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thedecadenceofwar · 9 months

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Elle Argent as Jesus Christ: Heartstopper art analysis.

Yesterday, I made this post where I wordlessly compared Elle's art piece for the Lambert School to the painting that draws her attention at the Louvre, Caravaggio's Supper at Emmaus, a depiction of Jesus breaking bread for his disciples after his crucifixion and subsequent rising.

Elle's perspective on the painting / a full view of the painting (source)

The first thing I noticed that helped me draw the connection between these two paintings was their composition, the basic triangular lines that guide the eye in each painting; from Jesus and Elle in the center to the innkeeper and Tao at the top.

Heartstopper also clearly wanted us to make some connection between Elle and this Caravaggio: they focus on her face before they show us the painting, so we wonder what exactly it is she's seeing, which increases its narrative importance. I assumed she recognized herself in a painting; she did, but not in the way I expected.

The National Gallery (see above source) has this to say about the Caravaggio:

On the third day after the Crucifixion two of Jesus’s disciples were walking to Emmaus when they met the resurrected Christ. They failed to recognise him, but that evening at supper he ‘... took bread, and blessed it, and brake and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight’ (Luke 24: 30–31). Painted at the height of Caravaggio’s fame, this is among his most impressive domestic religious pictures. He brilliantly captures the dramatic climax of the story, the moment when the disciples suddenly see what has been in front of them all along. Their actions convey their astonishment: one is about to leap out of his chair while the other throws out his arms in a gesture of disbelief. The stark lighting underlines the dramatic intensity of the scene. Typically for Caravaggio, he has shown the disciples as ordinary working men, with bearded, lined faces and ragged clothes, in contrast to the youthful beardless Christ, who seems to have come from a different world.

Jesus, in the story, opens the eyes of his disciples in more ways than one (I pulled my Bible out for this!). First, in the scene depicted in the painting, the disciples do not know that this man is Jesus until he blesses the bread and breaks it for them, revealing himself as Christ. Second is the context in which Jesus comes to share dinner with his disciples: they meet him on the road during the day before, and he interprets the Old Testament for them: (stay with me I promise we'll leave the Biblical stuff and get back to the gay stuff soon)

Luke 24:13-16 Now on that same day two of [the disciples] were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. Luke 24:25-27 Then he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?" Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.

If Safe Space is an exact analogue to Supper at Emmaus, then Elle takes the position of Jesus, and she draws from the story of Christ's crucifixion and rising a trans metaphor.

Death does not always mean death. For example, in the world of tarot, the card of Death does not signify literal Death, but a transformation: that the idea of death is a catalyst for change. If you're trans or non-binary, you understand the idea of the person you were being dead; that's why they call it a deadname. For me, the girl I was is dead. The person I am now, a living, breathing, non-binary person, is alive.

Jesus died and lived again; the boy Elle was died and the girl Elle is lived. Elle takes the spot of Jesus. Elle is risen.

There's another half to this metaphor: of the disciples that don't recognize Jesus. See where I'm going with this? At first, after Jesus had undergone his transformation, the disciples do not recognize him; literally "Their eyes were kept from recognizing him." The fault is not on them – it is another stronger force that maintains their blindness. But Jesus stays with them, despite the fact that they don't know who he is, and he talks to them about the scriptures.

We don't know much about Elle, pre-transition. But we know that Elle, Tao, and Charlie, at least, were friends before Elle's transition, and she had to come out to them at some point. So, in essence, she is Jesus on the road to Emmaus; unrecognized, a stranger, until she reveals herself for who she is.

She takes the moment Jesus tells his disciples who he is and shows what happens when Elle stays. We don't all have the luxury of being the Son of God, who can just pop away at a moment's notice after coming back from the dead (which is what he does, in the story: once the disciples have their eyes opened, he leaves). But this is Elle, out, resurrected, staying.

"So. There've been a lot of changes in my life over the last couple years. But with this piece I guess I wanted to capture a place that holds a lot of happy memories. Even in the darker times. Somewhere I always felt safe."

Safe Space comes after the moment of realization, after Elle comes out, after her friends' eyes are opened. But implied in its source and its inspiration is the moment of truth, the moment of coming out. There's been a lot of that, this season, coming out. There's people that want to and are scared, and people that refuse to and walk away. We never had to go on that journey with Elle. But she's telling us about it, now. She's telling us that it was glorious, that it was godly, that it was religious, that she died and was resurrected.

Before I leave, I want to touch on Tao's importance in this piece. The disciples in Supper are the two men that are seated; the man standing is the innkeeper, who is not quite a part of Jesus' world. Interesting, that Charlie and Isaac, the two people of Elle's group who are part of the queer community, take the place of the two disciples, and Tao, the token straight friend, is standing in the place of the innkeeper; not a follower of Jesus but a witness to the miracle of his resurrection anyway. They are all different people in this painting; different identities, different lives, different loves. But they were all there to witness Elle revealing herself in her resurrection. Tao, afraid of being left alone, is brought into this inner sanctum of Elle's world. Into her safe space.

#heartstopper #heartstopper spoilers #heartstopper analysis #heartstopper meta #elle argent #tao xu #charlie spring #isaac henderson #heartstopper season 2 #my stuff #i am absolutely in love with this analysis #and i hope that everyone else likes it too!!!#userbarrow #userelletao

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toneelspeelster · 9 months

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world's most neglectful dad's greatest hits

ignores his youngest son's messages and calls continuously, leaves their long overdue meeting within 5 minutes

forgets his sons' progress or location in school

admonishes him for never coming to visit him in paris, but remarries (he's got a ring!) and still hasn't introduced his new wife to his son???? did not even invite his son to the wedding????

has two topics to talk about: rugby and women

implies very heteronormatively that he should keep up with rugby solely to get girlfriends, says so in french - their familial language of communication, so that only his son knows what he's saying and not his friend

apparently it's noticeable that youngest son hasn't had a girlfriend when his brother did so many. time to remedy that, son!!!

son sincerely feels that his father doesn't know him and doesn't even try to know him at all, even if he tries so hard to make it work from his side

lies at the dinner table about coming to visit as much as he can when that's only two times a year he seems to remember he has sons.

youngest son literally tells him he's done with him being in his life in any meaningful manner bc his father doesn't seem to care for him in the slightest and this dude barely reacts or responds.

tries to run away without saying goodbye.

barely dares to touch his youngest son, even after saying he wants to be better

luckily, his mother is a goddess on earth; doesn't even try to make excuses for his dad's behaviour but also doesn't try to influence his opinion of his dad before he comes to his own conclusion, and is his safest place in the world next to his boyfriend.

#heartstopper #heartstopperedit #heartstopper meta #nick nelson #stephane fournier #sarah nelson #mine #the fact that he did NOT introduce his son to his new WIFE yet??? about to hit this motherfucker with an uppercut. poor wife.

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barrowsteeth · 2 years

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Anatomy of a Kiss - 1.05 Friend

[long post + gif heavy meta ahead]

I don’t think we’ve talked enough about Nick and Charlie’s body language during the arcade kiss scene in 1.05. I’ve been thinking about it a lot recently, so I’m going to break it down and would love to hear others’ thoughts!

First, I think we need to talk about how brave Charlie is, once again, in telling Nick that he wants to kiss him. I just…love that he did that? I imagine his confidence has been boosted after their talk, and of course Nick giving him the photo gift, and saying how much he likes him. But even so, our guy knows what he wants and just comes out with it. I love that he has the confidence to say it.

