her in public.

Heartstopper: Episode 10

10. Family

Elle visits a prospective art school to see whether she would fit in. There, she meets fellow transgender applicants Naomi (Bel Priestley) and Felix (Ash Self), with whom she immediately feels at home. Nick’s big brother David (Jack Barton) comes home and the friction between the two is easily palpable. He also gets in trouble with the new teacher Mr. Farouk (Nima Taleghani) after he argues with Ben about Imogen who, herself, gets upset with him since he cannot tell her that Ben is Charlie’s ex and that he assaulted him. Charlie’s parents Julio (Joseph Balderrama) and Jane (Georgina Rich) forbid him to see Nick as their frequent meetups become detrimental to his schoolwork. Even then, he sneaks out to see Nick often and inadvertently meets David, who accuses him of turning his younger brother gay, prompting a family discussion with their mom Sarah. After talking to his mom Yan (Momo Yeung), Tao realizes that he likes Elle and asks Charlie and Isaac to help him.

Heartstopper: Episode 9

9. Out

Nick and Charlie have reached the honeymoon stage of their relationship, getting rather addicted to kissing and cuddling and missing each other way too much. Since the upcoming GCSE exams mean that the two get to spend less time together as Nick is relocated to the gym and is assigned a seat next to Ben, Charlie decides to join the rugby team again as an excuse to spend more time with his boyfriend. For Nick, though, coming out of the closet to his friends is still an unfinished business, and he starts off with Imogen but just doesn’t know how to break the news to her. The whole gang invites her for a sleepover at Charlie’s house as he promises to help Nick as much as he can with his coming out journey. When he finds the right moment, Nick is surprised when Imogen tells him that she already knows because it is so obvious. She then tells him that his new crush is no other than Ben. Tara and Darcy prod Elle to flirt with Tao, but he reacts weirdly to it, causing her to give up. For now.

Heartstopper: Episode 8

8. Boyfriend

Harry gets suspended. Charlie blames himself for all the fallout, quits the rugby team, and starts avoiding Nick. The Truman-Higgs Sports Day comes, and Elle gets to visit her old school, making peace with her past. Tao and Charlie make amends after the latter runs the 200-meter dash for the former, easily beating Ben at his pet event. He puts his ex-flame in his place and warns not to subject him to emotional blackmail again. Nick competes in the red-versus-blue rugby game but abandons the match halfway as he sees Charlie in the crowd. He runs towards him and whisks him away to one of the corridors where he declares his love for him. The two officially become a couple after Nick takes Charlie to the beach one weekend where they finally have their first date. As Nick returns home, he musters the courage to sit down and talk to his mom, effectively coming out as bisexual to her and revealing his relationship with Charlie. Sarah is happy for her son and apologizes in case she made him feel as though he couldn’t tell her that before.

Heartstopper: Episode 7

7. Bully

It’s Charlie’s turn to meet Nick’s rugby friends at the cinema to which he initially agrees after assurance from him that Ben and Harry won’t be there. The duo are surprised when the two turn up. The movie viewing experience itself goes well but the bullying occurs right after, as expected, which causes Charlie to leave early. He is ambushed at the parking lot by Ben in a jealous rage, but he just shrugs off his insults because he is already so used to it. Nick gets in a fistfight with Harry over the incident and ends up with a blackeye. Tao finds out from Elle that he is the last one in their circle of friends to know about Nick and Charlie dating. She also admits that Harry was transphobic towards her before she transferred schools. With Harry persistent in bullying him as well, Tao takes out all his frustrations on him and the two duke it out at the school yard. Charlie is at the verge of breaking up with Nick because he blames himself for making his life difficult but is interrupted by some random kid’s announcement of the brawl.

Heartstopper: Episode 6

6. Girls

Nick and his mom settle for Pirates of the Caribbean for film night, and she teases him about his childhood crush on Keira Knightley, which leads him to explore the possibility of being bisexual. He finds new allies in Tara and Darcy as he runs into them at the rehearsals of a concert which also involves Charlie. The lesbian couple are the first friends to whom he admits that he's dating Charlie and he feels proud about it. The three decide to organize a triple date before the concert starts in an effort to also set Tao and Elle up after she admits to Tara and Darcy that she has a crush on him. She does not take their meddling lightly and berates the two for endangering her friendship with Tao, which she believes to be of more importance than the crush she is harboring on him. However, she is ecstatic after Nick and Charlie reveal their dating status to her. Tara finds it hard to deal with the stigma she is facing after coming out on Instagram, but Darcy reassures her that she is just there for emotional support.

