Crush

I am in love, that giddy sort where you want to tell everyone about your new love, and your heart leaps every time someone mentions them. One of the features of a crush is the need to mention them as often as possible to anyone who will listen. So, I am going to gush - look away if it is too painful. 

My new love is Alice Oseman's Heartstopper series. I had read some of the graphic novels and webcomic and thought it was beautifully done, but missed the Netflix series when it first appeared. I've made up for it since. 

The TV series is a real gem, a shining jewel which has unfrozen my cynical old heart. There have been a lot of reviews celebrating the inclusivity and importance of authentic casting and the representation of the LGBTQ+ teen experience in this series, and they absolutely are some of the reasons it is so successful but not the only ones.  Using fresh takes on romcom tropes, idealised and pure of heart it may be, but these feel like real 3D teens navigating their lives in all their complexities, unblinkered, sometimes fearful, but moving forward towards a future that they are defining for themselves. What is so wonderful is how although these are specific experiences being played out, such as being an out gay or lesbian teenager, or a trans girl, 'the token straight friend',  or figuring out that your sexuality isn't what you thought, these stories unique to individuals are used to illustrate the universal human experience of growing up, making and keeping friendships and falling in love. These are not 'other' in any sense but are all of us. We have all been Charlie or the new girl at school. It's a shame that it has taken so long to get here. 

 Another notable thing is the sheer joy captured here - it's full of love in every single scene. I have re-watched it again (well it wouldn't be a crush without the tv watching equivalent of 'accidentally' walking past your beloved's house) and what strikes me at second watch is the craft used to put this together. It seeps quality and attention to detail, from the sensitive direction (by Eros Lyn) of Alice Oseman's script, through the engaging colour palette, to the way that the graphic novel roots of this story are integral to the visual experience and storytelling, with whole scenes lifted straight from the original page, and then the animation which highlights the emotional states of the protaganists. Add the soundtrack and I'm lost - a thing of beauty - just watch the party scene with that Chvrches track to see what I mean. 

 And then, the young cast are inspirational - talent dripping off them all, not just the leads. All in their teens, beautiful, articulate in a way that I certainly wasn't at 17/18 years old, fierce and proud, and giving me so much hope for the future. I love them all. Kit Connor as Nick has the key emotional journey in this first series, and he handles the beautifully written and choreographed scenes with real sensitivity; some of his scenes are still making me cry. Joe Locke absolutely nails Charlie, the other lead and protagonist. He has the biggest rollercoaster journey in the next series if it stays true to the books, and I can't wait to see how he and the team handle it. 

 Netflix has greenlit a series 2 and 3, and although I have now been through their whole output to date, the final Heartstopper book is due from Alice Oseman this year, and as Alice is still only 20-something, I am hoping there's a lot more to love in the future. This crush isn't going away quickly - send help! 

  

EDIT: Just tucking this in here so I can find it again as it made me laugh .... 'and came out to the Queen of England'