At the same time, Nick seems so nervous about the idea of it at first. We can see him swallow and look down, and his hands are firmly stuffed into his pockets, but he also sees how happy Charlie is, and is also listening to Charlie and taking Charlie's wants into account as he considers it. When I first watched this scene, I had a little thought that he was also trying to make up for the Imogen date a little bit by even considering a public kiss, but I don't think that's really a factor here.

In the next second, we see Nick take a look around and really decide that this is going to happen -- not just because Charlie wants it, but because he does too. I mean, this is a big deal! They've just confirmed that they both really like each other, and they're going to have their first public kiss. And look at Charlie's face! He's smiling, probably not expecting Nick to agree, but he's just being happy.

I know verbal consent in this scene has been discussed before, and it is perfectly done, in my opinion. What I really love about this part of the scene is that for once, Charlie doesn't apologize. He gives Nick multiple chances to change his mind, and Nick is just as determined to let Charlie know he really wants to kiss him too. I think this exchange adds so much to the scene, and even gives Nick a little more time to get excited about the idea of kissing Charlie. In the second gif below, we see Nick's hands out of his pockets and when he says "yeah," his fingers twitch a little. He's ready for this.

And Charlie is so cute and patient and maybe a little disbelieving, but he's also clearly so happy that this is going to happen. I love it when he squares his body before he moves in to kiss Nick. **flails hands**

I don't have a lot to say about the kiss itself except that it's soft and sweet and really just perfection, so let's take a moment to enjoy it. **happy sigh**

This got longer and wordier than I thought, so putting the rest under the cut...

I think the biggest contrast in Nick and Charlie's body language comes after the kiss. They are both completely and obviously caught up in the moment when they separate. Charlie's little double blink is one of my absolute favorite moments in the entire series, as is Nick's breathlessness. It's too much! But then they part, and their reactions are very, very different.

Nick looks around again and shoves his hands in his pockets, back to that nervousness we saw earlier, and Charlie is absolutely giddy with joy and doesn't know what to do with his hands while he giggles to himself. I think both of their reactions are so true to character.

But what always gets me is that in this next part of the scene, Charlie gives Nick a little space to process what just happened. He is over the moon with happiness but can likely see that Nick needs a minute to collect himself. I think this is so important, because it also gives Charlie a minute to himself to be giddy and happy too, without having to consider how Nick is feeling. It's okay to be ecstatic about what just happened! He doesn't need to feel selfish for needing his own time, and I'm so, so glad he doesn't.

And of course, Nick doesn't waste a minute before pulling out his phone and texting Imogen. Honestly, how could he not after the moment he just had with Charlie? I think he understands that this is a no-turning-back moment when he tucks his phone away. And he doesn't want to go back, which is the most important thing. It sets the stage for all of the wonderful moments in 1.06, where he tries to be the best not-yet-official boyfriend to Charlie.

I think we can all agree that Charlie Spring has had the best. birthday. ever.

#heartstopper #nick x charlie #nick nelson #charlie spring #heartstoppercentral #heartstopperdaily #narlie #heartstopper gifs #heartstopper edits #heartstopperedit #barrowgifs #oh look i had a lot of thoughts again #heartstopper 1.05 #random musings #heartstopper meta #meta #long post

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angelnicknelson · 9 months

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NICK + MANNERISMS/HABITS

okay, wait... so i'm not an expert, but i have been studying and learning about body language for a couple of years through books and such. and i just noticed something about nick's.

in season one, nick was constantly messing with his hair, running his hands through it or "fixing it". this can show that he is stressed, concerned, or nervous, which for a lot of season one, he is. it's also a gesture done when people feel doubtful, which makes sense with nick doubting his sexuality after growing close to charlie. another reason people play with their hair is actually to look or come across as more attractive, so there's always the possibility that he did it for this reason too: to appear attractive to charlie.

in season two, he seems to have dropped this habit. in the theme of the show, and everything that happens, or has happened, i'm going to say that this may indicate he is less stressed out this season. however, now he seems to have picked up another mannerism, or habit, whatever you want to call it... crossing his arms. in my research and learning journey, i've always read that this can show nervousness too, but i think in nick's case- and in my opinion- that he does it to protect himself and, also because he is slightly more confident. maybe it's a good and bad instinctive reaction of his; he does it as a way to shield himself from harm (whether that be mental or physical, but in his case, probably more mental), and from worry and nerves. however, when he stands up tall with his arms crossed, looking happier, it exudes confidence to me. sometimes even when he's sitting with his arms crossed, i get the feeling of confidence or contentment.

i don't really have a point, it's just interesting. and if this was a conscious direction or acting choice from the crew, or from kit, then... bravo, you have me intrigued and thinking.

#mine #heartstopper meta #heartstopper s2 spoilers #angelnicknelson #my gifs #body language #kit connor #nick nelson #.#i'm bad at putting my thoughts into words. i hope this makes sense.

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justalittleobsessedhere · 2 years

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Charlie is Best When He Trusts His Gut

I’m rewatching heartstopper (again) with a focus on Charlie. I love this kid for the confidence with which he approaches his relationship with Nick. His gut reaction is almost always right and he starts to back away when he lets himself or his friends talk him out of what he has personally experienced with Nick. The update from the graphic novel to the screen really takes time to explore this.

There is something between Nick and Charlie by the end of the first episode, and Charlie — not Nick like in the novel— initiates the what turns into their extensive DM exchanges. And he does it with flair with a subtle X after his thank you. Also, in the novel, Nick was the first to send a heart, but in the show, Charlie reads the conversation right and sends it first — at the end of their first DM exchange.

The biggest moment for me is when Charlie has the confidence to ask Nick if he’d ever kiss him. At this point, Charlie has been hit with a barrage of outsider opinions (mostly unrequested) that Nick is unquestionably straight and he is wasting his time crushing on him. Elle, Tao, Isaac, the rugby team — all of them insist Nick is a hetero teenage boy with current crushes on girls. When Charlie tries to share his personal observations that could speak to the contrary, he is told he is wrong. There is literally an intervention to talk him out of his crush.

Despite all this noise, Charlie takes in everything he knows and sees from Nick. He has a sneaking suspicion there might something between them. He’s trusting the increasingly intimate physical contact, the uptick in time spent together, the lingering looks between them — all clear signs to even a casual observer. Yet, people with no personal engagement with these experiences are not giving the person in this situation the respect to trust his own judgment.

Still, for a person who has shown a regular tendency (even in a two-minute span) to talk himself out of a thought, when the opportunity presents itself, Charlie goes for it. How much bravery it takes to turn off the outside voices telling you that you are wrong. Charlie had to react to everything Nick was telling him as it was happening. With no time to process and overthink, he goes for not just one, but two kisses, encouraged by Nick grasping his hand after the first.

The shift in the show from making Charlie popular to “practically an outcast” further bolsters Charlie’s self-doubt and distrust in his gut reaction. We see this at other times (suggesting they go on a date by themselves, asking if they’re boyfriends, inviting Nick over to his house without a specific reason, inviting him to his birthday), and Charlie manages to backtrack before anyone has had a chance to say a word. But he was right. Nick was into each of these ideas.

The value of a relationship with someone you trust is you learn to listen to your own judgment no matter how loud the voices around you are screaming.

He really likes you, Charlie!