Heartstopper: Episode 5

5. Friend

Charlie invites Nick to his birthday weekend hangout at the bowling alley despite Tao not totally approving the idea. Nick is welcomed at the venue without issues by Elle and Isaac, but he later overhears Tao arguing with Charlie in the bathroom about his being friends with him. He also tells his friend about Nick agreeing to go out on a date with Imogen. Nick comes clean to Charlie about it, tells him how Imogen’s dog died and how he feels bad for her as well as his inability to say no. He gives Charlie a handmade frame with a photo of their snowy day on it, which Charlie adores. Initially hesitant because they are in public, the pair share a kiss and spend the rest of the night having a good time at the arcade. Nick apologizes to Imogen for not going to their date but meets her the next day to explain. He ends up with an explanation that gets close to a revelation of his sexual orientation. Though confused, Imogen seems to take the hint and accepts her newfound fate at the friendzone. She defends Nick from all the teasing of his rugby bros the following day.

Heartstopper: Episode 4

4. Secret

Charlie apologizes to Nick for kissing him and goes on a verbal diarrhea about not wanting to lose him as a friend for doing something stupid, blah blah blah. Nick kisses him and confesses that he is having a full-on gay crisis and asks him a favor of keeping their thing a secret from everyone for now. Tara and Darcy deal with the repercussions and rumors at school now that their relationship is out in the open. The rugby boys are to battle it out with a much mature team, causing them to zero in on Charlie and his non-existent tackling skills. The whole gang go to the venue for full support on game day where Charlie is introduced by Elle to Tara and Darcy, the latter immediately getting comfy with her new gay friend and teasing him and Nick. Charlie gets injured as a sudden downpour bogs the game down. Nick wants to rush to his side but won’t in fear of revealing their budding relationship. He comforts him at the clinic later on, but Isaac walks in on them. Imogen asks Nick out on a date, to which he reluctantly agrees due to peer pressure.

Heartstopper: Episode 3

3. Kiss

Nick’s Buzzfeed quiz reveals he is 62% homosexual. He gets invited to his bully friend Harry’s (Cormac Hyde-Corrin) 16th birthday party. Imogen (Rhea Norwood), who has had a crush on him since forever, tells him to invite her to the party, which he does. However, he also invites Charlie later on, with whom he spends most of his time at the venue. The rugby friends interrupt and prod him to pursue Tara, who is also invited to the event. The two talk and she reveals to him that she is a lesbian and that Darcy is her girlfriend. The couple dance and kiss on the dance floor, in effect declaring their relationship to everyone. Inspired by their openness, Nick decides to find Charlie, who runs into Ben and brazenly dismisses his apology. The two boys find each other and retreat to an empty hall where Charlie begins to pry. A hesitant Nick beats around the bush, but the two eventually end up locking lips. Twice. As the bullies interrupt the moment, Charlie goes home heartbroken. The next day, he finds Nick at his front door soaking under the rain.

Heartstopper: Episode 2

2. Crush

Elle finally makes friends at her new school with Tara (Corinna Brown) and Darcy (Kizzy Edgell) who turn out to be in a secret lesbian relationship. In a flashback, Ben introduces himself to Charlie at school, calls him brave for coming out, then starts flirting with him. Nick and Charlie talk about the incident on Insta and begin to spend more time together, like that weekend at Nick’s house where he introduces him to his dog Nellie and they have a fun time under the snow, or that weekend at Charlie’s house where he teaches Nick how to play the drums. As Charlie falls asleep watching TV, Nick feels drawn to holding his hand, refuses, then gives him a long hug before leaving, prompting Charlie’s sister Tori (Jenny Walser) to blurt out her observation that Nick does not seem to be straight. Even Nick’s mother Sarah (Olivia Colman) notices how her son is different when he is with his new friend. Confused about his feelings, Nick turns his MacBook on and Googles “Am I gay?”.

Heartstopper: Episode 1

1. Meet

Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) comes back to school post-winter break after being outed as gay and bullied for much of the previous year. He regularly meets closeted schoolmate Ben (Sebastian Croft) at random secluded spots on campus to make out, but Ben is adamant that their fling should remain a secret and even denies knowing Charlie whenever he greets him at the corridors. Charlie is assigned a seat in class next to Nick Nelson (Kit Connor), the popular rugby player who invites him to join the team after seeing him sprint fast during PE. Charlie reluctantly agrees and slowly develops a crush on his new acquaintance, something his overprotective friend Tao (William Gao) warns him about because Nick is obviously straight. Together with their introvert friend Isaac (Tobie Donovan), they reminisce their time together with their friend Elle (Yasmin Finney) who was forced to transfer schools after coming out as transgender. Charlie breaks up with Ben after seeing him kiss a girl. As a heated altercation ensues, Nick steps in and saves his seatmate.