Cue the leaves, Heartstopper Season 3 is coming — and as Nick and Charlie’s relationship deepens, our favorites will face their biggest emotional challenges yet.
You may recall, moments before Heartstopper Season 2 concludes, Charlie (Joe Locke) and Nick (Kit Connor) further solidify their feelings for each other in a deeply emotional conversation. As vulnerable and honest as their heart-to-heart is, it seems there are things still left unsaid.
“I love your hair. I love your eyes. I love…,” Nick says to Charlie, his words fading into an unfinished sentence. Moments later, Charlie has to leave, but as he walks home with his phone in hand, he types a message to Nick: “I love you.” Charlie’s thumb hovers over the “send” button as the episode ends.
Now, series creator and writer Alice Oseman is dishing about what to expect from the next installment of Heartstopper. “Season 2 ended with Nick beginning to understand the extent of Charlie’s mental health issues, and it’s this that will drive the story through Season 3,” Oseman told Netflix. “While Heartstopper will always celebrate the joyful and point towards hope, I’m really excited that we are allowing the tone of the show to mature alongside our beloved characters growing up. Mental health, sex, university ambitions, and more: Nick, Charlie, and the Heartstopper teens are getting older, learning more about themselves and each other, and experiencing new desires, new fears, and new joys as they approach adulthood.”
The conclusion of Season 2 follows the spirit of the original comics, which were also written and illustrated by Oseman, but also diverges a bit. “In the comics, there are a couple of moments where Charlie thinks he’s going to say ‘I love you’ and then decides not to, but the actual cliff-hanger at the end of Season 2 is not something that is in the comics,” Oseman told Tudum in an interview earlier this year.
Whether the finale of Season 2 left you sitting there wide-eyed, trying to will Charlie’s finger to press “send,” or teary-eyed from the moving exchange you’d just witnessed, you’re probably dying for more information on when Nick, Charlie, and the gang will be back in your life. So, let’s talk about what to expect in the future.
When is Heartstopper Season 3 out?
Heartstopper Season 3 comes to Netflix this October.
What will happen in Heartstopper Season 3?
The Season 3 premiere, suitably titled “Love,” picks up with Charlie eager to tell Nick that he loves him, and Nick holding on to something important he has to say to Charlie. As the summer holiday ends and the months race on, the friends begin to realize that the school year will come with both its joys and its challenges. As they learn more about each other and their relationships, plan social events and parties, and start thinking about university choices, everyone must learn to lean on those they love when life doesn’t go to plan.
As far as significant changes go, it’s been established that Ben (Sebastian Croft) won’t be returning in Season 3, but Oseman isn’t revealing anything else about the show’s future beyond that.
“People who have read the comics will know what’s going to happen, but I don’t want to spoil it for people who haven’t been reading the comics,” Oseman said. “I think [Season 2’s ending] just sets up that conversation for next season. We know that Charlie loves Nick, and I think we know that Nick loves Charlie as well. It’s just about when and how they’re going to say that to each other.”
When is Heartstopper Season 3 filming?
As announced on Oct. 2, Heartstopper Season 3 is “officially in production” — so you can officially start getting excited for the next chapter. What does the future hold for your favorite characters? You’ll find out soon enough, because it’s all coming together!
Are there any new characters in Heartstopper Season 3?
Yes, there will be. Oseman hopped on Instagram to announce another Heartstopper graphic novel character is joining Season 3: Michael Holden, played by Darragh Hand. Michael is also a protagonist in Oseman’s first novel, Solitaire. Oseman described Michael as a “quirky, eccentric optimist with a sunshine disposition.” In Oseman’s novels, Michael is a love interest for Charlie’s older sister, Tori (Jenny Walser).
“I was very nervous and excited to begin the search for our Michael… It was a challenge to find someone who I felt truly channelled Michael from the books,” Oseman wrote on Instagram. “But then Darragh came along and warmed our hearts, made us all laugh so much, and perfectly complimented Jenny Walser’s Tori Spring.”
What should I do while I wait for Season 3?
In the meantime, you can uncover all of the Easter eggs in Season 2 that you might have missed on your first watch, lose yourself to the show’s heartfelt soundtrack, or spend a bit more time with Locke.
Additional reporting by Ariana Romero.
-Hi.
Watch Two Heartstopper Stars Award Superlatives to Costars — and Each Other