#heartstopper #nick nelson #nick and charlie #charlie spring #heartstopper tv #heartstopper gifs #heartstopper meta #meta

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abetterdaaye · 2 months

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Heartstopper S2, E4ish but mostly E5

Nick had the mental clarity and fortitude to seek consent while kissing/ sucking/nibbling Charlie's neck in the above scene.

Then Charlie shows him the hickey the next morning and these adorable doofuses (doofi?) are immediately whittled down to a single shared brain cell:

Nick: *stares in shock* Oh my God! *stammers* Did I do that?

(Nicholas, darling, YOU WERE THERE).

Charlie: Do you think anyone will notice?

(Sweet Charlie, you're on summer holiday in Paris and a bruise has mysteriously arisen in the MIDDLE of your neck. Of fucking course, it will be noticed).

Nick is dumbfounded but still manages to answer honestly. He's apologizing and saying he doesn't even know how he did it (I distinctly recall saying this when I first gave an accidental hickey).

Enter the drowsy chaos that is Tao Xu: He's curious about the bruise. The sudden realization. Both Nick and Charlie looking like naughty puppies being chastised while Tau begins a conversation with Nick that he never finishes but I would pay good money for the opportunity to hear.

"We will be having words." WHAT WERE THE WORDS?!

At any rate, Tao is distracted in the only effective way possible at this point and the scene's focus on Nick and Charlie is over.

*sighs* Sorry this spun a little out of control

#Got Covid so it's rewatches and tumblr posts!#nick and charlie #charlie and nick #Heartstopper #Everyone's an idiot #Heartstopper meta

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ineffablebookgirl · 2 years

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Okay so in that little scene in the kitchen between Nick and his mom after the snow day, it starts with this shot that always struck me as a bit odd. It's a shot of the cupboard door, as Nick's preparing his tea, and you can just vaguely see his reflection in the cupboard's surface. It's just. A weird shot. You can't really see any of his expression, and you can't see the tea, and it doesn't add much to the atmosphere either. But then it cuts to Nick's mom with "Charlie seems like a lovely boy," and Nick turns around to look at her, and then she says, "You seem much more yourself around him," and that is the reflection of himself that he needs -- the mirror of her mom-perspective allows him to see more clearly.

Also with the scenes in the kitchen, they get closer and closer to each other as Nick shares more with her. In this scene, he starts facing away from her and then turns around, but is still standing behind the kitchen counter. For the "her dog died" scene, they are still separated by the island, but Mom leans forward on it as she tries to understand what he's saying. And then, finally, in the coming out scene, he crosses the kitchen to sit down next to her.

#heartstopper #nick nelson #nick nelson's mom #nick nelson's kitchen #her dog died #sarah connor #iconic #heartstopper meta

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fullyvisible · 2 years

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I'm having a lot of feelings about Tao Xu, especially how he handles things in episodes 7 and 8

Because on one hand, I GET it. First, my boy's got serious abandonment issues (which I relate to SUPER hard) - he's terrified of being left alone, and that's what's been happening. First, Elle leaves for Higgs, and even though he KNOWS that's objectively a good thing, it's still a loss for Tao. That's the very first thing we see him talking about! And then Charlie abandons him for Nick - who, as far as Tao knew until VERY recently, was also "just" a friend. Charlie's reasons for not telling Tao that he and Nick were together are complicated and valid, but that decision also meant that, from Tao's perspective, Charlie was choosing Nick's friendship over his. We see this when Charlie cancels on the film night, too. It's arguably one of the biggest motivating factors for nearly everything Tao does.

Which leads to the second thing - Tao loves Charlie SO MUCH. He's his best friend. He's the center of their friend group - the reason he's friends with Elle - EVERYTHING. And, however misguided, all the choices Tao makes - up until the end of episode 7, once he finds out Charlie has been keeping his relationship secret from Tao in particular - are to protect Charlie.

Which is why it hurts so much for Tao to tell Charlie "This is all your fault" when he confronts him after the fight with Harry. Tao doesn't know Charlie was, literally immediately before this, on the brink of breaking up with Nick because he blamed himself for Nick's fight with Harry. If he'd thought about it a little harder, he might have realized how close to home that particular jab might have hit, but Tao was HURTING. He'd reached his breaking point. Charlie had abandoned him for lunch, yet again - and, from Tao's perspective, in favor of hanging out with Nick instead. Tao was hurt and angry and feeling abandoned, and he lashed out.

I struggle a bit with Tao in episode 8 - especially during his conversation with Nick. He accurately identifies the fact that Charlie has "always had a tendency to believe that him just existing is annoying for other people." And that lines up very well with Charlie's conversation with Tori, where he says he thinks he's ruining everyone's lives.

But then, instead of thinking about how that might be relevant to the tension between Charlie and Nick - or even to his own fight with Charlie - Tao tells Nick he thinks Charlie is avoiding him because of the secrecy of their relationship is too much and making him feel "a bit crap about himself." Which is a related factor, sure! The decision to come out was a big part of the ultimate release / joy at the end of the episode! But the main point of Nick's speech in the corridor was the first thing Tao said - that Charlie is NOT a burden just for existing, and that Nick's life is much better with Charlie in it. And, while Nick might have gotten there on his own (Charlie WAS dropping some VERY heavy hints about the ways he thought he was making Nick's life harder), I think the conversation with Tao really helped him realize what he needed to do to reasssure Charlie.

ANYWAY I love Tao a lot, and relate to him more than I'd like to, and even though he frustrates me a lot, his actions are, for the most part, very understandable and I hope he gets to feel loved and safe and treasured the way he deserves <3

#tao xu #heartstopper #heartstopper meta #long post #i just have a lot of feelings #mpf

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woliefairr · 7 months

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heartstopper 𖹭 hqbook

✩ sim. recentemente eu comprei o volume 1 de heartstopper (melhor compra) e estou simplesmente maravilhado com cada detalhe! como eu não poderia deixar de compartilhar esse momento lindo com vocês, decidir gravar uma "espécie" de unboxing para o canal! (não é o melhor mas nem de longe o pior, eu realmente tentei dar o meu melhor nesse vídeo)

poderia ir lá comentar e assistir por favor? gostaria de interagir principalmente com quem tbm é fã da série e dos livros, amo conversar coisas que eu amo com pessoas que tbm gostam!! 𖹭

clique aqui e assista ao vídeo: (cliquem! 🍂)

obrigada! 🫶🏻

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nose-bl · 2 years

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tao xu is autistic/adhd and you can't change my mind

we all pretty much agree isaac, charlie and tori are autistic, and i've already seen posts about why nick might be autistic too (1 , 2). there's also our adhd lesbian darcy. but i don't think i've seen any autistic/adhd tao posts. so here you go. also i decided to put images to separate the text and i can't believe i dont do that more often when i write very long posts (image descriptions added in alt text)

i will mostly focus on tv tao but most of this also applies to comic tao too

tao has some very clear routines and rituals in his life. he always bought juice for elle and himself, and when elle changed schools, it was hard for tao to stop that routine. movie night is sacred to him, and that ritual getting interrupted and cancelled upset him a lot. tao's issues are, in part, because he has routines that he's gotten used to getting interrupted. the way he lives his life, his friend group, everything, it worked in a specific way. but it suddenly starts changing and quickly. movie night is not the full gang anymore, charlie is hanging out with different people, and elle changes schools, which throws off the balance in tao's friend group. those things aren't bad (it's made clear that charlie spending time with nick and elle being at an all girls school is a GOOD thing), but they affect tao because of how much it changes the things he was used to

