Since October, fans have been anxiously anticipating whether Heartstopper would be renewed for a fourth season. After all, this is one of Netflix’s most critically acclaimed shows, as evidenced by the third season receiving a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes. Therefore, its dedicated fans were left confused as to why it took so long for news to come out about whether the show would be renewed or not. Sometimes in these cases the actors and crew know the show is renewed and keep it from fans. However, it was apparent from how often Kit Connor, who stars as Nick Nelson in the show, had to respond to people asking if it was renewed at the stage door for Romeo and Juliet back in February.Â
Last week it was revealed by Netflix and the cast that Nick and Charlie’s story would conclude with a movie installment as opposed to a final season, which caused split reactions within the Heartstopper fandom.Â
What this action highlights is the underlying homophobia of Netflix and their hesitance to renew shows where the main characters are queer. Obviously, the company has a broad audience to cast to, but simply featuring queer characters is not enough to make Netflix allies if they can’t continue to present and continue these underrepresented stories.Â
On the other hand, some think we should be thankful they are getting any kind of representation at all. A movie is still a way to continue the plot of the final graphic novel installments the first three seasons have followed, but as fans have pointed out, movies tend to feel more rushed. The complaint is that it is not an authentic way to tell the story because some plot elements will have to be removed, and we won’t be able to spend time focusing on every aspect in the comics like we would be able to in a show where these elements are more fleshed out. This is the typical complaint with adapting a book series to a movie versus a show; however, this argument holds more relevance because it begs the question of if a show centered around queer characters that is so critically acclaimed cannot be removed— what chances do future shows have?
Over the years, there has been a trend with Netflix of canceling shows where LGBTQ+ representation is at the forefront, and it does not seem to be subsiding. Sure, Netflix is still developing shows with queer storylines, but they seem to be taking them away as quickly as they are created. Everyone talks about how the LGBTQ+ community is being more accepted, and yet, entertainment companies still seem scared to provide real representation. Themes that have to do with the LGBTQ+ community are only controversial if you treat them like it, and it is about time Netflix starts to internalize that message.Â
Fewer and fewer queer shows seem to be making it past three seasons with Netflix, with most of the show lengths ranging from 1 to 3 seasons. I could not help but think that they are giving it the Disney Channel treatment where only the best shows go on to get a fourth season, and the fact that it is a struggle on a platform like Netflix is disheartening. However, this speaks to the fact that the audience receiving these shows is the issue. You always see people making comments online to continue streaming your favorite shows and leaving reviews so that they can get renewed, as people did with Heartstopper these last few months. These reviews can make a real impact on the futures of these shows. Netflix is a platform with a lot of power, which is why it is important that they continue to tell these stories that make people feel seen rather than making the LGBTQ+ community feel like their voices do not matter.Â
What inspired me to write this piece comes with a resentment that I’ve had towards Netflix since 2020, when they canceled I Am Not Okay With This after only one season. Granted, this show aired during Covid and did not receive the best reviews, but this was mostly because there were not enough people viewing it to cancel out the negativity. Now you may be thinking that nothing could have really been done if this show was not viewed, and you’re right, but you know what I did not mention about it? The main character was a lesbian, and there seems to be a trend where if the main character is a lesbian, the series typically only survives for a season or two before receiving a cancellation. It seems like Netflix is scared to touch on aspects of struggles for those who are lesbian deal with, which therefore silences these voices and does not offer proper representation. Shows such as First Kill and Everything Sucks! are some of the many examples of other shows that feature lesbian characters in the spotlight that were canceled after one season.Â
There cannot be equality until we are able to give representations to every member of the LGBTQ+ community. Heartstopper does a fantastic job of providing its audience with diverse representation, which is why it means a lot to so many people. Moving forward, we need to do better at giving voice to more members of the LGBTQ+ community because often people complain that there are too many stories that feature gay people, and the easy fix is that companies like Netflix become more open to other forms of representation by allowing shows to continue beyond three seasons. Shows can only stay entertaining for so long, but longtime comic fans knew this would have been the last season of Heartstopper, and this action brings up the idea of what has to be done to allow queer shows to get that approval to be renewed.