One reason I love Heartstopper is that it feels realistic without being too graphic. We get the point without needing to see every terrible thing dragged across the screen. The characters also feel very real. I think many viewers can see themselves in these characters or relate to them on a deep level. Season 2, now streaming on Netflix, expands on this further by showing more of the characters’ home lives and how they interact with their families.
Some of the kids on Heartstopper have great parents and solid relationships with them. Tara’s mom lets her be her proud lesbian self, but does remind Tara (Corinna Brown) to keep things under wraps when her conservative grandma is around. Elle’s mom helps Elle (Yasmin Finney) pick out outfits while still doing the mom thing of telling Elle her skirt is too short. Both Tara and Elle are secure with themselves and overall seem pretty happy. But each kid on the show has different experiences with their parents. Let’s look closer at how the characters are shaped by those who are raising them.
The good parenting shows
My favorite supportive parents, though, belong to Nick (Kit Connor) and Tao (William Gao). Nick’s mom, played by Olivia Colman, is a single parent who listens to Nick and his needs. I loved in season 1 when he felt down (while internally struggling with his sexuality), and she suggested pizza and a movie. When Nick came out to her as bisexual, she was supportive. Also in season 2, she rips into her ex-husband and older son for being awful and homophobic towards Nick. This lady is amazing.
Tao’s mom, played by Momo Yeung, isn’t in the show as much as Nick’s mom but her presence is felt. Everyone wants to move in with Tao because of his mom’s stellar cooking. Also a single parent, Tao’s mom supports her son so much. When Tao finally tells Elle his feelings for her, his mom has to tell the family because she’s so happy for him. Tao is one of my favorite characters on the show because he is so weird and awkward, but he’s secure in himself. Probably because his mom is fantastic. Nick tells Tao he admires him because he “cares about his friends so loudly.” Both boys shine, in part, because of how their parents listen and care for them.
The bad parenting also shows
With the good, we also have to see the bad. Charlie (Joe Locke) lives with both of his parents and while they aren’t terrible, they are very removed from his needs. They don’t think he needs help when he is so obviously struggling. One of Charlie’s major ongoing problems is being at the same school as Ben, who once secretly dated Charlie. Ben (Sebastian Croft) admits one reason he is terrible is that his parents would never accept him for being gay or bisexual, so he takes that pain out on other kids.
However, I think Darcy’s mom gets the award for the worst parent on the show. Darcy (Kizzy Edgell) is almost always being her extra self. She’s proud to be a lesbian and proud to be with her girlfriend, Tara. She’s totally weird and totally cool with that. Yet she keeps her home life a secret from Tara and the others. In season 2 we see her go home and before she enters, we see animated purple toxic clouds spilling out from under the door. Darcy tries on the suit she bought for prom and her mom laughs at her saying derogatorily, “Take that off, you look like a lesbian.” Her mom doesn’t understand her wonderfully unique daughter at all. Darcy can’t take her mom’s toxicity anymore and runs away. While her friends worry about her, Darcy’s mom doesn’t seem to care that her daughter is missing.
My heart broke when Darcy sat in a park and watched a mom care for her little girl on the playground. Her pain was so obvious. She just wanted her mom to take care of her. Darcy tells her friends that she hides when she’s at home because her mom makes her hate herself. Some people have moms like Tao’s or Nick’s, while some of us get the short straws with toxic messes like Darcy. As painful as it is, I love that Heartstopper shows both sides of the coin. At least Darcy has solid friends that will help her through it. Yet it is a reminder that how parents treat their children shapes these little people and will stick with them for the rest of their lives. Just be kind, people.
(featured image: Netflix)