he talks to elle about her new school and is able to put things into perspective: elle leaving truham is a good change. but he isn't able to do this with charlie because he doesn't talk to him about nick after they officially start going out (because it's a secret)

tao also has trouble letting new people in. tao is very loud and blunt, and despite seeming very confident, he obviously has trouble making new friends and talking to others. which is why the idea of losing one friend is just the worst nightmare for him. he loves his friends so naturally he doesn't want to lose them, but when you don't have many friends and you have trouble speaking to others and finding people you are comfortable with, it's even worse. interestingly enough, elle struggles with the same thing, but slowly gets over it when she becomes friends with tara and darcy. tao struggles with it a bit more. he just can't let nick into their friend group. he doesn't approve of nick being at charlie's party, he refuses to get to know him. the obvious reasons are that he genuinely thinks nick is like the other rugby guys and will eventually hurt charlie, but the less obvious reason is because tao is scared of letting new people in, and nick being part of the group means the group being different

i think, also, we could say tao has trouble reading social cues and understanding social situations that other people do seem to get. we just see him interacting with his friends, a little bit with nick, and then harry. with his friends he clearly has no trouble just being himself, being goofy and having fun. when it comes to other people, though....he clearly didn't get (at first) that charlie's relationship with nick was none of his buisiness. he got caught up in the idea of protecting charlie from what he considered a potential threat, that he kept getting involved more and more and i don't think he even realized how much he was getting involved. elle even calls him "the king of getting involved", which tells me this is something tao just does. he doesn't get when his involvement is too much and he doesn't see when his help isn't needed until it's too late. i don't blame him at all, i get where he's coming from......

there's also the thing with harry. tao impulsively responded to harry's rudeness, he defended charlie, he even ended up in a physical fight with harry. tao has a huge sense of justice, and often takes matters into his own hands. charlie, instead, kept quiet, didn't respond, tried to keep a low profile. in part to protect nick, but also because he didn't want to make things worse by challenging harry. tao later gets that. him getting involved in that situation and responding to harry only made things worse. harry didn't have anything specific against tao before, but after tao stood up to him, harry started targetting him as well. i am not saying tao is at fault for being targeted by harry. harry is a bully and an asshole, tao did the right thing by standing up and he was brave to do so. but after getting targetted by harry and realizing charlie and nick are in fact dating, he understands why charlie's solution was to just let harry be an asshole and silently walk away. charlie knew he wasn't in a position to stand up to harry, so he didn't. tao, on the other hand, is much more confident and while he was in a less dangerous position to be challenging harry, he still got picked on.

okay let's get back on track. tao's special interest. it's obvious. he's a film person. cinema is his special interest. movie nights are really important to him, he cares about sharing his interest with the people he loves. he wants to share weird and dark films with his friends even if they don't understand the movies. when he reconciles with charlie, he tells him he has a long list of movies he has to show him, and that's just..........i love it. tao bonding with his friends and showing how much he loves them by sharing with them the thing that is most special to him

also, the way i see it, tao was hyperfixated on nick and charlie's friendship/relationship. literally it's the main thing he thinks and talks about, elle is even tired of tao only ever talking about nick and the situation with charlie. and this all negatively affects tao's life, because he just is't able to move on with his life and realize a lot of things about himself (like his crush on elle) because all that's on his mind is nick and charlie. hyperfixations aren't always about a piece of media or random topic, people with adhd can get hyperfixated on anything, and that includes people and ongoing situations around them

also there's something about tao always wearing a beanie wherever he goes whatever the weather is, like it's a comfort object for him. you could argue it's bc he's a fictional character and that's just His Accesory. but every choice in heartstopper is very conscious, tao wearing beanies all the time is an important part of him. he barely takes it off. the moments i can remember that he doesn't have it on that seem very intentional are: when he's having honest conversations with elle in a comfortable place, when he confronts charlie and during sports day. i feel like tao without his beanie on is a vulnerable tao. he opens up a lot to elle during those moments . he is in a very vulnerable position during sports day, and when he's lashing out to charlie and being honest about his pain. also in the comics, when charlie tells tao he's going out with nick and that tao was the last to know because he might have been the reason charlie got outed, tao didn't have his beanie on at first, but then he gets stressed out and feels guilty and he immediatly puts it back on and leaves

another thing i find interesting is that tao refers to himself and his friends as "borderline outcasts". now, i don't know if he was exagerating or if he genuinely meant that, but either way, this just tells me they're The Weird Kids (my beloved). charlie has been ostracized, bullied and rejected for being the gay kid. isaac mostly keeps to himself and is a quiet, chill boy who doesn't socialize too much even with his friends. and then there's tao. who is obviously labeled as weird, loud and annoying by others. which, surprise surprise, is what many adhd and autistic kids are called by their peers. i don't think tao was ever bullied, at least not at the level charlie was, but he clearly was rejected by many kids and had trouble finding his small friendgroup

anyway help me spread my autistic/adhd tao propaganda by reblogging this :)

#heartstopper #heartstopper netflix #heartstopper comic #heartstopper tao #tao xu #heartstopper tv #nick nelson #charlie spring #elle argent #heartstopper meta #osemanverse

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thedecadenceofwar · 9 months

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i've just watched the ep. 7 conversation with ben for the second time (spoilers)

it's a lot, and it's really fucking heavy, and this time just like the last i had to pause and walk away, especially because of the moment after charlie leaves.

ben hope in this season, somehow more than last, is extremely punchable. he smirked a lot, notably. but in this moment you want him –

to just take a step forward.

the thing about ben in that apology was that he really believed that he was being so sincere, that he had figured something out, and that once he apologized, it was all gonna be okay. but he still wasn't able to comprehend that what he did wasn't just bad, it was wrong, and it severely affected charlie (see the charlie spring spectacular for more). and he was so pitiful! "I just wanted something good. You were something good."

he says to charlie: "If I just had more time." he tells nick: "charlie didn't even give me a chance to figure myself out." his whole argument hinges on the idea that he WOULD have been better, that he COULD have been better, if only they understood that none of it was his fault, never his fault – charlie was the one who didn't give him enough time, or nick was the one who stole charlie. he's dead set on being the victim. the victim of his parent's disapproval, of charlie's impatience, of nick "messing up [his] life." he refuses, even in the apology, to acknowledge what was actually wrong, acknowledge his actions. he says, "I was a dick back then." "I'm a messed-up person, Charlie." why, ben? why? what did you do, exactly, that makes you such a messed-up person? he doesn't know. he knows what he wanted: "something good," and he knows that he fucked it up, because he doesn't have it anymore, so he must be a bad person.

and it's – in a moment, for a second, you feel really bad for him, because he's smiling a little, and he's so sorry, and he really liked you, charlie, you know that, don't you. but then charlie speaks, and you watch his face fall, and fall, and fall. because he wasn't expecting charlie to call him on his actions. you can call yourself a bad person and get away with it until you face your actions head-on, and charlie is a collision.

here's the thing: ben says, "I want to be like you two, but my parents would never accept who I really am." but then when he's alone, with no one to see him but himself, faced with a safe space, one that is literally, narratively, welcoming him, he walks away from it. the waves lap at his feet. he could take the first step towards being better right there. redemption, right there. and goddammit, you're supposed to WANT HIM TO! because without knowing it he's hit on the theme of the season: be who you are on your own terms. being honest with yourself, by yourself, is the first step. and ben can't.

if ben wanted to apologize, he would have taken charlie's explanation, and he would have walked into those waves, and taken a chance on being honest with himself. but he just wanted liberation. he just wanted forgiveness. he just wanted to stop feeling bad about himself for long enough to feel good about being the victim.

ben hope is a tragedy. alice oseman and the writers know that most of heartstopper's audience is queer, that most of heartstopper's audience knows exactly what it's like to take one step forward into a queer space for the first time, and the terror and bravery that accompany that. you've been there, faced with a choice, walk forward into freedom and light – or walk backwards into secrecy and darkness.

