Heartstopper Forever has the tough task of wrapping up one of the most beloved young adult shows of recent memory, with viewers braced for an emotional farewell to their favourite characters.
Besotted boyfriends Charlie (Joe Locke) and Nick (Kit Connor) find themselves at a crossroads in the two-hour special, with post-school plans set to put hundreds of miles between themselves and their friendship group.
These changes lead to some tense arguments and daunting questions over what their future holds, following years of being walking distance apart and the centre of each other’s universes.
The ending to Nick and Charlie’s story was first revealed in graphic novel form, as Alice Oseman’s sixth and final volume of Heartstopper was released in book shops earlier this month.
This conclusion has been shepherded to the screen with great care, resulting in some truly moving final scenes for an ever-trailblazing adaptation. But is it a fairytale ending or something more bittersweet?
Read on for our spoiler-filled recap of the Heartstopper Forever ending as the film finale arrives on Netflix.
Yes, Nick and Charlie do break up in Heartstopper Forever… but it doesn’t stick! The iconic couple later decide to get back together as they take their next steps into adulthood.
The feature-length finale to Alice Oseman’s much-loved series marked the most dramatic entry to date, putting Nick and Charlie’s relationship under the microscope as they questioned whether it would survive their diverging post-school plans.
Nick deals with the imminent upheaval by binge drinking, but the worrying habit only creates more problems and brings him no closer to answering the key question: Who is he without Charlie? As Imogen says, knowing oneself is a powerful thing.
After a series of wobbly moments, Nick and Charlie break things off at a house party gone sideways, with the emotional tumult causing the latter’s eating disorder to resurge. He battles his way back to health, with support from his loyal friends and therapist Geoff.
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Meanwhile, Nick finds some solace working a part-time job at a dog shelter, where he brings a shy stray out of their shell and, ultimately, witnesses the pooch be adopted by a loving family.
Although the temporary separation weighs on Nick and Charlie heavily, there is a sense that it’s for the best in the long run, giving them both space and time to understand who they are and what they want. The answer: each other.
Having spent weeks considering how to resume contact, it’s Charlie who makes the first move by developing photos from a disposable camera he’d gifted Nick while they were together. He posts them through his letterbox, with a note proposing a reconciliatory meet.
Stumbling on the package late in the day, Nick races to meet Charlie at the beach on time, where the sparks fly as strongly as they did at the very start of their whirlwind romance.
A black tie end-of-year party for Truham students ends the special on a happy note, but there is one bittersweet element at play: Tao and Elle sharing one last(?) dance.
The couple have been facing similar questions to Nick and Charlie, owing to their plans to move to different European countries post-school, and concerns that a long-distance relationship would be neither feasible nor satisfying.
Rather than end their long relationship with bitterness, Tao and Elle decide to accept their diverging fates and dance out their conflicted emotions – but it isn’t necessarily the end of their story.
Away from the crowd, Tao later confides in Nick that he knows Elle will always be a part of his life, even if they aren’t romantically involved. An epilogue sequence is ambiguous as to what the couple decide to do.
Tao turns up at an art exhibition Elle is running in Berlin, where one of the works on display is a detailed portrait of her former beau. They embrace upon being reunited, but it’s unclear whether they are only friends or anything more.
Things are more apparent for Heartstopper’s other key characters, with Tara and Darcy swanning off for a gap year adventure as planned, while Isaac gets to work on his book, and Imogen remains a firm supporter of Sahar’s burgeoning music career.
Of course, for many, Nick and Charlie’s conclusion will be of particular interest – and they will be delighted by what they see.
Although Nick does move to Leeds for university, leaving Charlie at Truham for his final year of school, their bond remains strong as ever.
We see Charlie visit Nick on an autumn weekend, meeting his new friends, partying with him all night and waking up next to him in the morning. Together, they flick through a photo album of memories from the past three seasons, before heading out for breakfast.
Well, it is the most important meal of the day.
We’ll never know exactly what the future holds for Nick and Charlie, but we do know that they’re excited to face it together.
Heartstopper Forever is available to stream on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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