Content warning: This article mentions eating disorders. After three seasons of following Charlie and Nick’s love story, the Heartstopper series has come to an end — well, at least for now. On July 17, Netflix dropped Heartstopper Forever, the finale film to the Emmy Award-winning Heartstopper show. And since fans have been following the coming-of-age love story for almost four years, fans are wondering one thing: Will there be more Heartstopper? Spoiler alert: Spoilers for Heartstopper Forever follow.
In Season 1 of Heartstopper, we see Nick and Charlie go from strangers to best friends to boyfriends. Throughout the next two seasons, we see the two navigate their sexualities and come to terms with their identities. We also see Charlie’s struggles with his mental health — including OCD and an eating disorder. By the end of Season 3, Charlie receives treatment for his eating disorder, while Nick (who is a year older) begins making plans for his future — which may include picking a university far away from Charlie.
This is where Hearstopper Forever picks up. Off the bat, we see Nick grow increasingly anxious about the possible distance between himself and Charlie — who isn’t nervous about the distance at first. Gradually, though, the anxiety becomes a major hurdle in the relationship, causing a major rift between the couple and, eventually, resulting in Charlie relapsing with his anorexia. In a heartbreaking scene, around the midpoint of the film, Charlie and Nick split.
The breakup doesn’t last for long, though. Charlie and Nick meet at the beach and reconcile. The two then have sex and confess their love for each other and their desire to work things out. Later, the couple shows up to prom hand-in-hand and spends a final night with their friends, discussing their future plans together.
That’s where the film ends — well, if it weren’t for the epilogue! Here, we see Charlie take the train to Leeds to see Nick. After the two meet at the station, Nick introduces Charlie to his friends before they explore the city and go dancing at a local gay club.
The next morning, Charlie finds a scrapbook on Nick’s nightstand full of photos, ticket stubs and memories from their relationship. The scrapbook also has several blank pages, to which Charlie says there’s “room for more,” alluding to the fact that their love story will continue.
WILL THERE BE A HEARTSTOPPER FOREVER SEQUEL?
The ending is adorable and optimistic, and wraps the story up in a perfect little bow, which is exactly what creator, writer, and executive producer Alice Oseman wanted. “That was a really important thing to put in there because it says the story goes on. This isn’t the end for Nick and Charlie,” Oseman told Tudum. “They’re still only 18 and 19. They’ve got their whole lives ahead of them. There will be more photos. We don’t have to see them. We just know that they’re going to be OK.”
For fans who have been following Nick and Charlie’s love story, Heartstopper Forever seems to be the end of the road. “The last 10 years have been a whirlwind, so I’m going to take some time to rest, maybe go on a holiday, relax, enjoy engaging in other people’s art and hopefully become inspired along the way,” Oseman told Pink News.
However, Oseman said that expanding the Heartstopper universe isn’t entirely out of the question. “I feel excited by the prospect of working across mediums,” she said in that same interview. “Books, graphic novels, film and TV — there are lots of possibilities out there.”
If you or someone you know has an eating disorder and needs help, call the National Eating Disorders Association helpline at 1-800-931-2237, text 741741, or chat online with a Helpline volunteer here.