And Ben makes his choice.

I think sometimes that becoming a better person means walking forward even when you know you don't deserve it.

#heartstopper #heartstopper season 2 #heartstopper spoilers #heartstopper meta #heartstopper analysis #ben hope #my stuff #i think that's all i can think of to say at the moment

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toneelspeelster · 7 months

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ethics of motherhood: the jane / charlie spring essay

ever since the release of the second season of heartstopper i've seen so many different opinions on jane spring as a parent; she's the absolute devil, overbearing, completely against understanding charlie and his relationship with nick etc. etc. but i would like to delve into why i think the way alice set up jane spring in s2 is a /great/ gateway into a deeper, nuanced storyline between jane and charlie because, quite honestly - it's clearly long overdue. once again, i'd like to use backstory from the comics to infer what might be happening to jane in the series and how, maybe a bit surprisingly to some - charlie is in some respects a lot more like her than you might think.

please note: this is not an apology, or an excuse to jane's behaviour as a mother to charlie; i just want to give her actions a context and i think, show the room for growth which I think would be a beautiful, very nuanced, storyline between parent and child to take on in charlie's mental health story in s3/4.

(tw for parental abuse, discussion of eating disorder)

one thing that really informs jane spring as a character and as a mother in general is her own mother. we see in the comics that her mother is a. physically abusive and b. does not allow jane to have any criticism against her and uses that as a reason for the abuse.

jane later tells charlie the following on her relationship with her mother, acknowledging the effect that her mother had on her - to an extent. she softens the things that happened to her.

jane knows this of her being a mother: she's overbearing, her mother was too, and she was also hoping to be very different to what her mother was to her.

now what i think is a vital thing to consider is the following: jane grew up in a household where she was physically and emotionally unsafe. she was hit for expressing normal teenage behaviour. it should be okay to sometimes not agree with your parents and pushing back at them. they should provide you with a safe method of communication for doing so but they never taught jane that. as a result, i think it's a very human response of people to try and make sure they deal with things differently when they get older; but that also can result in overcompensating behaviour.

my feeling is that jane is overly focused, i think unconsciously, on keeping in particular charlie safe, and in that sometimes loses sight on making him feel actually (emotionally) safe. because safe means to jane: performing well in school, not doing anything that might be dangerous, but also: keep in line with expected social behaviour. what is the safest thing, jane thinks? that your behaviour is perfect. because if you don't give others any reason to think you're being out of order (in whatever way), you will not get abuse. safe is being perfect, doing everything perfectly. you can and should control your life in such a way that it will be possible for things to be perfect.

and guess who feels that way too?

kids learn a lot more from their parents than they would think (or even like).

one of the most interesting changes from novel to tv series i think, is the change of having jane not being immediately supportive of nick from the get go; as it fits in quite well with jane's character trait of being focused on charlie's safety (and by extension julio's character, but he goes about this differently and quite honestly... can be quite of a wet wipe lol) and exercising control over his behaviour to make him safe in her own eyes. she wants him to be socially presentable ("please change out of your pyjamas to meet guests"), to focus on school work, and for him to listen to her when she says he needs to come home; in a sense i think she wants to be aware of where charlie is at a given time and not too stay out too late, because the night? that might be dangerous.

we have to remember that charlie was severely bullied only a year ago, and julio's constant reminders of charlie in s1 of please calling him when the situation gets out of hand with nick's circle of "friends", indicates to me that his parents were aware of the bullying, maybe being informed by ajayi bc i don't see charlie being able to tell that to his parents himself. so: nick's "sort" (tao mentions his circle as "exactly the sort of people who bullied [charlie]") are in jane's eyes boys to be weary of.

so when charlie tells his parents, jane doesn't totally trust it.

this is worsened when it turns out nick is also going on the paris trip. for charlie, that's not the only reason to on the trip at all, but the way the conversation goes with julio's comment that's the reason why he wants to go, this is where nick gets associated in her mind with charlie as something that she needs to be aware of and perhaps even intervene. to make sure he's safe. she needs to control the situation if it goes wrong.

which she does. almost immediately. when charlie shows behaviour out of the ordinary for him and the only cause she sees is nick; he's the new factor in all of this.

it's like she thinks if she doesn't completely nip this behaviour in the bud in a very hard way, all the bad things imaginable will come immediately. like charlie would flunk school within a few weeks. charlie, who's been a high achiever! julio's response is actually quite appropriate, i personally think: it's not a wonder that you're unfocused bc you have been spending time a lot (which we've seen! on screen!) but also i don't want ban you from seeing him completely, just set some boundaries.

interestingly enough, this is also due to charlie overly focusing his efforts on keeping nick essentially perfectly safe in his coming out as well; unfortunately, in that final scene shown above, he's just realised that he's got no control over nick's coming outs being perfect, as david has shown to be very biphobic and dismissive of nick in a way that neither nick or charlie had any say in or could even prevent from happening. jane has the option of trying to control things because she's his mother and has some authority over his life.

jane disappears in the show after this issue of charlie handing in his course work gets resolved for a while, so it does seem like she very much keeps to her word afterwards.

she comes back in time for some growth. tori rightly mentions that the family dinner is not something that their mum would totally enjoy bc tori has seen the criticism jane has regarding nick. but charlie does know nick, feels emotionally safe with him, especially after their convo in the louvre and nick being open about his dad, so charlie is right in saying nick, as a person not the idea that jane has of him by association, might convince her.

and he does.

nick can be trusted; nick has come out to his neglectful parent, chastised his older brother for being an asshole, mentions he feels happy with his life with charlie and living openly as his boyfriend and apologises to his mother for ruining the dinner (a sign of a well mannered boy!). and when sarah tells jane that this is something that she's never seen nick do and that must be of nick's deep care for charlie, jane thinks..

and comes around (a bit).

unfortunately, her overt focus on charlie's grades slipping being due to nick's influence in his life completely makes her neglect the signs that charlie is not eating well (that's something that is building up so gradually that i don't think she sees it as an option). there are some great metas on here by @ finnicksannie regarding this being one of the biggest reasons why charlie's grades are actually slipping.

all in all, i just want to close by saying this is a deeply traumatised mother parenting a deeply traumatised son and they both need time and therapy for a better understanding of the communication between them.

and i think the end of season 2 sets up a nice storyline about that quite nicely. jane accepts nick in their circle, but her communication with charlie has not been resolved; it's just a little tick towards her needing to trust charlie more. he's got good instincts. she's starting to realise.

this is all not an excuse. it's a set up for a responsibility on jane's part to work to communicate with charlie better. but life is life. and we're humans. sometimes we need to learn to grow.

and in the mean time, in the small moments, maybe with what you would say is the bare minimum, with not agreeing with charlie's self deprecation, jane does show her love of her son.

i don't think it's without reason that this was shown.

i have not read the novel solitaire / nick & charlie / this winter. feel free to add in comments if there's something in there too! but i do feel the series might incorporate jane's storyline maybe a little bit differently than from in the books; but it sounds like her controlling behaviour is a throughline to it all.

