Heartstopper Finale Recap: Did You ‘Love’ Season 2’s Ending?

The Season 2 finale of Netflix’s Heartstopper is aptly titled: “Perfect.” Although in some ways, the episode drops the Truham-Higgs gang into a best of times/worst of times scenario, creator Alice Oseman, on whose graphic novels the series is based, not only sticks the landing but beautifully sets the stage for takeoff on Season 3. (You’ll recall that, after seeing how rapturously received Season 1 was, Netflix gave it a two-season pickup.) So what actually happens? Read on…

'Heartstopper' Season 2 Finale Recap: 'Perfect'
'Heartstopper' Season 2 Finale Recap: 'Perfect'

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‘THIS IS THE BEST MY LIFE HAS EVER BEEN’ | “Perfect” begins on the highest of highs: Nick thrilling Charlie by coming out on Insta and Elle agreeing to be Tao’s girlfriend. But it’s not all rainbow emojis and euphoric kisses for the kids. As Tara tries to oversee the hapless prom-decorating committee, Darcy is nowhere to be found; she isn’t even replying to texts. And during a moment alone with Tao — “Crisp?” sounding much chummier this season — Nick confides that he’s worried the effects of Charlie’s bullying have been more serious and longer-lasting than he’s let on.

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Come prom night, a whole lot is absolutely right. Tao gets a playful warning from Elle’s dad, Nick and Charlie make the cutest couple in the history of both cuteness and couples, some of the nice rugby lads make sure that Nick knows they’re in his corner, and, in the wake of their tryst in Paris, Mr. Ajayi asks out Mr. Farouk on a proper date. But Isaac steals away from the festivities to read about asexuality. And by the time Darcy shows up, a worried Tara has gone to her house and discovered why she’s never met her girlfriend’s mum: She’s a homophobic iceberg.

‘I’M A LITERAL DISASTER’ | After Baby Queen sings The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven,” with Sahar’s guitar licks perhaps inspiring a crush in Imogen (?), Charlie admits to Nick that he’d like to leave. They’ve been so focused on being out that “it’s like we’ve forgotten why we wanted to do it in the first place. It’s not for them. I just want to have fun night with you and our friends.” Since Sarah and David are out for the evening, the party moves to the Nelson home. There, Darcy opens up to Tara, admitting that she’s not as confident as she appears; she’s not even out to her family. But “I am so in love with you,” she adds. “I’m just bad at saying it.” They’d simply have to practice, then — which they joyfully do.

Once the private prom has wound down and everyone but Charlie has left, Nick at last coaxes his boyfriend to talk about the bullying. The severity of it had surprised Charlie, who’d thought that things had gotten better. (If only, Charlie.) Ultimately, he’d been called disgusting so many times that he’d started to hate himself — so much that he had… cut himself sometimes. After an emotional Nick obtains from Charlie a promise to tell him if things ever get that bad again, he can’t keep his feelings inside a second more. “I love your hair so much,” Nick says. “I love your eyes… I love… ”

Dang it, just then Mum and David come home. We get a couple more kisses, then off Charlie goes, lest he tick off his own mum. But he’s only taken a few steps before he stops to send a text to his boyfriend. “I love you,” it reads. But will he send it? Gah! We have to wait till Season 3 to find out! Grade the Season 2 finale and the season overall in the polls below, then hit the comments with the moments that made your heart stop.

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