#like nick doesn't want to fix charlie or charlie's issues

[where-our-stories-start]

Heartstopper (2x08): Perfect

[sweetmoons]

Let's talk about the representation of EDs in Heartstopper season 3

TW: Discussion of Eating Disorders, OCD, self harm, and other mental health topics.

*Some spoilers*

So I just watched season 3 of Heartstopper today and I really really wanted to talk about this because I haven't seen many people talking about it and it's so important to me. Before I say anything, I do want to clarify that the reason I'm speaking about this is because I have struggled with disordered eating for about 6 years now, I'm in recovery currently (yippie!) but it is something that was and still is a big struggle in my life, so I want to comment on how I feel Heartstopper captured that experience.

I will just say from the beginning I think this is the best representation of an Eating Disorder I've personally seen in a piece of fictional media. If anyone has any better examples let me know I would love to check them out, but in my personal experience this is the best I've seen and it honestly shocked me. In the comic Charlie's Eating Disorder is a big part of him definitely but they don't talk too much in detail about how it's tied into his OCD, likely because of comic length restrictions. Now personally I don't have an ED tied to OCD, but I have a friend recently who was doing a project where he was trying to find non-villanizing depictions of OCD in movies and TV, and he was practically tearing his hair out in frustration at how little anyone EVER said OCD by name. So when they in detail talked about how EDs are sometimes caused by body image issues but there's also EDs caused by compulsions (which is what Charlie has) I was honestly so shocked (in a good way).

Just them mentioning how EDs can be caused by compulsions (and also sometimes cause more compulsions) was more than I've seen in any show I think. But when we get to the depiction of what Charlie is actually experiencing I think it shines even more. Now obviously not everyone has the same experiences with their ED but some of the reactions and feelings from the characters hit so close to home that I cried.

Charlie saying he thinks about food almost all day, him lashing out and getting angry at people around him when they try to force him to eat, Charlie saying he's not sure if "I'll ever go back to normal. Whatever normal is." All of those moments resonated so hard with me. And the depictions of relapsing with self harm and not eating were a nice depiction too, showing that just because he started getting help doesn't mean he was magically fixed, and Geoff saying to him "Relapsing doesn't negate all the progress you made." HOLY FUCK That is SUCH an important message for people to hear holy shit.

AND I LOVE LOVE LOVE THAT NICK BEING HIS BOYFRIEND DOESNT MAGICALLY FIX HIM!!! I feel like in a lot of media just with depictions of any mental health disorder, when the mentally ill character has a partner and their partner is like "I luv u pookie bear 🥺" the mentally ill character is just suddenly okay??? Like having a partner was all they needed??? But they emphasized so much how Nick couldn't "fix" him, not only because Charlie needs more help than from just one person, especially professional help, but also because NICK IS JUST A CHILD HIMSELF!!! That's such an important message for kids watching to hear and something I wish I heard as a teenager.

Also the general reaction of people around him to his eating disorder was very accurate to my experience. Charlie's extended family making comments about his appearance and weight despite everything and saying that he seems "like nothing ever happened" just because he got treatment. Oh my god that's so accurate. The line of Charlie saying "I hope I get Grandparents that don't comment on my weight" made me laugh because OH MY GOD that shit reminded me of family gatherings so much. Plus Charlie's frustration of everyone treating him like he's fragile, won't even lie it made me tear up because that's something I personally still struggle with to this day from family. The strong message to the audience that just because someone's disgnosed as mentally ill doesn't make them any less of the person they were before their diagnosis is so so so nice to see.

Sorry this was a lot of me yapping because honestly this is so significant to me and I know it would've been so nice for me to see this 6 years ago when I was 15 and first started developing an ED. But I think Heartstopper is truly doing something incredibly amazing with representation in their show that hasn't been done much in the past and I'm so happy to see this.

[theotheristhedoctor]

For season 2, can we get more Imogen?

I know she was just a character created for the show to give Nick some more angst, and to a certain extent is a way to avoid having to put personalities on the other Rugby lads (which then highlights Nick's isolation).

BUT

I think there's actually a lot more that could be done with her character:

(1) Firstly, as mentioned, she is the only character with an established positive friendship with Nick. This means that in terms of developing his "coming out" story, she's the perfect replacement for the Rugby Lads (who tbh even in the comics felt a bit forced).

(2) She's already been shown to be a bit "classic straight" awkward about the gays ("I'm an ally" / "thanks"). Who else would be better to deliver the "he's a really good mate" line?

(3) She's an established 4th female character, which means she can come to Paris with the group. That gives you the fabulous options for Token Straight dynamics, in particular with Elle. There's also definitely something to play with in terms of her hanging around with the boys at break; exploring what it means to be a straight girl who just wants to do masculine things would fit very neatly into the themes of the show.

(4) She's been established as actually quite a mature person? She doesn't out Nick, even though he stood her up and rejected her. As a 16-year-old popular girl, she could easily have revealed that he didn't like her; instead she lets him off the hook. Without being OOC she can still be written as awkward but willing to learn, which moves the dynamic away from the patronising "teach a straight to ally" stories and into something more realistic (whilst still being very awkward and funny).

(5) Tao would LOATHE her to start with, which allows his character to develop a bit more. Tao and Nick can now establish a friendship based on a mutual love of Charlie. This is however a bit of a magic bullet to fix Tao's key flaw: jealousy/fear of loneliness. Imogen, as someone who could strike up a friendship with Elle about girly things Tao doesn't get, gives him a new challenge.

(6) Similarly, Charlie having to share Nick's time and attention a bit might help develop some of the co-dependency issues that we get in the comics, without creating some silly love triangle (real or imagined). Nick already rejected her romantically, so spending time with her can only be about wanting a friend, but it would still require Charlie to accept that he doesn't get to own every minute of Nick's life.

(7) Imogen meeting Nick's mum, and the awkward "so how do you know Nick" "Oh he stood me up for a date after my dog had died" would be very funny, particularly given Olivia Colman's acting.