#heartstopper #heartstopperedit #heartstopper meta #charlie spring #jane spring #julio spring #nick nelson #narlie #my words #my edits #daddy issues the essay last season with nick's dad #mommy issues the essay now!

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barrowsteeth · 2 years

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The Subtle Art of Attraction

[note: long post + gif heavy meta ahead!]

Much has been said about the innocence of the Heartstopper tv series since it premiered. In season one, there is no drinking, no smoking or drug use, no swearing (much to the irritation of those who just want Nick Nelson to say f*ck since he does so regularly in the graphic novels). There is also little sexual content, and nothing beyond hand holding and some pretty innocent kissing. But this doesn’t mean pleasure takes a back seat in the series, and sometimes finding ways to show physical attraction in subtle ways, leaving it up to the viewer to interpret, makes for an equally satisfying experience. I feel Heartstopper excels in this area, particularly where Nick and Charlie are concerned. There are dozens of these moments and I couldn't possibly mention them all, so I'll highlight my favorites. Feel free to add yours to the comments so we can all obsess discuss. Now, let’s dive right into episode two, where we see the first hints of how Nick’s feelings for Charlie are changing.

Nick seems fairly oblivious to start, but everything changes the day Charlie visits his house and he notices Charlie’s haircut. In the previous scene, Tori said Charlie’s hair looks the same, which leads us to believe that Nick is a little hyper-focused on Charlie's appearance, at least enough to notice a subtle change in his hair length. He doesn’t hesitate to reach out and play with Charlie’s curls, and when Charlie asks if it looks bad, Nick starts to blurt out that Charlie looks good, before he catches himself, looks Charlie up and down, then corrects to say the haircut looks great. Subtlety is not a skill Nick Nelson has mastered.

We've all talked a lot about the scene in which Charlie tries to teach Nick how to play the drums, but it’s a turning point for Nick and I think it needs to be mentioned. My favorite part of the scene is when Charlie grabs Nick’s hands and starts tapping out the beat. They’re squished together on that little stool, Charlie’s hands tightly gripped around his own, and when Nick finally breaks his gaze away from their hands and looks at Charlie, the realization that something is different is clear on his face, even if he hasn’t quite put all the pieces together yet. I love the parallel between their hands touching in this scene and the next.

In the next scene, we see that Nick and Charlie have been sitting on the couch watching movies. Nick seems a little tired when he looks over to see that Charlie has fallen asleep next to him. Perhaps his defenses are down because of the late hour? We see everything start to slowly click into place in Nick’s mind. He starts by smiling fondly at Charlie but quickly lowers his gaze to Charlie’s mouth. His own mouth opens a little and he looks back up at Charlie, considering.

They are alone, the room is cozy and quiet except for the movie playing softly in the background, when we see Nick looking at Charlie’s upturned hand, practically asking to be held. Nick can’t resist hovering his hand over Charlie’s in this safe space. While the first experiment is short, Nick looks at Charlie’s mouth again after the first pass of his hand over Charlie’s, and he can’t resist going back for more. On the second pass, he holds his hand over Charlie’s for a much longer time, soaking up the imagined feeling of what it would be like to lower his hand just a little bit more and slot their fingers together. Is he remembering what it felt like when Charlie’s hands covered his own when they were sitting at the drum kit?

By the end of the scene Nick knows what he’s feeling, and what’s fascinating is that even after everything that’s happened so far, he doesn’t make excuses and run for the door, yet. Instead, he and Charlie have a lengthy goodbye and a spontaneous hug before Nick finally begins to panic and leaves.

We see a similar sizzle and fizz in episode three when Nick and Charlie are alone in the ballroom and have their first kiss, which is just as tentative and soft and sweet as anyone could have wished for. But while I adore their first kiss, it’s the second kiss that truly shows the physical attraction between them. This second kiss is more passionate, less controlled, and a little messier than the first. They now know they like kissing each other, but it’s too new and exciting to worry about technique and how their mouths fit together. This kiss is full of want, and while it’s still pretty innocent by tv standards, we can see how different this is than their first nervous kiss. Charlie’s hand cups Nick’s face before they kiss, then Nick pulls Charlie in closer by his shoulder. Mid-kiss, Charlie fists his other hand in Nick’s shirt, and when this kiss ends, Charlie’s hand slides down so he’s gripping Nick’s shirt in both of his hands. They don’t separate right away after this second kiss and while we can see Nick is a little shocked and awestruck, the panic doesn’t settle in until he hears Harry’s voice.

The morning after the party, there’s an entirely different tension between our boys when Nick shows up unexpectedly at Charlie’s house. Neither is sure how the other is feeling since Nick ran off after their kiss the night before. When they retreat to Charlie’s room, we see Charlie looking at Nick as he takes off his rain-soaked sweatshirt. This isn’t the first time Charlie has seen Nick’s body; they’re on the rugby team together and we’ve seen Nick without his shirt in the changing room before practice. But that isn’t a safe place to look at another boy’s body, especially not for an out gay kid like Charlie. While the circumstances are not ideal, Charlie can’t help but look in the privacy of his own room. Of course Charlie being Charlie, he quickly averts his eyes when he catches himself looking, adding to the guilt weighing on his mind.

Thankfully, Nick and Charlie are back on track the next morning and this time, they can barely (read: cannot at all) contain their excitement when they see each other in form the next morning. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to watch them say hi to each other without smiling like a fool – and happily so! A few hours later, we find Nick waiting for Charlie in Mr Ajayi’s art room. Charlie pokes fun at Nick for saying he missed him after only four hours apart, but honestly, if you are Charlie Spring, you are probably bursting with joy hearing the boy you like say this to you! The boys are still all smiles as they banter and tease, and Charlie pulls Nick’s hand to his under the table. This is all really new, and scary for Nick especially, but it’s also exciting and fun, and joyful. They are simply happy to be alone together, to be able to openly flirt and smile and touch, however secretly, in the sanctuary of the art room.

I’m running out of room for gifs so I’m going to skip over episode five, since I went into great detail about the arcade scene in another post, and move right on to my favorite episode in the series, Girls. So much happens to advance Nick and Charlie’s relationship in episode six, it almost – almost – could have been a happy season finale.

We first see Nick and Charlie spending time together on a blanket in the park with Nellie. Nick asks Charlie about how he knew he was gay and it’s clear he’s trying to work through his uncertainty about his sexuality. I love how this scene opens because we’ve just seen Nick have his big Pirates of the Caribbean moment, after which he watched the vlogger talk about bisexuality. But now he’s ready to open up a little bit more to Charlie. He asks him questions and includes him in the conversation. He doesn't divulge much, yet, but this is the first time we’ve seen them openly discuss it, and it feels like a big step that they’ve reached this point.

When Nick gets frustrated with himself, Charlie tries to lighten the mood and takes his hand before asking Nick if he wants to kiss under the guise of helping him figure things out. This moment is so adorable and soft it makes my toes curl, but I also think it shows how comfortable they’ve become with casual physical intimacy.

After some playful banter, Nick reaches out for Charlie’s hands and pulls him back down to the blanket. They’re out together in public, tucked in next to an old tree for a little privacy. And while Charlie initially looks around before taking Nick’s hand, and their almost-kiss is interrupted before it starts, the lead up to the kiss sparks with attraction. Nick looks like the only thing he wants in the entire world is to kiss Charlie, which is understandable because Charlie looks absolutely kissable!

