Heartstopper is a hit. Without boring ourselves with Netflix’s terms of success, which involves “views” and hours, the teen drama’s recently released second season shot up the most-watched chart into a comfortable second place, just behind The Lincoln Lawyer. And people are talking about it: an old-school metric. Part of the drama’s charm lies in its charming, gentle exploration of LGBTQ issues as its co-leads Charlie (played by Joe Locke) and Nick (Kit Connor) grow up and together, confronting issues like male eating disorders and the push-pull of coming out. Another element of its success lies with its stars: Locke has 4 million Instagram followers, Connor has almost 6 million. They seem lovely. One more crucial, unexpected ingredient? Olivia Colman.
In the show, the Oscar-winning actor plays Nick’s mum Sarah. Perhaps you were surprised when she turned up in the first season, lending star power to a break-out show full of relative newcomers. But you would not be surprised that she was a key player of that season’s best scene, in which Nick comes out as bisexual at the kitchen table. Everything is so domestic: a mother scrolling her iPad, a mug of tea, an anxious teenage boy. “I’ve heard of that – I wasn’t born in the 18th century,” Sarah says after Nick explains what bisexuality is. Colman delivers that line with an unimpeachable humour, lightening a potentially drab moment. There flow the tears.
It must have been tempting in the second season to use Colman even more, and writer Alice Oseman (who also wrote the original graphic novel) gives into that temptation, but with admirable restraint. This time round, we learn more about the Nelson family life: Sarah is divorced, Nick has a homophobic older brother, there is a very absent, very French father. Among all the teenage highs and lows, the pastel colour palettes and pop songs, Colman is an anchor: a necessary go-between, and a wise (never patronising!) ear to Nick. She is mother-wish-fulfilment. Teenage dramas very often get parents wrong – lifeless and boring, or overwrought and comical – but Colman pitches it just right. If you are a parent watching along with a child, or just a millennial binging on another high school drama, she brings a much-needed maturity. In one of Season 2’s stand-out scenes, once again around the Nelson dining table, Sarah must handle outbursts from her two sons and ex-husband. In lesser hands, that role may have been one-note or forgettable, but Colman brings to life the conflict from all angles.
It is no surprise that Colman is good, but perhaps we can marvel at how good she is here. She rightfully won an Oscar for the delightful The Favourite, and was a crucial part of Peep Show. But occasionally, Colman’s talent can be misplaced in a slightly drab films. The Crown never seemed to know exactly what to do with her. Perhaps with Heartstopper and her recent turn in The Bear, Colman could become the new queen of television cameos. It’s a credit to Oseman that Sarah is written so sensitively, and it’s a credit to Colman that she imbues a secondary role with so much significance.
Both seasons of ‘Heartstopper’ are available to watch on Netflix
Henry Wong is a senior culture writer at Esquire, working across digital and print. He covers film, television, books, and art for the magazine, and also writes profiles.
