Heartstopper – Season 2 Episode 1 “Out” Recap & Review

Out

Episode 1 of Heartstopper Season 2 begins with Charlie and Nick texting back and forth as they get ready for school. Tori (Charlie’s sister) can’t help but sigh as she watches a giddy Charlie reply to Nick’s texts. 

They finally see each other at school and sneak into what looks like a storage room on the school grounds. Nick shares that he came out to his mom the previous night and she was pleased for him. Charlie is happy and proud of him and they immediately get into a kissing fest. 

These two have been quite happy since the last time we saw them at the beach. They are in the honeymoon phase of their relationship and enjoying each other’s company. There is only one little drawback and that is Nick is yet to come out to his friends, so they are still keeping the relationship a secret at school. 

However, Charlie is okay with this and wants him to come out on his own time. Talk about boyfriend goals! Tao and Isaac also think that is okay and are fully supportive of Charlie’s new relationship. But then again, Charlie seems so happy, how can they oppose to Nick? On the other hand, Nick is hoping to come out to a few friends but he is not ready yet. Charlie wants to help him feel comfortable and Tao thinks everything will be fine. 

Speaking of Tao, he is playing a dangerous game of refusing to admit he likes Elle. At least Elle has told her girlfriends about her crush on Tao, however, Tao is in complete denial. Elle confides in Tara and Darcy that she is worried Tao doesn’t feel the same and, that her feelings might ruin their friendship. They advise her to flirt with Tao and see how it goes. It doesn’t go well.

Back to Nick, he and Imogen agree to be friends. She excitedly tells him about her new dog and her new crush but she skimps on the details. Now we are definitely curious about who has caught her eye!

Meanwhile, an announcement is made for Year 11 students to meet at the hall for their mandatory revision of GSCE studies. The exams are only two weeks away and they best get studying.  Nick is frustrated to see he has been seated with Ben. Honestly, we are not excited to see Ben too but it is what it is!

Mr Farouk starts the class with a list of rules and gives Nick a warning for using his phone. During the class, Ben tries to plead his side of the story to Nick who couldn’t care less. The day doesn’t get better for Nick as he also has a tough time during rugby rehearsal. Lucky for him, Charlie gifts him his favourite chocolate bar at the end of the day and cheers him up. 

They narrowly escape being caught kissing as they celebrate their two-month anniversary. Charlie worries Nick will be outed once they get caught. Nick promises to come out to Imogen and is hoping they can be officially out by the time they go for the school Paris trip.

Later that weekend, Charlie takes advantage of his parent’s being away and has a sleepover with his friends. He tells his sister he wants the weekend to be perfect for when Nick tells Imogen about them. 

Charlie’s friends, Tara, Darcy, Isaac, Tao, and Elle are joined by Nick and Imogen and they all have a great time. Tao and Elle try to ignore their feelings for each other and act as friends. Tao tries to help her feel confident about getting into an Art school she desperately wants. They come so close to kissing but refrain. Tao is so deep in denial, he snaps at Nick for barely mentioning Elle. 

Nick also has a hard time telling Imogen about his new relationship and Charlies does his best to assure him it is okay. By the end of the night, he finally gets the courage to come clean to Imogen but she had already guessed and is happy for them. Nick explains he is bisexual and she gives him a hug. 

Later that night, Elle shares with the girls that the flirting didn’t work and she will need to let Tao go. Tara and Darcy comfort her. On the other end of the room, Nick and Charlie text each other about how it felt coming out to Imogen. The next morning they say their goodbyes and Nick kisses Charlie in front of everyone. 

Charlie’s parents return and they talk about the upcoming Paris trip. Charlie informs them that he is dating Nick and they are surprised. They didn’t assume Nick is gay because he is sporty! His parents add new rules that he can’t spend alone time with Nick in his room.

Tori checks in with Charlie if he is okay with publicly dating Nick. Charlie is hopeful that he can protect Nick from bullying and that everything will be perfect. 

The Episode Review

Season 2 starts off well and we can only pray they don’t break our hearts. It is also great that they still incorporated visual aids to add flair to the story. 

It is beautiful that Charlie is still so positive that he can protect Nick but he needs to grasp reality. That is quite an impossible task and he will be crushed when he realizes sometimes, we can’t protect the people we love. We still hope they get to enjoy their relationship despite the homophobic bullies that come their way.  

Secondly, we have Tara and Darcy, who are still going strong. The only thing left is for Tao and Elle to finally define their friendship anew. What do you think, will they end up together by the end of the season? Let us dive into the next episode to find out!