When I started planning this post, I was only going to focus on this next scene – in which Nick and Charlie are doing their homework in Charlie’s room – because it is packed with little moments that show how much these boys are attracted to one another, but also how far they’ve come in their relationship. So let’s dig deep into all of my favorite moments.

We start off with a beautiful, long shot of Charlie watching Nick. What I love most about this scene is how much time Charlie is given to simply look at Nick and appreciate the physicality of him. In the graphic novel, Nick is caught staring at Charlie in this scene, but I actually prefer that they changed the point of view in the tv series. We’re given ample opportunity to see Nick’s soppy love face (my favorite thing in the entire world, to be honest) throughout season one, and a lot of the focus is on Nick’s journey. But Charlie is on his own journey, and I think it’s important that he’s given the screen time here. In addition to leveling things up a little bit, I think this scene in particular has special significance for Charlie.

Charlie is an out, gay boy, the only one in his entire school. He had a sort-of relationship with Ben for a few months, but it was always clandestine. They met in the shadows to kiss occasionally but they weren’t boyfriends. Ben never came to his house. Ben never acknowledged knowing Charlie in front of anyone. Their relationship was limited to secret rendezvous in dark corners, only on Ben’s timeline and on Ben’s terms. Even though Nick and Charlie are tucked away in Charlie’s room, and they aren’t out to the world as a couple, they have established a relationship by this point and have talked about how much they like each other. As Charlie said in the art room in episode four, it is completely different than it was with Ben.

So it’s because of this that I’m thrilled that Charlie gets to have focus in this scene. The guy he likes so much is in his room, casually doing his homework, and Charlie is given all the time in the world to just stare and appreciate how attractive he finds Nick. The lighting highlights Nick’s entire body, not just his face, and Charlie just stares and stares and lets his mind wander. He twiddles with his pen and just keeps on looking, and it gives the viewer time to wonder what he’s thinking.

Even after Nick catches him staring, and Charlie’s eyes flick back up to Nick’s face, it takes Charlie a second to get a hold of himself. Then he tosses his pen at Nick to break the tension. In reality, it’s only seven or eight seconds before Nick looks up and sees Charlie watching him, but in a 22 minute episode, every second counts. It feels like a conscious decision to show that it’s a perfectly normal, wonderful, and exciting thing to be able to simply look at the person you’re attracted to and take the time to savor it.

But of course, the scene that makes me feel Nick and Charlie’s attraction deep in my bones comes next, after Nick tells Charlie he told Tara and Darcy they’re going out. Charlie’s face is a mix of disbelief and joy when he tackles Nick to the floor. Nick gives Charlie the most bewildered look when Charlie breaks their kiss to ask him if he’s sure he wanted to come out to the girls. When they begin to kiss again, Nick flips Charlie over so Charlie is underneath him, completely wrapped up in him, then dives back in for another kiss.

The viewer doesn’t see a lot of actual kissing in this part of the scene, but the boys’ body language – Charlie’s arms tightening around Nick’s body, his fists bunched in Nick’s sweatshirt – shows the viewer how different and intense these kisses are. The rest is left to our imagination.

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theyarerealtome · 1 year

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Ok, but let’s talk for a minute about just how good Nick and Charlie are for each other?? Not only romantically, but how their lifepaths are genuinely changed for the better because of their relationship?

Like, we know Charlie gave Nick the positive queer experience he himself never got to have and supported him through figuring out his sexuality. And Nick helps Charlie rebuild himself after Ben and the bullying, and his eating disorder.

It made me think about how things could have gone if they hadn’t met when they did. Beyond the aw-they-wouldn’t-get-to-meet-their-soulmate-☹ and to the sad, wider implications of not knowing each other.

Sorry for the incoming Way Too Long Ramble about what if Mr Lange had done the seating plan differently.

TW for discussions of canon eating disorders, self-harm and sexual assault.

Charlie

First off, I think Charlie would still break things off with Ben after seeing him with a girlfriend. But the big difference is there’s no Nick to discover Ben assaulting him, and to subsequently confide in about their relationship and reaffirm that Ben is the terrible, awful person.

So, we’re looking at a Charlie who is still carrying this toxic secret alone that could damage and tear away at his self-esteem even more than canon where he fairly quickly gets to build a healthy, loving relationship with Nick who actively combats a lot of the shit that Ben told him

(I wonder if eventually Charlie would have told Tori more?? About the guy who ‘made him feel like it would be better if he didn’t exist’. I hope so, because Charlie, my beloved, while you are an actual angel for not outing that piece of dickweed to anyone, you’re allowed to tell someone)

(Don’t even want to get into if the assault would have progressed further without Nick there. Probably Ben wouldn’t have gone beyond kissing. But it would still be more traumatic, and Nick’s discovery meant Ben was warier about coming near Charlie afterwards. Whereas no Nick means Charlie is constantly on guard avoiding Ben)

More under the cut.

Unquestionably Charlie still develops his eating disorder - and chances are it’s quicker and more severe than in canon, with all this extra crap going on.

The one bit of hope is that while it might take longer for other non-Nick people to notice his ED, I’m sure they would. Charlie still has a good support network, and someone – Tori, Tao, Elle, Isaac/Aled, Mr Ajayi – would pick up on it.

But still getting help, and his recovery process (especially around self-harm) would be much longer, and more painful given Nick was the one who first got through to Charlie and helped him talk to his parents.

And Tori and Nick were both the biggest supports for Charlie through it all – without Nick, poor Tori has so much more on her shoulders.

The events of Solitaire end up being even darker, as Nick/Charlie are basically the main bright spot in all that. So, you have an even sadder Charlie and Tori

When the air clears after an incredibly shitty few years you’d have a 16/17-year-old Charlie who is working on his ED, self-harm, and mental health, but bottom line is it’s a much more painful journey, and he’s probably more impacted by everything with Ben.

In terms of the wider friend group, probably the Paris Squad Charlie/Tao/Tara/Darcy/Aled-Isaac/Sahar unit still develops. Because Elle was really the one who connected the girls with the guys. So, at least Charlie would have that

But with wider popularity? Canonically he ends up Head Boy and is friendly with a lot of people. I’m thinking without joining the rugby team, expanding his social circle, and having Nick to build his confidence we’re seeing a more reserved version of Charlie. Maybe he’d just be like a prefect or something but not quite head boy?

So, by the end of high school you’ve got a recovering Charlie heading off to uni, but he’s carrying a lot of self-loathing and emotional scars that Nick chipped away at.

Nick

It feels like in the shorter-term Nick’s situation would be better than Charlie’s – but longer term everything goes to shit.

Initially not much would change – he’d play rugby, he’d have his friends who he doesn’t actually like but is accepted by, he’s in a group where he can never be fully himself

Basically, Nick is ok but he’s not happy – and not even fully aware of how ‘not-happy’ he is

Harry would still have pushed Tara & Nick together at his birthday and Tara might still have come out to him. But without Nick’s sexuality crisis or talking about his openly gay “probably-my-best-friend-right-now” I don’t think they would have connected so quickly

And he never would have been at the orchestra practice to see her again and plan lunch together, milkshake dates etc. So that means no befriending Tara/Darcy and not connecting with the Paris Squad

Things with Imogen would have developed in a similar way: chances are peak peer-pressured Nick would still be bulldozed into going on their date, but without his relationship with Charlie to enable him to cancel, you’re looking at it being dragged out way longer - it’s a question of how many dates they go on before Nick calls things off

Yeah, he would have stopped before they actually became boyfriend/girlfriend, but it’s still a much stickier situation all round and one that leaves him more alienated

Then he’d still go on the Paris trip but probably ends up rooming with Harry and co. so much less fun all round

On the friend’s front – he’d still have Sai/Otis-Omar/Christian, but in canon it seems like their friendship deepened when Nick got together with Charlie, and a line was drawn over who Nick’s true friends were?? Without that happening, their friendship likely stays more surface level and shallow

Similarly, I’m not seeing a Charlie-less version of Nick having the confidence to confront Stéphane and David

Coming out as bi, having Charlie to confide in about his feelings, and just generally being able to be more himself – all that contributed to Nick calling both of them out on their shit. Without those circumstances, you’ve got a more people-pleasing Nick who pushes his own feelings down, so nothing real gets addressed and both relationships remain toxic and distant.

