The series matures together with its characters in the third season, which will premiere on Netflix this Thursday (3).
On a freezing November day in 2023, we went to a school on the outskirts of London. It seemed empty and unimportant, except for one telltale sign: “Truham High.”
In fact, that abandoned-looking building is the setting of the series. Heart stopperNetflix sensation. And on the day of our visit, filming was underway on the third season, which is scheduled for release on October 3.
Inside the building, the bustle one would normally expect in a school hallway gives way to the organized chaos of a movie set. The interior of the school was covered in colorful murals, painted in the style of British writer Alice Oseman’s illustrated novels, which inspired the series.
Professor Ajayi’s art room is instantly recognisable.
In the first two seasons, it was a safe place for actor Joe Locke’s character, Charlie, in difficult times. During our visit, he is joined by Kit Connor, who plays Nick.
The producers are tight-lipped about the details of what will be shot, but tell us “it’s a pretty intense scene.”
They control the number of people in the room with the actors during the most emotional scenes. Dozens of crew members gather silently in the next room, intently watching the monitors as the actors take multiple takes.
The third season of Heartstopper deals with more serious themes than the first two. Charlie’s eating disorder will be a big part of the plot, and some characters will have sex for the first time.
“We’ve always said that the show grows with the characters, and that’s certainly the case this year,” Locke says during a brief pause before the next scene. “The series deals with heavier themes, like mental health and coming of age, so it has a lot of ‘adolescence’ to it.”
Heart stopper was praised for showing “queer joy”, highlighting the positive elements of growing up as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. But Locke stresses that it’s important to ensure it’s realistic.
“It’s all about authenticity and trying to portray a very intense subject and very close to people’s hearts, in the most truthful way possible,” he explains.
Connor and Locke joked that it was hard to get used to kissing their friend on camera. And, with all the actors so close, they admit it might feel awkward filming some of the show’s most passionate scenes.
“When you shoot seven and a half hours like we did [para] a slightly more fiery scene, we thought, is this my job?” says Connor.
During our visit, it’s clear that the cast’s chemistry goes beyond just appearing on screen. During our interviews, they joke inside themselves and have sweet fun with each other. Connor says this helps on the toughest days on set.
“After the shoot, we all gathered in someone’s apartment and spent some time together,” he says. “We have a great way to do this without talking about work or anything like that.”
“We all go home, cook dinner, and critique each other’s cooking techniques. [Joe Locke] this time I made really good chili (spicy Mexican style ground beef)… last time it was really, really bad. This time, Will, who plays Tao, has done it again… but he’ll eat anything.”
The friendship between the actors may be real, but some of the most symbolic locations in the series are actually fixed modules and are set up within the school, as needed.
During our visit, Nick’s room was set up in what would have been the school’s sports hall.
There is no lighting because there are no scenes planned for this place today. We can then explore using the mobile phone’s flashlight. And, even in low light, the attention to detail is evident.
From books about bisexuality to photos of Nick and Charlie together, they do their best to make the room a true reflection of the characters’ journey over the course of the series.
“Fans really look at everything and come up with theories about even the smallest details… you have to see some of the TikToks they make,” says one team member.
Down the hall from Nick’s room is the costume department. Adam Dee, the costume designer, says he likes to include items that megafans can identify.
“If there is a scene with the open wardrobe, we will include some symbolic pieces from previous seasons, so the audience can identify them,” according to him.
“[A personagem] Elle has a sewing table in her room and we’ve been able to add some items to her wardrobe, whether made from two other items that we sew together, or used scarves that we turn into tops.”
Unexpected success
The success of Heart stopper it was something of a surprise for Netflix.
The first season was released with very little publicity and became one of the 10 most-watched series in the English language two days after its release.
It received a rare 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, something many critics attribute to the portrayal of diversity on screen.
In season three, some of the show’s older characters turn 16 and start having sex.
Yasmin Finney’s character, Elle, is transgender. She will appear as she begins a sexual relationship with Tao (William Gao), her boyfriend in the series.
The sex lives of transgender characters are not usually included in television scripts.
For Finney, “It’s amazing to have this representation of a trans person being able to have this type of relationship. It’s adorable and I’m so grateful to be able to deliver this performance with Will.”
In season two, Tobie Donovan’s character Isaac discovers that he is asexual, meaning he experiences little to no sexual attraction. It’s another theme presented by few TV shows.
Donovan says he did “a lot of research” to make sure he was “doing this community justice.”
He says “there was almost nothing like this on TV before and so I really wanted to make sure I got it right.”
“I feel like, from the reaction to our second season, people were really happy, just to have someone on screen with a similar story to theirs. It’s great for all of us.”
Shortly before leaving we met the executive producer of the series, Patrick Walters. It was in Professor Ajayi’s classroom.
Walters “fell in love” with Alice Oseman’s illustrated novels and had the idea of turning them into a TV series.
He is especially proud of the diversity of the series. For him “it’s incredible to think that it is an important series for young LGBT people”.
“It’s great to see that young people really identify with the characters and that’s why they connect.”
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
