(If this all doesn’t sound queer enough, Oscar-winning gay icon Olivia Colman shows up in a small, secret cameo as Nick’s mother, which made me think I was having a gay fever dream.) Soon, Charlie falls for Nick (Kit Connor), an older and sportier boy, who seems like everything Charlie isn’t, but may have more in common with him than they first realize. He’s friends with Tao (William Gao) and the introverted Isaac (Tobie Donovan), though they all miss their friend Elle (Yasmin Finney), who moved to the local girls’ school after coming out as transgender. Based on a webcomic turned graphic novel by Alice Oseman, who also wrote the series, it centers on Charlie (Joe Locke), a sweet young teen who was outed the previous year but is now finding his way as the only openly gay kid at an English all-boys high school. It boasts an astonishing 100% Fresh rating from critics on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, where it was described as “an inclusive romance told with striking sensitivity” and “so effortlessly charming that viewers won’t dare skip a beat.” The teen rom-com was also the most-tweeted-about show over the weekend, according to Variety, and has exploded in popularity on TikTok. Almost immediately, it launched into the streaming giant’s top 10 most-watched shows. Heartstopper debuted last week and became an instant hit.