Obviously the massive, massive question is when and how Nick has his “full-on gay crisis.” And that’s kind of impossible to say. It could still be at Truham over another guy, or might not be until after school (maybe at uni)

There are a hundred ways that could go – but I think the key thing is that without Charlie, the chances are Nick’s sexuality journey wouldn’t be nearly as positive or healthy. (Honestly, it’s often missed just how supportive and essential Charlie was through it all, and how wonderful it was that Nick got such a sweet first (only) boyfriend).

Also remember, Charlie is the only out guy at Truham – if Nick falls for someone else at school then they’re either straight or closeted, and Nick is hit with feelings that he has to deal with on his own

There’s no Charlie to make the first move, no Charlie to hold Nick while he’s breaking down, no Charlie to tell him it’s ok to figure things out, no Paris Squad to provide queer community, no Tara/Darcy to talk to. It’s Nick alone in his room with BuzzFeed quizzes and articles on conversion therapy

Luckily he does still have Sarah and he might confide in her at an earlier point than in canon, but in terms of actual friends to talk to? ☹

Again, as with Charlie, Nick would eventually be ok. He’d figure it out – but it would be a hell of a lot of lonelier, and he’d probably never come out or act on anything while still at Truham

If his sexuality crisis happened post-school (likely uni) …possibly that would be better?? Uni is less of a cesspool, he wouldn’t be as trapped with people like Harry, and could at least connect with LGBTQI+ groups on campus etc. But on the flipside, it’s a Nick whose had years more of repressing his true self so there would be more to untangle

Overall, whether he’s realised he’s bi or not, by the end of school you’re left with Nick who is doing fine enough and seems content, but is much less anchored in himself, represses important parts of who he is, and lacks a real, close community

Idk, what other people think. This is all assuming that Nick and Charlie don’t meet later during school (e.g., if Nick reached out to the collection of queer students at Truham during his bi crisis).

But basically, all that long ramble was saying that a Nick and Charlie without each other is a very sad thing to think about, and they’re 100% a couple who make each other better, happier versions of themselves <3

(Also sorry this is a frankenstein combo of Netflix and comics heartstopper. basically it just takes everything across both universes into account. Plus Solitaire, This Winter, N&C etc.

#heartstopper analysis #heartstopper meta #nick x charlie #I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again #Nick helped Charlie heal and recover from his emotional and psychological scars #But Charlie helped prevent Nick from ever getting scarred in the first place #Charlie meant that Nick never had an abusive first relationship like Ben #Charlie keeping Nick’s secrets and giving him a support network meant he never got bullied #Not even touching the implied suicide mention in Solitaire. I always assumed that happened during the height of the bullying and was pre-Nic #but Charlie's self-harm would definitely be worse #this was the most random rant #and I know there are a million fanfics centered on if-they-didn't-meet-AU #but this was trying to stick as close to canon as possible and not actually write any new content #basically you get a Charlie with lower self-esteem and a Nick with lower self-knowledge #and both with lower happiness #so this was sort of a happy rant in the end #narlie #charlie spring #nick nelson

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justalittleobsessedhere · 2 years

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Parents, Teachers, and Siblings in Heartstopper

Being a little older than the target audience for heartstopper, one of the parts of the show that stuck out to me from the first watch was the presence of the adult figures. In so many teen-focused shows, the adults don't exist and the kids are left to figure it out on their own, or the adults are only there to be some sort of obstacle or challenge to overcome. This makes sense as this is the part of life where we start transitioning from our family units to creating our own communities, but in heartstopper, there is a recognition that these adults still play a role in our lives.

Most people can easily name Nick's mom (aka Sarah Nelson) or the art teacher (Mr. Ajayi) and a lot has been written about them. They serve as real guides for Nick and Charlie respectively. I think the key quality they both share is they are listeners. When Nick and Charlie are there to talk, they put down what they are doing, and they listen. They answer the questions and give advice. They don't tell what to do. It's kind of the opposite of what we think the job of an adult is. It embraces the idea that these teens have reached a point where they have their own experiences and should be trusted to decide their own best way forward.

The one adult who sticks out the most, though, is Charlie's dad, Julio. He's in the show two times, basically as Charlie's chauffeur. But when he's there, he's really there. When he picks Charlie up from Harry’s party, he can see that Charlie is distraught, and what he offers is comfort. The hug and comforting words that he offers to Charlie are so gentle and kind. He doesn’t try to pry the information out of Charlie or fix his problems. When he picks Charlie up from the movies, he can see Charlie is in distress, but again, he doesn’t press. He opens the door for Charlie to share, and, when Charlie doesn’t, he respects the choice and gets Charlie away from the distressing situation. This sort of quiet, loving support shows a real respect and kindness in his parenting.

On the other hand, we see Charlie’s mom once, and it is kind of a non-event if you don’t know the rest of the story. But when you look deeper, you see the seeds of the dysfunction in their relationship. She’s completely oblivious to the obvious emotional tension between Nick and Charlie. Nick is literally standing in the foyer soaking wet without a coat or umbrella. Shouldn’t that register as odd or at least elicit a query if everything is alright? But it doesn’t. Instead, she feels the need to highlight the need to keep their meeting short and then chastise Charlie for not changing out of his pajamas first! It’s subtle but lays the groundwork for the strife to come.

Let’s talk about Tori, too. While Tori is only a year older than Charlie, she plays a big role in Charlie’s life and support system. This is an important positive familial relationship. She can tell when Charlie is going through something, even from him just staring at his bowl, and encourages him to name what he wants for himself. She’s subtle in her warnings and fierce in her need to protect him. This isn’t just typical older sister love. This is genuine care and support, and, as she’s more Charlie’s contemporary, she gets a real insight into why he needs this. Hers is the most informed and necessary adult presence in his life — even if she’s just on the edge of being an adult.

I want to also add Coach Singh briefly. She’s in the background of the action and manages to drop a line here and there. You see her really trying to make him a part of the team with her encouragement. She’s a little more prominent in her support in the comic, but there is one moment in the show that really stuck out for me. When Charlie goes to quit the rugby team, she is truly excited to see him. And when Charlie tells her he wants to quit, she really wants him to stay and asks if it’s the other boys. Charlie doesn’t really notice how she’s trying to help, though. She’s a subtle supportive character that I would guess will have more to say next season… if the comics play out onto the screen.

In conclusion, once again, I am impressed with how much Alice Oseman managed to fit into four hours of amazing television.

#heartstopper #nick nelson #charlie spring #heartstopper tv #heartstopper gifs #heartstopper meta #alice oseman #mr ajayi #sarah nelson #julio spring #jane spring #coach singh #tori spring

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